We’ve all complained or at least heard of someone saying they are sick and tired of the unrealistic perfectness of the Instagram world. Well for those in search of that raw, unfiltered and real life interaction, BeReal is the app for you. Whereas, then there’s some of us who’s not yet ready to switch or add a new social platform to the long list of social apps garnered on our smart phones, we will show you quick and easy solutions to bring that authentic feel to your Instagram feed.
The social frenzy behind the BeReal app, is that it inspires users to post untouched glimpses into their daily lives, yet like any other platform BeReal only gives you a 2 min time frame to respond. Some users they call it “the most stressful 2 mins of their life” as they have to capture something interesting that they are doing”, limiting user’s ability to creatively curate their profiles.
Leaving the question: How can you curate and be authentic at the same time?
Don’t use filters
To emit that raw realness that everyone is searching for, try to avoid any face filters that might alter facial, body or scenic appearances. This tip might sound obvious, but the reality is far harder to put into practice than to preach. Showcasing bareskin, exposed imperfections, natural lighting and body confidence all scream NATURAL to its core. Remember it’s a mental battle of acceptance and appreciation for having the courage to expose the most vulnerable parts of ourselves and demonstrating them as strengths.
Use natural colour editing techniques
Let’s be honest, a camera can’t capture a moment like our eyes can, so there’s nothing wrong with hyping up the saturation to give that sunset the realistic glow it had. Saying this, there’s a right way to do it and then there’s a wrong way. Refer from using preset filters which completely alter the mood, but rather stick to enhancing existing colours by playing with basic elements such as saturation, contrast, brightness and exposure. Remember less is more.
Incorporate real-time posts
Build your own feed recipe by combining a mixture of curated images with real-time posts (no tbt moments or vacation images with a 6 month lag). You can always take your time to select the perfect image and make minor alterations, but remember to show your following you are being as transparent as possible and reflect what you’re doing or where you are in real time. The tip is to post unedited images or videos in real-time onto your story and later on combine what you captured with the curated images onto your feed so that it creates balance and compliments your profile’s overall mood.
Literally, BE REAL…
Share more real news to counter-trend that picture perfect life on Instagram. Your feed should resemble real moments within the time-period you are in. Saying that it shouldn’t be all glamorous, good news or look like you are on holiday whenever you post, neither over-share your private life for the public to see. The tip is to make content that’s relatable, this boosts your organic growth as followers see themselves in your shoes and can relate to your daily life. It can even be as simple as to share a video on your story saying what you are doing at work. Doing this fuels positive energy, hinders jealousy and elevates comments.
All-in-all authenticity comes in many forms; from the energy and realness your personality radiates to the parts and experiences of your life that makes you unique. That’s why these platforms exist, to show an extension of ourselves for others to see, whether it’s our highs or our lows it’s about creating balance, transparency and uniqueness through content.
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