Required Reading for the Week of 1/21 - 1/28
One thing I’d like to do for my readers and followers is to regularly share content from outlets and blogs that I follow and believe in. Many of these sources receive daily or weekly visits from me and have helped me grow my knowledge in so many different areas. Here are my recommendations for required reading this week:
Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash
9 Ways to Increase Instagram Engagement in 2019
by Later
Later is one of my go-to sites for Instagram marketing and trends. It keeps me up-to-date on how to create fresh, unique content and is super helpful when it comes to unpacking and understanding all of the new features and tools Instagram is constantly releasing—both for my professional life and for my personal planner Instagram. As we all know, the Instagram algorithm is throttling quality content creators, (I’m looking at you, Facebook!) and as a result it’s more important than ever to be mindful of how to drive engagement with your current followers and attract new followers. Read this one if you’re looking to improve your Instagram content—seriously!
Photo by Omar Prestwich on Unsplash
How to Find Cheap Flights with Google Flights
by City Whit
My good friend and fellow Orlando blogger, Whitney Gonzalez, re-shared this article from her blog this week on Instagram. If you want to do more traveling in 2019 or don’t know where to get started, this blog is a great place to begin. Whitney is an expert traveler and the inventor of the #CityWhitPose. I basically begin all of my travel planning via Google Flights, and have been doing so for years now. Google Flights is essentially an aggregator of all flight information across the Internet, making a convenient, one-stop-shop. But I’ll let Whitney tell you more about how she’s been able to afford international travel on a budget thanks to Google’s convenient features.
How Women Are Using Instagram To Redefine Networking & Make Authentic Connections
by Bustle
I visit Bustle every week. They publish amazing content every day on everything from book recommendations to social media to intersectional feminism. This particular article was relevant to me, because I am always looking to make new connections—both professionally and in the planner community. Being that I spend so much time on Instagram, I found this article relevant and thought-provoking. Most people think of LinkedIn as the networking platform, but for millennial women I think many of us are taking advantage of Instagram in this way without even realizing it. I don’t want to give away the whole article, but definitely give this one a bookmark or read.
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
HabitLab Browser Extension Curbs Your Time Wasted on the Internet
by Wired
The irony that you are probably reading this article on your smartphone or desktop, or that you may have come across it via social media (a.k.a - the biggest time-suck ever invented), is not lost on me. BUT, I’m sharing article this because using the internet and social media is not a bad thing—as prefaced by the recommendation above—but we should certainly be mindful of what we’re using it for and what we could be doing instead. I am 100% guilty of going down rabbit holes and getting completely off task, so I’ve committed to installing this extension and a review will likely come at later point. If you’re looking to establish better online habits (without taking extreme measures) and want protect yourself from data-obsessed social media platforms (that are most certainly selling advertisers information about how much time you spend on their platform), then consider reading this article and installing this browser extension.
That’s it for this week! Look for another roundup of articles and blogs to come in the next week or two. I haven’t decided how frequently this post will happen just yet. If you’re interested in receiving a newsletter with more curated recommendations, leave your ideas in the comments as to what topics and I’ll look at creating a process for this in the future. You can also sign up for my mailing list and get these recommendations straight to your inbox.
