As of December 2014, Instagram has 300 million users, easily surpassing Twitter’s 284 million. Of those 300 million, 75 million are daily users. That’s a lot of food pics.
We all know that your friends will click “like” on your pictures (even if they didn’t really like it) just because they like you and you posted it. What they won’t tell you is how much they hate some of your pictures. And there are certain types of Instagram pictures everyone hates. Let’s take a look at the types of Instagram pictures you’re alienating your followers with.
1. Bad food
You’ve got huge competition in the #foodporn category. So if you’re going to snap shots of food, they better be good! We don’t want to see pics of your half-eaten burger. We don’t want to see your plate of spaghetti (unless it was done by Chef Ramsey himself). And we definitely don’t want to see the above. Whatever it is. Ew! Make sure your food looks appetizing, you lighting is exceptional and your angle, pristine.
2. The two-hundredth picture of your cat
Leave the cats on Facebook. Really. We don’t need more Instagram pictures of cats. There’s no need to flood every channel you have with shots of your cat standing on his hind legs or gnawing on your sock. Now, if he’s actually navigating the streets behind the wheel of your car. That? We want to see.
3. Your nine-millionth vacay pic
Yes, you went to Europe. Yes, we saw your images of the plane, of the plane food, of the visa desk in Paris, of the hotel bathroom, of the bar in the hotel lobby, of the—come on. We get it already. Shoot the scenic spots and keep them hilarious. Instagram pictures are supposed to entertain us, thankyouverymuch.
4. Badly designed quotes
We’re all looking for inspiration. It’s another essential purpose of Instagram pictures. Howevs, if you post a quote, at least make it worth reading and aesthetically pleasing.
5. Your humblebrag
Oh, you didn’t mean to show off. We know. Don’t tag it #humblebrag. Tag it #fullonbrag.
6. Christmas presents
Okay, okay, okay. The holidays are over. You raked in the goods and couldn’t be happier. Well, not everyone celebrates the holidays and we don’t want to see every present you opened. And we don’t want to see your Shinola. (Note the #humblebrag tag.)
7. Your influx of #latergrams all at once
Dude, you take pics. It takes three seconds to get them up on IG. Do it when you take the pic or scatter them out over time (especially since there’s a nifty way to schedule your IG posts now). One trip to the amusement park a week ago and all of a sudden, my feed is nothing but your Instagram pictures and it takes me ten minutes to fish through your #latergrams to get to the shots I really want to see. Grrrrr.
8. Bad nails
Why would you even shoot these? I mean, with all the elegantly done shots of perfectly manicured digits, you decide we need to see how gross yours are? Thanks. But no thanks.
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9. Duck face, duh
OMG. For real? Who even makes the duck face anymore? If you’re a Kardashian, it’s acceptable (expected?), but you’re not. So don’t. Let us see the real you… the you you were before pro filters on Instagram.
10. The same setting in every pic
Get off the yoga room floor. Don’t you eat or run or something? Show us some different angles. Show us some beautiful lighting. Show us that you do do more than Warrior Pose.
11. Dude selfies in the bathroom mirror
What? We are so tired of seeing buff guys take pics of themselves in the bathroom mirror with nothing but their skivvies (or a towel) on. You think you’re hot. We get it. And we’re not impressed with your ego-filtered shots.
12. OOTD
We do NOT want to see your outfit of the day, every day. Unless you’re a celebrity. Even the famous Kutcher, might not be able to get away with flaunting his stuff for his fans everyday. Oh…wait…yeah. He can.
13. Out of focus
For real? Instagram has a wealth of filters to make your shots look good. Why would you post Instagram pictures that even a filter can’t come close to fixing? We do not want to see your traffic shots of blurry cars.
14. Receipts
Ohh! You bought Christmas presents?? Woohoo!! We are stoked for you! Let’s see those receipts! Not. We don’t care how much you spent.
15. Snow on the porch
Really? It snowed? Amazing. Especially since you do live in Toledo. Florida snow? Probably more acceptable. But eight inches amassed on your grill in Ohio? Not so much.
Notice in all of this? I end making fun of myself. We’re all guilty of posting Instagram pictures we shouldn’t. And it’s fine once in a while to violate the “rules,” but just make sure that most of the time you’re posting stuff we really want to see, too.
Featured photo credit: Instagram via melltoo.me
