10 dos and don’ts for social media-savvy travelers
With an infinite wealth of cat videos, celebrity pouts and awkward status updates at our fingertips, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd on social media.
Luckily, travel is a topic that resonates with even the speediest of scrollers – if you get it right. Avoid the common pitfalls of posting your life online and enthrall your audience with these golden rules.
Do… choose quality over quantity
The rise of social media has all but led to the death of the post-trip debrief between friends. It’s unfortunate, but let’s face it – when you (virtually) check in to every godforsaken airport, chain hotel and restaurant you so much as breeze through, tweeting your every move and Snapchatting every step of the way, by the time you get back everyone is seriously over it. We don’t want to hear about that wild night in Ibiza again – we were practically there with you the first time.
Pro tip: Sharing a few highlights that encapsulate your trip works out better for everyone; you won’t be spamming your friends’ feeds and you’ll still have a few stories up your sleeve upon your return.
Don’t… manipulate the truth
Remember: you’re on holiday, not shooting a travel brochure. And nobody’s fooled by Instagram filters these days. In our perfection-seeking society the temptation to enhance your images is intense; a tweak or two is forgivable, but when you find yourself airbrushing off your love handles and blurring out clouds it’s time to take a long, hard look at your priorities in life.
Pro tip: Cast off social pressures and keep it real. A candid capture of your sweaty, sunburned self having fun is far more interesting than a painfully posed poolside selfie.