The Top 5 Things I Learned at
The Design Twins Instagram Workshop
When I first heard that Jodie & Julie, The Design Twins, were teaching an Instagram workshop and retreat in Waco, TX last fall, I was so excited!! My excitement quickly turned to disappointment when I realized that the workshop was the same weekend as my Great Grandmother and Grandfathers 70th wedding anniversary vow renewal and reception. There was NO WAY I was going to miss that.
So when I had the chance to attend The Design Twins Instagram Workshop in Lehi, Utah. I was SO excited!!! I set my alarm on my calendar and bought the tickets the moment they went on sale! If you are new to social media and Instagram or maybe just want to improve your feed, keep reading because today I am sharing some major tips I’ve learned from The Design Twins! If you aren’t familiar with The Design Twins, Jodie and Julie, they are two super talented and just outstanding sisters who run a very successful blog together called The Design Twins Blog as well as two separate, beautiful, and also highly successful home decor Instagram accounts @julie.thedesigntwins @jodie.thedesigntwins! Let me tell you, not only do they know their stuff, but they are two of the kindest and most genuine people you will ever meet! I am so blessed to call them friends!
Before I get into sharing my tips and takeaways with you, I want to say a huge Thank You and shout out to Christina from Christinas Captures for sharing her absolutely beautiful photos with me for this post! I am amazed at Christina’s talent! As you can see from these photos she is an outstanding photographer! If you are in or near the Salt Lake City area, be sure to look Christina up for your next event or photo needs! You can find her at ChristinasCaptures and also on Instagram @christinascaptures.
I’m also going to start off by saying I think this workshop should be called The Design Twins INCREDIBLE Workshop & Retreat because it was just that! Incredible! Every part of this workshop was outstanding. Jodie and Julie thought of everything! Our amazing venue was Thanksgiving Point Golf Club in Lehi, Utah and it was so breathtaking as well as beautifully catered.
We also were completely spoiled by so many generous sponsors like Adams & Co., Devanie At Home, Oh Sweet Skye and so many more! Jodie and Julie worked so hard to make this event a wonderful experience for us all and they also spent so much time making sure that they covered every little part of IGin their curriculum. They really do their research and I have to say that what they shared with us was so incredibly helpful. They covered it ALL, you guys! We were able to take home our workbooks for future reference and I have been so grateful to be able to go back and read through whenever I have a question.
The Design Twins also brought in mentors to work one on one with us which was the cherry on top of the sundae! These ladies attended The Design Twins Workshop last fall in Waco and have seen huge growth in their accounts after implementing what they learned from Julie and Jodie! I could go on and on about how much I learned and how priceless it was to connect with Jodie and Julie, the mentors and all the amazing fellow Instagram lovers and be able to ask questions and have one on one time to work with them! The lovely ladies below worked so hard to make sure we all learned as much as possible! I am so grateful to these incredible mentors and I sure hope you’ll go and give them all some love over on Instagram! (from left to right) Kelly @citygirlmeetsfarmboy, Bethany @shiplapaddict, Julie @julie.thedesigntwins, Jodie @jodie.thedesigntwins, Kari @ourfigtreecottage, and Jen @jenbryantdesign
If you ever have a chance to learn from Jodie and Julie, I highly recommend going to their workshop. They also offer consultations over the phone…so if you are serious about growing your account, I would contact them ASAP! You will walk away, happy and more educated Instagram-er for sure! All of their information on the services they offer you can find on their blog The Design Twins
For me, Instagram has been a wonderful place to share and gain inspiration! I just love it! I am however NOT very techy and I knew I needed to take a class and learn the ins and outs of Instagram if I wanted to make the most of this little APP. Let’s be real. Instagram can be a huge time waster if we are not careful and I was eager to learn how to make Instagram work for me and not against me! I learned so much and I wanted to share with you what I think will be the most helpful for anyone who is looking to grow their Instagram account in a totally authentic way.
Okay… Now let’s get into the “take-aways”!
Tip Number One – Importance of Community
The first and most important thing I took away from this workshop, and I can’t stress this enough, is how much we need each other!!! I have had my @fletchercreekcottage account on Instagram for a year and a half and in all that time I have met hundreds if not thousands of women who have been SO unbelievably kind! I have felt supported and encouraged from day one and I am so grateful for this community! But guys, I had no idea how impactful it would be to meet some of these IG friends in real life! I was (and still am) amazed by the ability to connect on such a personal level with women you’ve only just met. I had no idea that I was missing an IG support system until I found it!!! Jodie & Julie have a way of bringing peace and positivity to a room in a way that allowed us to all connect and form true friendships! These women don’t compare themselves to me or define me by my numbers on IG…they just accepted me and saw me for who I am! Having a group of women that truly understand your journey and are walking a similar one with you is priceless!
It is a must! It is a game-changer and I am so grateful to be going forward on my journey with this outstanding and encouraging community!
