Sweet Romance Reads: #Instagram

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Do You Use Instagram? by Liwen Y. Ho

I like to tell my kids that when I was young, we didn't have cell phones, the internet, or water. Of course I'm joking about the last part, but from the looks on my kids' faces, you'd think it was the truth! :) I honestly miss the "good old days" when everyone wasn't glued to a little screen and people actually looked at each other during a meal. But alas, times have changed, and there are a lot of new technologies to get used to now.

One of these things that I have a love-hate relationship with is social media. While I love being able to connect with relatives, friends, and readers online, I dislike how much we depend on it. However, I'll choose to look on the bright side and be grateful for the ways social media fosters creativity and brings people together.

Of all the social media platforms I use, I enjoy Instagram the most. Why, do you ask? I believe in the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words". On Instagram, you can only post pictures (plus a million hashtags if you choose!). I find it to be a simple and straightforward way of sharing information. It can also be a lot of fun.

Recently, a reader made a meme for one of my books and shared it on her Instagram account. I was blown away by her thoughtfulness and creativity. I also started making my own memes with quotes from my stories and posted them on Instagram. You can see them (along with some random photos from my daily life) at https://www.instagram.com/author.liwenho/. I'll include an example here:

Did you know Sweet Romance Reads has an Instagram account? Author Julie Jarnagin and I take turns posting there. It's a great place to hear about new releases and sales from the Sweet Romance Reads authors. Currently, we are also highlighting one author each week, in hopes of making it easier for you to put a face to the names you see around here. We'd love for you to check out our Instagram account at: https://www.instagram.com/sweetromancereads/

Do you use Instagram? If so, please share your account name and I'll be sure to follow you! Or what other social media platforms do you enjoy using?

P.S. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! I wrote a blog post last year about 7 fun facts about this holiday that you can read here.