Let’s admit it, we have been on that situation where travel bragging is real just because #blessed #instalife #lifeofadventure. But do your friends a favour and let this guide be your bible on what to share and what nots in this cray cray social media world. Here are some life tips, trip hacks and travel musts to get you through your judging audience.
When the world is jealous of your jetsetting lifestyle they too have the right to only see your best photos and not your second-rate snaps.
How not to annoy friends and followers when traveling? Read and thank us later babe.
Rule 1 – Let us see the view. Sans your face which is probably blocking half of the photo. We get it, selfie stick is life but the trusty old tripod is still better or best yet, ask a stranger to get you in the right frame. Spare us the details of your pores but when you are in Paris, we need to see what’s good in Paris. We love #beautifuldestinations as well as if you can tell us a little something about your whereabouts. Sure, you can’t be just dropping by, took a photo and left without learning something new about your destination.
Rule 2 – Don’t post multiple photos of the same thing. Unless you want us to play Spot the difference. Specially if its only one angle of your face, in the same location, or the same coffee you have this morning in a burst shot. Is it a millennials thing? Please, it’s breaking our heart that it’s a waste of Mark Zuckerberg’s company disk space.
Rule 3 – Find your best angle. Practice makes perfect. Unleash your inner diva, love your body and try on that brand new smile. Unless you can do yoga poses, try the basics first, face left, right, down, up, or turn back. Yes, most instagram stars and influential bloggers do practice in front of the mirror, which you should have done years ago too, so it won’t be as awkward as now. Break the monotony of a passport like photo on all your pictures and experiment. Afterall, it’s 2017 guys, and all your inspiration is within pinterest, snapchat and instagram reach. Google “Travel Selfie” and get inspired. If all else fails, you could master the walk away, not looking back pose. At least it’s still easy on the eye to look at.
Rule 4 – Do take lots of photos but don’t post everything. Stop oversharing. Remember you also hate your friend for oversharing 20 photos every single day when she had her baby, making every breath a milestone. Not everyone have the luxury of an entire day to scroll on your 500+ photos of your trip to Maldives. Filter it out and pick only your best shots. Come on you can do better than that mediocre, shady, out of focus food porn you want to capture. We want swag.
Rule 5 – Photography & Video Apps! Best thing ever invented in this world. Use with caution, overdoing your filter may result to your friends not recognising you at all. Who is this oversized bunny going around Europe? Or why is it so dark in that photo, isn’t it Summer in the city?
Rule 6 – Stop overusing #blessed #bosslife #luxurylifestyle. We knew it, you are and can’t stop bragging it.
Rule 7 – If you’re on a honeymoon, we don’t want to know the blow by blow details. No pun. We don’t want your every second update. Keep the fire burning and pay attention to whoever it is with you in the flesh rather than on your phone. #wecare and your life relationships shouldn’t suffer while you’re feeding all your followers with your almost perfect life. #respect.
Rule 8 – Calling out all your sponsors in every post. We get it, you have a fabulous vacation coming up and it’s all sponsored. But your faux-humbleness is a bit annoying, so maybe you can reformat your style. Like humble bragging, tag them and discreetly make some post about how they offer to help you out in your trip and not giving an over-euphoric feedback, coz you know it sounds fake.
Rule 9 – We still want to see you. Yes, despite bitching about how you like it with your face in every picture. We still want to see you. You see, if you only post pictures of that beautiful skyscraper, the perfectly manicured lush gardens, the beach sunset or the best sushi you’ve eaten, without you in any of them, we’ll begin to think you only grabbed these photos somewhere. We need proofs you know.
Rule 10 – Don’t mind us. Enjoy and go forth to your destination without the fear of getting judged. It’s the journey that counts and not the likes. It’s the wonderful experience you feel that matters and not the number of hearts you get. Let your true happiness flow within you, and it will reflect with the confines of what you share in social media.
This is just some of the observations I made, not particularly intended to any person so I do apologize if it may have hurt you. I, too, am guilty of some in the past and still trying to redeem myself. Maybe it’s high time to level up the game with the post-millenials bragging rights and travel snobs flashing on social media.
Some real gems in there!
“Sans your face” is my fave I think!
This is why I don’t have my friend on my blog Instagram. I can post pics of my vacation without annoying anybody I also don’t want to put my face on internet so I guess I have the “sans your face”
Love it! So many great points…but #1 & #7 for surrrrre!!!
I love this post, especially the last one! Nodding my head along and also taking notes internally, both as a blogger and a fan of some travel bloggers, hehe.
Great post, and great photos. For me rule 10 is the most important.
Love this post and it is a tad hilarious. Haha #4 over sharing is real. Hard not to when you have so many great photos that you want the world to see. But again, moderation is key.
Hi! Great list you have here! I also find that on Instagram, posting artsy photos is more relatable to those who don’t know you personally. I leave the more personal photos for my private account. =)
You had me laughing out loud at this post. So funny and so true. I think we’re all a little guilty of at least one of these.
Very fun post to read and true indeed!
I’m so glad you compared travel over-sharing to friends-with-babies oversharing, that had me laughing out loud. And it would be great if folks would stop posting all their terrible photos that look exactly the same. Great post!
