5 Tips For Social Media While Traveling

Apr 8

Last week, I got a question on the topic of "how do I manage posting on social media while traveling?"
I hadn't really thought about this one, and really wanted to give the best answer possible. So with that being said, I compiled a few answers to your questions, along with a few tips and tricks that I always do while posting on-the-go.
Just to note, social media plays a crucial role for me as an influencer and blogger. That sounds like a daunting chore, but I love every bit of it. I love sharing bits and pieces of my life with you all. Even if it isn't all of it.

Q: How do you know what photos you want to take while traveling?
1. Depending on the destination, I write down photos that I want to take while there. For instance, while planning for my trip to LA, I knew I wanted a photo by the Made in LA wall. I planned it out, found the location, and made it happen.
Something that does help is to go ahead and look up the place or type of photo you want to take on Instagram and screenshot it. Want that angle? Screenshot it. Want to be in the photo? Find the pose you want to do and show it to the person taking your photo. Seriously. Some people are visual learners. And, it might come in handy for inspiration when you're taking the photo!

Q: What do you recommend for staying organized with photos on your phone while traveling?
2. Fact: I have an album titled 'Instagram' on my phone. You probably don't go as crazy as I do with that, but it really does keep you organized. That way, when I'm out enjoying my travels, I already have the photos in a folder, so I don't have to hunt them down to post on Instagram. Brownie points if they're already in the order that I want to post.

Q: Traveling can really offset your scheduling with posting. How do you go about managing that?
3. I agree. Depending on where you are, whether it's another country or a different state with a different timezone, scheduling posts can be a tricky one. *TRICK* However, I always keep one watch with me that still has the same time as the one back home. I know the right time for me to post, according to past experience and just knowing my audience's viewability, and post at that time. For example, I would post at 6-7 am or 5-6 pm in LA because back home on the east coast, it was 3 hours ahead and that's usually my time to post.
You have to play it out. Even if it means posting at a weird time, like 6 am, you know you're hitting the right target audience at the right time. But again, it all depends on where your followers are located, when they view, etc. But don't let your schedule interfere with having fun on your travels! If you don't end up posting because you slept in, it's honestly okay. You always have another day.
Another thing with timing is that I like to post more on Snapchat when traveling. More of my followers see my content because it flows like a story and they have to see the previous photo or video anyway. So Snapchat is my hands down favorite when it comes to timing! And if you aren't following already, my username is bygracelee.

Q: When you're traveling, who takes your photos? And what do you recommend when asking a stranger to take it?
4. If I'm traveling by myself, I will most definitely ask a stranger to take a photo for me. It can be awkward sometimes, but hey, just remember that you'll be getting the photo you want and that's all that matters. If I'm traveling with family or friends, I'll ask them to take it.
For example, in NYC, I met up with a photographer who took this shot for me. In these cases, I always, ALWAYS show them how I want the camera positioned / angled and check on the lighting to make it easier on that person. That way, they aren't taking a billion photos of you because they don't know the shot you want. Just go ahead and show them and explain how you want it. P.S. if you're going to crop the photo anyway, just go ahead and ask for the full and do the cropping yourself.

Q: How do you make the time with editing your photos and still getting the most out of your travels?
5. It all comes down to how much it means to you. Now I don't mean it in the sense that it doesn't matter to you as much as it matters to me, but I mean... do you want the photo or not? At the end of the day, your followers will see that beautiful photo and not the behind-the-scenes aspect of I-wasn't-able-to-grab-coffee-because-I-had-to-edit-my-photo. For me, I like going out of my way to get the right shot, and I will do the most random things for it. But I still enjoy my trip, I promise. Photo-editing is like my second nature and my friends and family understand my need to post. But I also tell them I'll edit real quick, post, and then set my phone aside to spend time with them after. Balance. It's necessary.