Tip Number Two – Photography/Editing
The second thing I learned really surprised me (and it really shouldn’t have) Jodie and Julie stressed just how important photography and editing is. They shared a story about how they have had students that really needed to improve their photography skills and it was obvious to others that their photography wasn’t great, yet the student didn’t think their work needed to improve at all. On the other hand, the students that didn’t need improving in this area thought that they did! Instagram is an app to share photos, duh, we all know that. But, if we want to grow our accounts and really stand out, we need to learn how to take incredible pics and how to edit those pics (and how NOT to edit as well). No, we don’t need any fancy lighting or expensive cameras…but if you’re going to use your iPhone then it’s essential to learn how to use one or two editing apps and learn them WELL! I love to use Snapseed as well as Lightroom for all my photos and so far that has worked for me. But after listening to Jodie and Julie, I am definitely going to be signing up for some photography classes this summer! I have a lot of room to improve for sure!
Tip Number 3 – Be Intentional With Your Time
This is a big one guys and I love that The Design Twins really broke it down for us. How we spend our time on IG matters! None of us have unlimited time and unfortunately, IG would love for us for being on all the time. SO when you are on IG here are the most beneficial ways to spend your time.
- POST- Yes, this is obvious, but really it’s so important for growth. Being consistent and posting daily or 2x per day is crucial to beating the algorithm. If you can’t post daily that try to batch your posts and then when it comes time to post on a busy day, you already have your next post ready to go and it’s no big deal. Total time saver! I’ve started using an APP called Planoly and it will help you plan out your posts in advance. Maybe check that out if posting daily is a challenge for you!
- ENGAGE and give others a reason to ENGAGE with you as well- This also may seem like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many comment pods and groups are engaging out of duty to each other and IG does not like that. IG wants to see real engagement, with real conversations that are more than emojis! Instagram can tell when the only comments are coming from the same 20 accounts over and over. If you are in groups, great if that’s working for you. But it is important to make sure that your engagement is really coming from people who are not obligated to always comment on your post. I hope that makes sense? Some ideas for making it easier to engage are to post a question in your caption. SO many times I read someone’s caption and all I can think is “what am I supposed to say to that?” The absolute best way to draw engagement to your feed is to be intentional about engaging on other peoples feeds and making sure to have real conversations with everyone commenting on your feed!
Tip Number 4 – Instagram Stories
I am so glad that they touched on IG Stories! I absolutely LOVE sharing things in my stories and it was very helpful to learn that doing this is a huge benefit to your feed. YAY for stories! If you are not using your IG stories and you want to grow your account…it’s time to start sharing in stories my friend! I don’t mean share a photo in your stories, I mean flip that camera around and show your beautiful face. Share your personality, ask your audience questions, be engaging and have fun with it! And most importantly BE REAL!!! I was very surprised and how many people at the workshop were not using stories and if they were, they were not showing their faces or talking in their stories. I get that it can be scary. The first time I used my story feature it was shortly after starting my account and I was scared to death to post it. The second time I did it I had so much fun and it’s never again made me nervous or been a scary thing. If you are not yet posting stories…now is the time to start!!! Stories are where people are at guys. It really is a fantastic way to grow a connection with those who are following you and to give them a reason to come back to your feed. Stories offer so many features too, so be sure to get comfortable using those features whenever you can! IG really likes that! People want to connect with real people…give them a reason to connect with YOU!
Tip Number 5- ATTITUDE
My mom would always say “attitude is everything” and YES it is guys…even on Instagram. Social media can be a tough place…if you let it be. It can also be a fantastic resource of inspiration and encouragment…if you let it be! I want to share this because Jodie and Julie taught us that the attitude you bring to your feed is what you will attract. If you are fed up with Instagram or are lacking motivation, it’s absolutely going to show through your feed. If you have a negative vibe it’s going to attract negative and critical people and that sounds awful. Spread love and you will attract friends and followers that are kind. Instagram is not only a place to share what inspires you but for you to be able to enjoy what others have shared! So be a giver! Look through photos and feeds with an attitude of sharing joy, and spreading kindness! Be so busy spreading compliments and encouragement that there is no room for any thoughts of comparison, envy or critical thoughts (of them or of yourself for that matter).
I have only been on Instagram as a public account for a year and a half and I can honestly say that I am sharing what I love and I LOVE sharing it! I am super passionate about DIY and home decor and Instagram helps me share all of that with all of you…for free! How cool is that! If even 5 people like my pic or learned something…guys, that is AWESOME and it’s 5 more people that would have seen it if I didn’t have my Instagram account. IG owes me nothing so I have never really gotten upset if a post doesn’t do well or I don’t grow quickly… I am too busy enjoying each and every day creating, sharing and connecting with all of you! I hope that these takeaways will be as helpful for you as they were for me!
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
To Jodie & Julie, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you invested into me! I can’t wait to meet up again at Haven!
To Christina, I am so grateful to you for generously sharing your beautiful captures of this workshop with me for this blog post! Thank you so much, Dear!
The Design Twins Blog: thedesigntwins.com
Photo Credit: Christina christinascaptures.com
Venue: Thanksgiving Point Golf Club
