Instagram. Like most social media you either love it or you hate it. But what if I told

you I have some tips and tricks that can help you beat the algorithm, gain followers,

and improve your engagement. Let's take a dive into what makes Instagram tick.

Welcome to my empire of self love, inspiration, and encouragement. Where I hope to encourage

you in and outside of the craft room, or if you're like me for many years, beyond the kitchen table.

This is Beyond Crafting.

When I first started my Instagram from my business, I expected it to just, I don't know, work.

I uploaded a photo, I put a cute little quote that I found on Pinterest as the caption, and I posted.

And then I waited, and I waited, and nothing happened. Maybe a couple of locks, no comments,

and to me it felt like a fail. And that sounds crazy, right? Because let me be clear, as the years

have passed, my longing for numbers has vanished. I don't watch the number followers I have,

the number of locks on a post, or the comments to gauge if a post is air quotes here successful.

But starting out, you do watch the numbers right. You want to make sure you're getting traction,

and getting your hard work to your audience. Some of us use social media for sales. Some of us use

it as bloggers, or social media influencers, and some use Instagram just to connect with family

and friends. My first bit of advice is figure out your niche. This is who you're wanting to target

and reach. Are you wanting sales for your shop? Are you wanting exposures with companies?

Or are you just using it as a way to keep a photo book of your life? Either way, my advice is not

to mix too many topics into your photos, it might confuse your audience. There are exceptions like

lifestyle bloggers where they show you every second of every day. But staying within your niche

as closely as possible will help Instagram funnel people into your account and suggest you

for other users that have the same interests as you. Here's my next tip. You have 31 hashtags you can

...