Tips for Creating an Instagram-Worthy Social Media Presence for Your Family

Have you ever wanted to showcase your family outings and adventures in a visually appealing and captivating way? Maybe your family has a unique story to tell, or you just want to share the chaos and love of your daily life with the world.

Whether you’re looking to become Instagram famous or you just want to share your life with family members, friends, and whoever else might be interested, there are things you can do to boost the appeal of your Instagram posts on a family account.

Feature photo by Luca Baini. Written by Katie Brenneman.

Content Is King

Ask anyone who has been in the marketing industry for five minutes, and they’ll talk your ear off over the importance of quality content. While you might not be selling a product on your social media platforms, your goal is likely to get eyes on your account. So, in a way, you have to think like a marketing expert to boost views and engagement.

One of the best ways to boost the appeal of your content is to take your photography and videography seriously. Anyone can snap a photo or take a video using their phone, and the quality will be decent. But, that’s just it – anyone can do it. If you want your posts to stand out and echo the memory you’re trying to capture, plan ahead for how and what you’ll want to shoot. Decide which specific moments you want to capture, and make a list of shots that should be prioritized.

Most importantly, get to know your camera before you have to use it. Maybe that’s nothing more than understanding the settings on your phone camera. If you’re going to be an avid content creator, invest in a DSLR camera that can take clearer photos and videos.

If you’re interested in sharing photos of your family’s adventures, you can bring them to life more vividly by:

Checking your lighting;
Using the rule of thirds (to improve photo composition);
Taking photos horizontally;
Avoiding zoom;
Taking candid shots;
Using editing tools.

It’s also not uncommon for influencers and content creators to go live on their accounts to better engage with their followers. If your family is doing something particularly interesting, live streaming can be a great way to connect with your fans and followers. Maybe you’re walking around a Disney World park, or hiking in a national forest. Maybe you’re in a different country on the other side of the world, or you’re enjoying a family wedding where everyone got the opportunity to dress up. If you’re doing something unique that others might like to see, learn how to live stream so friends and family members can feel like they’re right there with you.

Follow the Trends

If you’re still stumped on the kind of content you should be sharing with your followers, research the latest and greatest social media trends. You might not want to dive into all of them – especially with kids. But, there are some “trends” that are likely here to stay, including:

The rise of video content;
Interactive content (including AR);
User-generated content;
Multi-platform engagement;
Authenticity.

People are going to pay more attention to your account(s) if they know you’re being real. Don’t assume everything you post about your family has to depict a perfect life. It’s okay to share the hard times, too, as long as you’re comfortable with it. The more “real” you are, the more your followers and others will feel comfortable connecting and engaging with you.

Not only can that help to boost user-generated content, but it will get people talking, and sharing your photos and videos.

Smaller trends can be fun. It takes five minutes to go on Instagram or TikTok to see what’s currently popular. You can decide whether it’s appropriate for your family to join in some of those things. Most importantly, evaluate the longevity of trends and how they can match your social media presence.

Keep Your Family Safe

While it can be fun and exciting to create a social media presence for your family, there’s no denying that the internet can be a dangerous place. Even if you’re the one calling the shots and your kids don’t get access to your accounts, it’s essential to know how to protect yourself – and them.

Safeguarding everyone’s information should be your top priority. Simply putting your kids’ faces on social media can be a risk, and while that typically won’t create any major issues, it’s necessary to be on your toes and know exactly what you should and shouldn’t be sharing.

For example, if you overshare details about your children, you could put them at risk of identity theft and fraud. As you become more popular on Instagram, you could also notice fake accounts popping up using your basic information or sharing pictures of your kids. It’s a scary thing to witness, but it can serve as a wake-up call to be mindful of the things you share.

There are a few tips to keep in mind before you share anything about your kids on social media. Go through this mental checklist before every post, and determine if sharing is the right thing to do:

Think about possible repercussions;
Keep details vague;
Limit your audience;
Create your own social media policy and stick to it.

As your kids get older and want to start posting their own content, it’s well worth it to make sure they know some of the risks and how to keep themselves safe. Make sure your children know how to avoid scams and viruses, and never to give away personal information online, even if a person or website might seem legitimate. Cyber crimes happen every day, and you don’t want your family to fall victim to them just because you’re trying to offer a sneak peek into your lives.

You should also make sure they’re safe mentally as well. There’s been plenty of evidence that social media has profound effects on the mental health of young people. If your kids are old enough to check your family’s account or create their own, they may be able to read and interact with others online, which may impact their self-esteem. Constantly being paraded online may also be exhausting as well. No matter the cause, you should check in with your kids regularly to see how they feel and what you can do to improve their mental health.

Monetizing Your Efforts

If your goal is to go beyond sharing your family experiences with people you know, you might think about monetizing your efforts. It’s not always easy to reach “influencer” status on Instagram, but if you have relatable, engaging content that people are drawn to, you might be able to turn social media into a viable source of income for your family.

Monetizing your social media following is easier than you might think, and you can start making money with as few as 1,000 engaged followers.

If you’re trying to become an influencer, consider reaching out to brands that make sense for your target audience. Reach out to companies your family is already familiar with. Maybe you use specific cleaning products or only buy a certain brand of bread. If you have an engaged audience, those brands might be willing to pay you to promote their products to your followers.

You can also monetize through sponsored posts, using social media to get people to your website, or creating a product or service to sell to your fans. When you research what your audience might best respond to, there are plenty of ways to make money from your social media presence and live the life you truly want with your family.

At the end of the day, prioritize your family’s well-being as you create an Instagram-worthy social media presence. Make sure you’re keeping things real, keeping your kids safe, and having fun with your efforts, rather than making them feel like work.