You may have heard about the numerous reasons why you should a bullet journal, but have you considered using bullet journaling to build your own social media following or increase your social media engagement? Our good friends at Pink Lemonade Social Media Agency have put together this handy guide with tips on how to grow your bullet journaling Instagram.
Firstly, you're not alone if you've ever wanted to start an Instagram profile for your #bujo art or bullet journal spreads but didn't know where to begin. Although mastering the Instagram algorithm might be difficult, following these few methods below will help you achieve your goal of sharing your art with the world and inspiring others. Instagram is a community and a place for artists and creatives to socialise with other people who share similar interests. Gaining followers is, of course, fantastic, but it isn't the only goal you should have in mind.
So, how can you get a big Instagram following? Starting a new Instagram account for bullet journaling may be slow, but having other avenues for people to discover your social media, such as a blog, can help bring eyeballs to your art. Read on to find tips to increase your Instagram engagement and following, meet other amazing bullet journalers, and join the bullet journal community on Instagram. 
Follow @pepperconarts on Instagram - Connie is from Melbourne and features beautiful journal spreads, art works and stationery on her Instagram! Read Connie's Guest Blog Post on Bullet Journaling here!
When starting an Instagram account for your #bujo work, having a unique and relevant username is essential for attracting the right individuals. You want your handle to stand out while also letting people know what your page is all about. People are unlikely to click on your username if it does not clearly describe what your page is about. It's also a good idea to have a username that isn't too similar to anyone else's; otherwise, your Instagram account may get buried among the larger accounts with the same handle. Your Instagram handle can simply be your name with "bujo"at the end or something more creative!
To gain more visibility among the bullet journal community on Instagram, it's critical to do one simple thing: follow and engage with other bullet journal accounts! Developing true connections with other creators will help you gain access to the correct audience, as well as get inspiration and find relevant hashtags and accounts to tag. Bullet journal artists are very supportive of one another, so don't be scared to reach out to them! Finding the correct creative group on Instagram can be tough; therefore, the easiest approach to locating bullet journalists is to search hashtags like #bujo, #bulletjournal, #bujoaustralia #bulletjournalaustralia and so on.
Or you can find bujo groups on Facebook to connect with. This is a great way to connect with local bullet journaler's. Simply search on Facebook for topics such as Bujo Australia, Bullet Journaling Australia etc. For example, there are many bullet journalers in our WashiGang Facebook Group that have bujo Instagram accounts.
Engaging with other artists posts is a great approach to start building such relationships. Leave real comments on the photos of other bullet journal creators and include their work in your Instagram stories. Make sure to reply to comments on your own posts as well. Interacting with your followers on your own posts demonstrates your gratitude for their support and encourages them to like and comment on more of your posts. Within the first hour after posting, it's critical to engage with your audience on your own postings. This signals to Instagram's algorithm that your post is "important", and it will be pushed to the top of your followers timelines. Most creators also do shout-outs, themes and monthly goals, which you can collaborate with. 
It's crucial that your background, stationery or props don't detract from the focus of your images, which should be your bullet journal spreads and designs! You don't want a busy background or too many accessories around your journal spread; otherwise, your shot will appear cluttered and won't capture the attention of your viewers. Alternatively, you don't want your photographs to be too empty because they would appear "boring". It's always preferable to surround your spread with a simple background and a few stationery props. They won't draw attention away from your spreads this way. You want your spreads to stand out and not be dominated by the rest of the room.
Bright images attract more attention and receive more likes than their darker equivalents, so make your photos as bright as possible. Natural light is a simple technique to get vivid photographs. Natural light will ensure that your images do not appear unnatural, as studio lights frequently do. You won't have to deal with the unsightly shadows that occur with employing ceiling or studio lights. To brighten your photos even more, use editing programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom, or even apps on your phone (such as VSCO Cam or the Lightroom App). You can use apps to edit the exposure, enhance colours, whiten backgrounds, and more, all to make your images more appealing. 
Follow @roxpaperstickers on Instagram - Roxanne is from Sydney and creates bright and fun bullet journal spreads. Roxanne has also done some great guest blog posts for us on Bullet Journaling.
Using captivating descriptions in your posts is the best method to interact with your followers and enhance engagement. To encourage others to engage in the comments, use captions that incorporate a question or their thoughts. Ask your followers how they've been feeling, tell them about your day, give feedback on your designs or solicit suggestions for new spreads, themes and designs.
Whatever you're talking about, attempt to utilise a caption that will entice folks to leave a remark. Finally, make every effort to keep the descriptions as relevant to bullet journaling as possible. Maintaining a consistent theme across your captions is essential for developing a consistent voice that grows with your account.
