I use Instagram for business. My only social media presence is what you see on my blog accounts, and it’s been that way for years. With that said, I am very strategic in who I decide to follow on Instagram. There are many accounts I follow simply for inspiration, but mostly, I follow people to build relationships. I’m actually a pretty good follower to have because I do my best to like and comment on every photo I see when I’m logged on. That’s just what you have to do in order to build a relationship. Sometimes right away, sometimes two months later, the recipients of your social love will usually follow back and begin to engage with your content as well. That’s the beginning of a social media friendship. The NYC blogging scene may feel big, but once you attend enough events, you start seeing repeating faces, many of whom you already became “friends” with on Instagram. That’s when you take the relationship to the next level, starting with small talk at events and generally leading to a follow-up coffee date.

I have much to improve, but I like to think I have pretty good content. I work really hard editing images and arranging my feed. Obviously everyone’s styles and tastes are different and you can’t please them all, so unfollows are inevitable, but when it comes to people you actually know unfollowing you, I kind of have a problem with that. I would never make it a rule that once you follow someone you can never unfollow, but I do want to understand why someone would WANT to unfollow you after spending months or even years cultivating an online or face to face relationship. If your content style changed or started getting risqué or weird, I get it, but if not, hitting that unfollow button is the equivalent of burning a bridge. It's a silent affirmation that you no longer support this person.

I do a lot of freelance work on the side, generally revolving around influencer campaigns. The brands I work for are constantly changing, as well as the deliverables, but one thing I always do is make sure to include my friends, both real and online based. I’ve sent some of my friends hundreds of dollars in business. I’ve built a relationship with these people, so it’s the least I could do. Thankfully there aren’t too many names that come to mind, but there have been cases when some of those “friends” have unfollowed me. They don’t owe me anything for our time as social media friends or for including them in campaigns, but it does make me wonder why and definitely does not encourage me to continue sending them business.

You don’t have to take it personally, but it is personal, because if they valued your relationship enough, they would never unfollow. For example, if you met the PR manager of Chanel and followed each other, even if all she did was post pictures of her children, you probably wouldn’t unfollow because that’s a relationship you’d never want to throw away. So before you hit unfollow, maybe take a second to think about what that could mean in the larger scheme of things and be prepared to potentially close the door on a relationship that could have been.

OUTFIT BREAKDOWN:
Oversized Yellow Sweater: H&M
Black Pleather Skirt: Topshop
Black Tights: Hue
Black West 57th Schoolbag: Henri Bendel (c/o)
Black Studded Booties: DSW (c/o)

Photography: Griffin Ungar

xx Esther