Why the Gram?

This was a fun Instagram post from a couple years ago in my favorite SITNB denim jacket. The picture was taken in Texas by my Son-in-law, TJ

'Hello Friends,

What an odd and scary time we are all going through together. The COVID-19 pandemic is an impact on the entire world, and my friends everywhere are being affected. My prayer is that you, your family and friends get through this safely. Everyone is trying to do their part by reducing the spread. Whether it's on the front line in the medical profession, stocking grocery shelves, first responders, truck drivers, business owners, mothers home-schooling children or even the person that is thinking of and working towards the betterment of others by staying home. My husband and I are small business owners and can empathize with many others in the same situation.

I am struggling to find the right balance at this time. I want to be sensitive about what we are all dealing with, but I also must post when brands have hired me. My goal is to provide content that enlightens and is upbeat, and maybe that's what we need right now is some normalcy. Not sure if that is a question or statement, but open to your feedback in the comments below.

So I thought this may be an excellent time to introduce you to Instagram (or the Gram) in case you are not using the platform yet. Instagram is a social media site, much like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Everyone who creates an Instagram account has a profile and a news feed. You can choose to make your profile public or private. Mine is public, but you can still follow others, hashtags, etc. even if you are private. (I have tons of private followers. ) When you post a photo or video, it's displayed on your feed. Other users who follow you will see your posts in their feed and vice versa. Every user profile has a button you can tap to follow them. If a user has their profile set to private, they will need to approve your request first. Keep in mind that when your profile is created and set to public, anyone can find and view your profile, along with all your photos and videos. Set your profile to private if you only want the followers you approve to be able to see your posts.

In my opinion, Instagram is a simplified version of Facebook. It is simple to use on a mobile device and gives you the ability to scroll almost like flipping the pages of a magazine. Which I still love to do. If you like Pinterest, again, Instagram is easier to use. You can interact with others by following, commenting, liking, tagging, and private messaging. You can even save photos you see on the Gram (look for the flag icon to save a picture.)

Instagram can be used on iOS devices, like an iPhone and iPad, and on Android devices. You can also access Instagram on the web from a computer.

Interacting on the posts is fun and easy! You can double-tap any post to "like" it or add a comment at the bottom. You can even click the arrow button to share a post with a friend via direct messaging.

I have included a couple of links to help you learn more about using Instagram via an article and a video.

Instagram Stories are another fun feature of the Gram. At the very top of your main feed, you will see little bubbles of the users you follow. Once you tap on any one of these bubbles, you will see that user's stories that they published over the last 24 hours. Here is a link on how to post your own stories.

Since we all appear to have extra time on our hands during this quarantine period, you can always pop over to Instagram and scroll. You will find that there is a thriving over fifty crowd using the platform, and they happen to be very engaged and supportive.

Here are some ideas on what and who to follow on Instagram. You can follow #hashtags. Of course, I follow #silveristhenewblonde, #silverhair, #grombre, #positveaging, #agelessstyle, and many others. But you can follow anything you like; decorating, pools, golf, cities, countries, workouts, etc., just put a hashtag in front of the word. When looking for people to follow, you might start by following celebrities you admire, public figures, friends, bloggers, etc. Also, look at the search icon, and you can scroll down till you find a picture you like and then look at their feed and follow them. Seriously, it is fun and straightforward. And don't forget to follow me, @silver_isthenewblonde, and I will follow you back! I’ve linked my Instagram feed below so you can scroll through to see how easy it is to use. Enjoy!

If this was helpful, please comment below and let me know your Instagram User name or handle so that I can make sure I follow you back. I am also happy to send you a list of some of my favorite people and accounts to follow.