How to Start a Creative Play Instagram Account & Small Business

Life as a stay at home Mom or Dad can be isolating and frustrating at times. Hence many of us turn to social media as a means of community and work. Today we've got the lovely Meghan from @new_trick_kids sharing how she grew her creative play account to over 10,000 followers in less than six months! She's also just launched a great monthly activity magazine which you can learn more about on her website.

 

 

One of the first questions I was asked after announcing I was pregnant was, “So…what’s your plan AFTER the baby is born? Do you think you’ll go back to work?” It’s a struggle many parents face, and many are turning to social media as a method of working from home.

 

 

As a former teacher, I knew I wanted to stay home with my baby. I wanted to be there for every moment, and be the one to teach her everything. In reality, my days were filled with cluelessly figuring out how to care for this little baby girl, (I’m still amazed they just send you home from the hospital without professional help) and between the feedings and napping, the days were long! I quickly learned that even at a few months old, entertaining a baby is hard work!

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After searching for some inspiration to spark the love of teaching, planning, and creating back into my sleep deprived Mom brain, I was overwhelmed by all the activities out there and how few I could find for babies and young toddlers. I decided to launch an Instagram account with the goal of helping others find easy, quick, and inexpensive ways to keep their little ones exploring, active, and learning. That's when New Trick Kids was born!

 

 

To my surprise, my little account grew to over 10,000 followers in less than 5 months! When I explain to others what I do, some think it’s crazy and impossible, but it’s totally achievable! Want to know how? Here are my top 5 tips to running a successful social media account while also being a stay at home mom!

 

1. Things might start out slow, and that’s okay!

 

With social media, it’s so easy to fall into the comparison trap where you start to feel like everyone else’s content is better than yours. “Their pictures are prettier!” “How do they get so many followers?!” “What?! I thought I’d get way more likes than that!” The key is to pretend like you already have your dream number of followers. Develop great content that you’re passionate about regardless of how many likes you may get. I always like to visualize the number of followers as people physically following me around all day. 10 people following you around all day is a lot! Keep on sharing regardless of how many people seem to interact with it.

 

 

2. Be Consistent

 

Before launching your social media account, develop a goal and be consistent. Your followers should know what to expect when they visit your page. At New Trick Kids, I share one simple activity a day. My followers can count on me to see an activity a day that’s organized the same way.

 

 

3. Be Unique

 

Strive to be unique and stand out. Take inspiration from others but work towards creating something new. You want your content to be the one that stands out, not blends in. It’s scary making things look different than everything else out there, but it’s a risk that’s worth taking!

 

 

4. Be Meaningful

 

Social media is all about making connections. Strive to form meaningful connections with others. Think quality, rather than quantity.  Take time to think before commenting, rather than responding with a simple, generic response. Communicate and listen to your audience and followers, respond to their messages, be friendly, and personable.

 

 

5. Keep Learning

 

Research, ask questions, and keep learning. Social media is always changing so you should too! Watch free webinars on photography. Listen to a marketing podcast while you’re doing the dishes. Don’t be afraid to message an account you admire for tips or feedback. Notice common things that successful accounts are doing. Similar hashtags? Similar style? Take note of it!

 

 

Starting a successful social media account takes a lot of dedication, but working on something I’m passionate about that directly benefits my sweet baby (the content and my ability to be home with her) is so worth it!

 

 

Thank you so much Meghan for sharing those useful tips. If you love the activities you can see in the pictures (how could you not?!), go give Meghan a follow on Instagram and check out her website!

 

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Creative QT designs quality + innovative toys that declutter homes and inspire creative play. Founded by parents of five, Adam and Dana Sue Hinkle, Creative QT’s vision is to empower parents and encourage a culture of families that Make Time Together. All products are designed to enrich families’ lives through active, creative play and play based learning. Creative QT products are laboratory tested for compliance with CPSC requirements and are free of lead, cadmium and phthalates so you can play with confidence. So, go ahead … today is the day: be your kid’s hero.

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