A few years ago, I started a series talking about how the fashion and influencer industry are problematic at best. We all have a part to play in fixing this and trying to help where we can. One way you can do that? Diversify your Instagram feed. You can always start by following me jordan.taylorc (Shameless Plug). So today, I’m giving you 8 ideas of how you can work on your feed!
1.Look back at my old posts!
This is the first one, where I speak on the issue! The industry is deeply flawed and needs to change, but it can’t happen without us. You can find the first here and the second here.
2. Don’t forget. Change begins closest to home.
Are the people you surround yourself with diverse? Are you friends diverse? If they’re not, you might not see the issue, but it means that you’re surrounding yourself with only people who think like you. Diversifying also means bringing in other schools of thought. That’s how you learn. None of us know everything, and diversifying can open you up to an entirely new set of ideals that you can see and hear.
3. Think through your why.
Why do you want to diversify your feed? Not to look like a racist? To learn? To just see some cool new creators who might not look or think like you? Evaluate your why and find your motivation first, that way you know who you should speak to and where to look to find new people to follow.
4. Look at your friends’ following and see who they like!
Don’t be afraid to ask them or influencers you follow for recommendations. Most are really happy to offer them. They’re people you look to for product recommendations, so why not recommend people to follow as well?
5. The explore page should be your FRIEND!
But, it is curated around what you like already. If your page is pretty much the same, you’ll have to put in more effort. Do some scrolling, watch a few extra reels, or go down the suggestions, and actively look for people.
6. Do your research.
Many of the people that you follow have done the work. There are roundup accounts for therapists, artists, bloggers, photographers, and more. Just about anything you can think of. If there’s not one, think about starting it or check out the hashtags.
7. Tik Tok and Pinterest are the new It Girls, but they’re also amazing resources.
Many bloggers and creators use both platforms to expand their audience. If you’re on them, use them and see if you can find new people. I know I always find new people that way.
8. Try. Try. and Try again.
If you don’t like what someone posts, UNFOLLOW THEM. They’re not for you, but there are millions of people on the platform who you can try, but you should be willing to try and take a chance. It will make your feed better in the long run.
We all are on social media for so much of our lives. Because of this, it’s important we confront our biases. Whether its skin color, size, disability, sexual orientation, or gender presentation. We all need to work on this because it’s the only way brands will see that we, the consumers, take diversity seriously and they should as well. We want to see everything and everyone, so we should start with our own to make that happen.