First, let start off by saying that I LOVE writing, relationships & connecting with others over Instagram. Taking ownership in this part of our business came naturally to me when we first started our company. I remember Ryland saying, “Glad you find joy in this because I really don’t think I could write consistently & be active on such a busy & ever-changing platform!”

While there are LOTS of HIGHS that come with social media there are also lots of lows.

My personal “highs” of social media:

1. This is how we run the major part of our business! It has connected us with LOTS of our clients & vendors whom we LOVE! Short way of saying, we have grown our business simply by using Instagram daily & being consistent!
2. A client finds us, we book them, we photograph their wedding & make two new friends! It’s as simple as that!
3. We have learned A LOT! Running a business takes lots of practice. There is SO much education for small business owners on social media. In fact, it’s the first place we went when we started our business in 2014. We found online workshops to attend, followed other business owners we admired, & grew in our understanding of how to run a profitable & sustainable business all by engaging on Instagram.
4. It’s a joy to share about our life & what we are learning! Truly – this is fun for me (it’s not always fun for everyone). This is not to toot our own horn, but instead to share how the Lord is moving & changing us as humans.
5. By daily sharing, I am cataloging our family’s story & leaving a legacy for our family. I would NEVER share anything that I wouldn’t want our children to know or be OK with. That being said, viewers DON’T know everything about our family (as much as you think you know us – there will always be things that we don’t share). This is HEALTHY! We have chosen to be a brand that draws lines to protect our friends & family.

My personal “lows” of social media:

1. You can feel like you are under a microscope: by “branding” yourself, you are opening yourself up to an audience. Questions flood your DM’s, people want to know how you “feel” about things, etc.
2. You can feel like everyone in the room knows you but you don’t know them. *This can lead to a feeling of isolation if you’re not careful.*
3. You feel like you always need to measure up. Whether you want it or not, there is a “measurement” since you can see how many likes or views a post gets. This creates a TON of pressure to perform!!!
4. It’s easy to feel like you need to “keep up”. Let’s be honest, people are always posting & social media platforms are ALWAYS changing – there is something new practically every day that affects the algorithm. What if you don’t keep up? Will your brand lag behind? 
5. It takes A TON of time. Posts don’t magically appear. Did you know that I spend hours a week writing & making sure our brand is communicated clearly? It doesn’t consume me like it used to – but it still takes serious investment. Every brand has this hurdle they need to overcome!

Over all, we have found that the highs & lows are both going to be there – no matter what you do! So what do we have control over?

We have control over saying “Yes” or “No” to being active on a social media platform everyday! 

Once I started to recognize the heaviness of planning, being active & consistently engaged – I knew I needed a break. It started out as a “personal accountability” break. I just took time off on Sundays & told Ryland, “I am not going to open any apps today.” It was refreshing, but wasn’t enough time! Monday morning would roll around & I was disappointed because I had just gotten into a rhythm of feeling “free”. 

So, how do we draw boundaries in social media? That’s Part 2 – coming soon! 

xo, JP