When I was at Problogger, I saw a speaker called Jadah Sellner who spoke about growing an instagram following. She had some great tips which are easy to implement. Her number one tip was to engage authentically with others. Jadah runs an account called Simple Green Smoothies – she’s got 300,000 followers which she and her business partner have cultivated since 2012. Jadah uses Instagram to share photos of green smoothies and through genuine connection and trust, brings followers back to her blog to sign up for free and paid smoothie challenges.

Jadah is community minded – and gave this great advice:

I believe this too, Jadah, I do.

I love Instagram. It allows me to show bits of my life. I keep it real – showing my cooking (including a spilt bowl of porridge!), fashions and sunsets. Instagram, has worked well for me to tell mini stories between blog posts, or to promote (or summarise) blog posts.

I also use it to share information about Ichthyosis, and find others with the condition. I love how it connects me with others who have Ichthyosis – because of hashtags. If you have a niche blog or instagram account, use hashtags so people can find you and your cause. That’s my number one tip.

Mostly, I love looking at others’ photos. Instagram is a window to the #SoBlessed soul. People are so talented. And lead beautifully curated lives. That’s typed with irony. Because I know Instagram is just a showreel of the best bits of someone’s life. But it can be a nice escape from yours too.

I want to share some of my favourite Instagram accounts with you, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

@VanillaZulu

Mel from Vanilla Zulu is a foodie. It’s not surprising why I like her – amazing photos of food, and she also runs a cookery school in Brisbane. Just look at that cheese platter! Wedding inspo right there.

@poppyseedhouse

Sharon from Poppyseedhouse lives in Suffolk, UK. She takes beautiful photos of buildings, weddings, gardens and children. I love the ethereal nature of her work. Stunning.

@heidiapples

My friend, HeidiApples, who is a nutritionist, makes the most amazing whole foods. I love her breakfasts (that’s chocolate porridge up there!), her food styling and her cute baby bump (she’s going to be a mum next month!). You won’t be disappointed. She blogs at Apples Under My Bed.

@rarepearstudio

Shani from RarePearStudio is an amazing artist. So bloody talented. Everything she paints is pretty. We’ve collaborated on something exciting – watch this space. Shani and I met at Problogger after months of talking online – she’s very funny.

@into_the_fold

Instagram has got me into home porn. I mean, not literally making pornography at home. Just eyeing off beautiful interiors. Into_The_Fold sells waterproof cushions and its Imstagram account features beautifully decorated rooms. I love the kids’ rooms the best – cluck cluck. Sigh. My room would never be that amazing.

@kellysnaphapoy

KellySnapHappy does wonderful things with flowers, balloons and icecream cones. I would love to buy a print of hers and hang it in my house. Stunning.

I’m going to share some bonus tips:

Canva is my favourite app to create infographics. It’s free and can be used in an app or online.

I love Diptic for framing multiple photos.

I use my (gifted) Olympus Pen epl-7 for taking most of my photos now. It’s great because I can transfer the photos to my iPhone by wifi immediately! Magic.

And SquareReady makes rectangular photos fit into an Instagram square.You can get that app from the Google Play or iTunes stores.

Hope they help!

While watching Jadah speak, my Instagram account clicked over to 3000 followers! Last conference, it clicked over to 2000. I said to Jadah that because I’m a personal blogger, I am my own brand, and I share my life as a whole with the world, and to show life beyond Ichthyosis. She said I am doing ok. You can follow me @carlyfindlay.

Who are your favourite Instagrammers? Got any tips for me?