Writers and poets on Instagram - Eric Ian Huffman

How have you used Instagram to build a following?I don't a huge account on Instagram - it's about 1200 followers, but I don't work too hard to build rapidly, either. I'd rather have some stability. Some of the people from Instagram also follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Soundcloud. Over time, my thoughts on Instagram, as a writer, have become that it is a place to share with friends, and those who might follow because they enjoy your writing. In truth, it's a closed box. It simply isn't as easy to share a post, thereby reaching a larger audience from Instagram as it is in other sites Like Facebook, YouTube, etc.
What kind of posts attract the most likes?The key is in the name. INSTAgram. You don't have much time to catch people's attention. TheY might just be taking a quick peek at their feed and not have time to invest several minutes on a single post. The longer posts, or those with more complex themes, are more likely to be passed over than the short and sweet ones. I don't let that guide my writing there, but has proven to be true over time. As a writing account, I also find the pieces about love seem to get the most attention.
How has your following on Instagram benefited your work?After having stopped writing for 20 years, I started again when I found the writing community on Instagram. I was able to start out slowly, with simpler pieces, and then grow with the support of the community. However, I do from time to time, take a hiatus from Instagram. I leave to write elsewhere, where I am unknown and am not lulled into complacency by the ‘likes’ on Instagram. As a writer, I feel that I have to be able to write without encouragement. That's how the real world works.
Which other writers or poets would you suggest we follow?I usually find a piece I enjoy, or some new thoughts, from @whiskeytrance, @maureenalexandra_, and @werone38.
What are the best writing hashtags to use on Instagram?Most of my writing is a poem or short prose of some sort. #poem seems to be the most popular and targeted tag. I see people use #instagood and #instalikes and all sorts of other things which, to me, just add clutter. I use two or three tags at most, usually just #poem #poetry.
Follow Eric Ian Huffman on Instagram: http://instagram.com/ericianhuffman