Bullet journal-related hashtags are frequently searched by artists, creators and those looking for inspiration or new people to follow, so include as many as possible in each of your posts. Remember, the maximum is 30 hashtags but try to stick to 15-20. It's critical to keep the hashtags relevant to bullet journaling, or you'll miss out on the right audience. You should also employ a variety of hashtags in terms of the number of times they've been used – don't stick to the same hashtags for every post. Contrary to popular belief, including all hashtags with over a million uses is not always a smart idea because your post will most likely not appear near the top of the page. Instead, utilise a few hashtags with fewer users to increase your chances of getting ranked higher on those pages. This will increase your chances of being discovered by others. 
You should post once a day, or at least every other day, to get the most exposure possible. Also, try to post stories and reels regularly, which gain more views than regular posts. When setting up your account, it's preferable to switch your profile to a business account so you can see your audience stats for each day as well as help you analyse what types of content is performing. If you're going to post once a day, prepare your posts at least a few days ahead of time, so you don't become overwhelmed trying to get spreads and photographs ready every day. The best method to accomplish this is to set aside a day to capture a large number of photos and edit them all at once. You can save everyday stress by having many posts prepared for the entire week or weeks ahead. With your content planned out, you can use Facebook's post planner or third-party websites, such as Later and apps to schedule your content in advance. Simple!
Successful Instagram accounts have a feed that is both aesthetically beautiful and cohesive. To build a cohesive feed, follow two steps:
1) stick to content pillars or similar types of content and use the same editing approach for each picture
2) Use the same background in each picture. Using the same filters and backgrounds in all of your photos will help them blend in on your stream. If you don't have a visually appealing table, counter or floor for the background of your photos - you can actually buy your own vinyl backgrounds (K-Mart stocks some, but you can also find these online), pieces of cardboard, MDF, or a wooden board from Bunnings. 
Check out @artbyadorel on Instagram - Adorel is an Australian #bujo journaler who creates beautiful artworks in her Bullet Journal!
Check out Adorel's Guest Blog for us on Bullet Journaling here!
While all of the preceding advice can assist you in creating a great bullet journal Instagram profile, always remember to be true to yourself and your personal style. Changing your design style for the sake of gaining more likes or followers can become a burden, no longer be pleasant or stifle your creativity. Also, if your sole goal for launching an Instagram page is to become "insta-famous," you're unlikely to succeed, so be sure you're sharing your art for the correct reasons. It's designed to be a pleasant hobby to share your work with others, so upload whatever makes you happy! It's also crucial not to compare your work to that of others. Everyone has their own style; therefore, keep in mind that your work should not resemble anyone else's. People will follow and engage with you and your content if it is different, unique or simply inspiring.
The Bullet Journal is a system that can be used to organise your life. It's a mix of journaling, note-taking, and planning. Instagram is the perfect platform to share your bullet journal work because it has many features that are essential to the Bullet Journal system. For example, Instagram allows you to post pictures, which can be used as a visual representation of your week or month. You can also use Instagram stories to create a visual representation of your day and share it with your followers.The first tip for bullet journaling on Instagram is to be prepared to take photos and videos and be ready to post consistently; posts, stories and reels.
Instagram stories are a great way to share your bullet journal story with all of your followers. Instagram stories are also a great way to create new story ideas for your bullet journal through the use of features such as questions and polls. You can engage with your followers and find out the content they are interested in. Instagram stories provide a different type of creative outlet for people who want to share their life with others but don't have the time or patience for writing. They can also be used as an inspiration tool for those who are looking for new ideas. It's also a great space to share Instagram posts from accounts that inspire you or encourage your followers to share your work in their stories for cross-promotion!
Some common bullet journal hashtags include:
#bujo #bujoposts #bujoinspiration #plannerjunkie #organized #bulletjournaling #plannerlife #organize #plannergeek #planners #plannerobsessed #bujojunkies #livecreatively #planwithme #bujolove #bulletjournalcommunity #notebooks #bulletjournallove #bujoidea #bulletjournaljunkies #planneraddicts #bujocommunity #penandpaper #plannerbabe #bujoinspire #plannerspread #bujoaddict #bujobeauty #bulletjournaladdict #plannerlover #bujoideas #bujospread
We hope that this blog post has helped you understand the basics of sharing your #bujo work on Instagram and on the road to getting more eyeballs and engagement on your creative work. From bullet journals to pens and washi tape, at WashGang we have all your bullet journal needs, so stock up on fresh supplies and get creating and sharing on Instagram today! Thanks again to the team at Pink Lemonade Social for sharing their Instagram tips for journaler’s.
Do you celebrate Halloween? While Halloween isn't celebrated widely in Australia, it's the perfect time of year to enjoy your favourite spooky movies, books, treats and also a perfect excuse to decorate your journal with Halloween themed washi tapes, stickers and page spreads! Whether you love the spooky season or just want to explore your dark side, these Halloween-inspired bullet journal ideas and prompts will help you get into the spooky spirit while staying productive.
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