It’s always heartwarming to read through all of the people who LIKE something you post on Facebook, realizing that many people are noticing your postings who you may not realize are aware of you. People from your life–classmates, church friends, relatives of relatives, and, of course, your own immediate circle of family and friends.

But, I have to tell you, since I have started posting pictures on Instagram,     there is a thrill unlike that of people you already know.

As my daughter instructed, “Mom, you don’t have to beg your friends to like your pictures. You are not looking to build Instagram for your friends and family. You are looking for new friends who are interested in your pictures.”   

Really, Instagram is a powerful business tool, that before the last few weeks, I was almost totally unaware of. I had posted a couple of personal pictures, one of my grandson        George surfing, and one of our winter view of the river, and even without trying, I had a few LIKES.   

But, when I decided to listen to my daughter, I began to realize that focus was necessary.

I am a travel blogger (see www.citycites.readmstradinger.com) and I really am interested in establishing that, for a number of reasons.

So as I have been chronicling our trip to Costa del Sol which we took for our 34th anniversary last year, I also decided that my Readmstradinger on Instagram should focus on travel and its related pictures.

At first I was timid, posting one photo in a month, then several, and now almost daily, I didn’t realize that consistency and frequency are both important.

And, then there are the famous HASHTAGS. That, in itself, is an art to be learned and mastered. I am getting there.

My daughter told me, “You want some hashtags that are unique and that when searched, are yours, and other hashtags that are trending, so you are found in the trends. That takes some tome, but I am learning, and have gone from a dozen or more LIKES in a day or two, to the same number in an hour, simply by knowing what HASHTAGS are about.   

The thrill of a global presence in amazing. After a picture is posted on Instagram, and the appreciation begins to pour in, it is like being on stage for a few moments.

I remember a Broadway play called, The Roar of Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd, and though I never saw it, the name implies that there is something heady about being on stage. I am pretty sure that is not what the musical, which gave us hits like “Who can I turn to,” and The Joker,” is about.

But, I can hear the greasepaint, and smell the crowd from around the world, just posting a picture and tagging it for those who appreciate things like doors, beaches, food, bullrings, and gardens. Amazing. Thrilling.

If you haven’t tried it, follow someone–me, for instance–and see what you think. It is quite an experience.   READMSTRADINGER

Each of the social media platforms has its own claim to fame. Facebook, you know; Twitter starts a conversation and allows you to comment briefly and to see what is trending in conversations; Pinterest, which has now surpassed Twitter in usage, so I read, is a plethora of resources for almost anything you want–recipes, home decor, remodeling ideas, motorcycles, gardening (why we chose purple as our main shrubery color),  

travel. and on and on. we decided our bathroom door ideas after perusing Pinterest, and we also looked at many shower tile patterns from this site; and Instagram, which is used the world over by “influencers” who are gathering a market for themselves, others, and established and new brands. If you don’t understand this new “world of mouth” type of marketing, and you are in business, you need to consider it. It’s trending.

In any case, I am loving it, and it is so much easier than writing blogs and hoping they get read. It is, well, INSTANT. 🙂

Check out my Readmstradinger pictures on Instagram if you wish. And, try it yourself. It is fun.