SO funny and so true! Thanks for sharing <3
I’m totally guilty of doing these things when traveling – it’s so hard to hold back on Instagram when you’re on the road! ;)
So true. I think I see examples of all of these every day. Hopefully I’m not guilty of too many of them… I’m sure my FB friends will agree!
I loved the content. specially when you said not to over emphasize the sponsors. Keep the good work up. Respect from India.
Wow I absolutely love yoru pics <3
Carmelatte
I don’t own a selfie stick and very rarely have photos of myself. I spend so much time editing and curating my selection of photos – and then most people (not bloggers) will post like 100 blurry pictures of one 6-year olds soccer game or birthday party…zzzz…LOL.
Great tips.
Haha! Great post and so true! I will admit I probably need to do a little more of 9. I just struggle with how to do it without making it feel somewhat narcissistic sometimes. Cheers from Copenhagen!
Hahaha this was a fun read and so on point. I wish I could send it to the people who do these things.
Thanks for this amusing post! :D I don’t really show my face on Instagram — I guess I just wanna keep it a photography account, not a personal one. I worry about those things that you mention too when sharing stuff among my friends. Good to be reminded!
I love this post Valerie! and I can’t believe how incredibly accurate it all is and how much sense it makes!! I try to heed to all of these tips in general but now will take more time to notice when i’m being annoying on social media :))
Yes to 1-10! But #1 especially made me laugh as did your “blow-by-blow details” reference. LOVE THIS.
I’m so thankful for IG Stories as I now maybe only post 3-5 Grams over the course of a 10-day trip and share the bulk of my experiences in real time via Stories.
Lots of good points here. It is a fine balance between too many selfies and not showing your face enough. I also agree that you should not post too many pictures of the same thing, as a reader, I don’t want to see it all.
This is a great post!
Haha yes, so true. Definiteky have to find a balance so you’re not over sharing. I’m sure some of my friends have hidden my stuff on their feeds, dinky blame then to be fair.
Funny list, it was a great read. And I especially appreciate number 10! It’s your trip so you get to do what you want!
Ha! I loved reading this and must admit that I am def guilty at times! Comparing it to my friends posting every annoying pic of their baby staring blankly into space probably taking a big poo really hit home. All Instagrammers need this blog post in their life…
I’ve just found your blog via Camels & Chocolate! So funny, and yet, very, very true.
‘Love it!
Aww… thank you for checking out. Glad you enjoyed reading.
Lovely post, I agree with most of your points. I post what I want to though, if it’s annoying people then they shouldn’t follow me! I post what makes me happy :)
I never use those stupid hashtags, because I am wary of my travel privilege. Plus, I hate selfie photos, so narcissistic sometimes! Thanks for these great reminders for all of us out there on social media!
Haha, love this! If I have to one more person post selfies in front of the same labdmark from four different angles… lol
I often feel that people are envious of my many travels and I have to be sensitive what to post on Social Media. I agree with you that some bragging hashtags are a no go and that there should be a mixture of photos with and without yourself. Thanks for giving me some new inspiration regarding this topic.
You are so funny! I have laughed at the tone of this post more than the anything else…#Factsonly! Let us enjoy things
I totally appreciate this post, but I had no idea people were actually using #bosslife and #luxurylifestyle… give me a break! those are definite no-nos for me too!
Funny, and yet, still think this post won’t help those that are so far gone with how they post and post and post til you are sick and so Bored of the Monotony. I hope that at some point, social media becomes obsolete. I surely do. Seems a little silly to only call out the “honeymooning” couples posting at every breath, when you have all those Travel Couples doing the same and it’s all just too much. Honeymoon or not, maybe once in awhile it’s nice to breath without the phone, laptop, camera.
Great list of advices. I loved the last one. The joy of travel shall flow without worrying about who liked your photo. Travel surely inspires our friends and they come back to follow our journey, wether they leave their heart on the photo or not :-)
I agree with SO many points here! I don’t need to know what someone has had for breakfast each morning of a 10 day getaway. Great tips!
I hope I’m following the ‘rules’ :) If I wanted to add one it would be, BE YOURSELF. Have some individualism, if everyone is taking the same picture, using the same angle or wearing the big floaty dress it all gets a bit boring. Be like the lady who chinned her way around the world. She nailed it.
Photos sans your face is the best advice EVER! Thanks for sharing what so many are thinking. Being a traveller and sharing your travels it is always important to be respect of your followers, friends, fellow travellers and the locals whose community you are visiting.
Well said! Love this post! Some people (i mean a lot of people) a few tablespoons of humbleness and privacy! I am actually struggling a bit with my instagram account because i don’t like taking selfies! So i post what makes me happy instead! And whoever like my feed will follow! “Doing it for the gram” isn’t a priority to me!
So true! #1 is my favorite!
This post is hilarious, and good tips! Thanks for sharing!
Valerie
Ha!! Totally agree with all of these! Thing is – half of them work for some people. :P But I’ve unfollowed people who do these too much. It’s good to mix it up, and definitely good to curate photos and not post 10 of the same thing!