I received a copy of InstaStyle through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was really pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book - my skill level with social media being what it is(novice, at best). Front to back, Instastyle was easy to understand, well-organized, thorough and, yes, inspirational. Now, I'm not going to be starting my own Instagram anytime soon, but I surely do feel that I could - that's how comfortable Tezza MB's book made me feel with the technology of it all. I have to say, I was impressed.

Snatched up INSTASTYLE on NetGalley as soon as I saw it as I’m interested in expanding my online presence to this visual star of social media.

So glad I did, as this informative guide has the 411 I’ve been looking for. Learned that it’s the platform where brands gain traction and trends develop. Also, Instagram has loads of helpful analytics and biz tools to gauge social media success and advance it to the next level.

Author Tessa Barton (@tezzamb) and other successful Instagram influencers share how to create visual stories that gain attention, photography tips, brand engagement strategies, and advice for finding management. Highly recommended!

Pub Date 23 Oct 2018

Thanks to DK and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#InstaStyle #NetGalley

I actually hadn't heard of Tessa Barton before, and I don't follow her on Instagram, but I can see that she is a popular person to follow. It's not a surprise to anyone that this book is beautifully curated, designed, and organized. I loved how easy and engaging the pages were to intake. I loved that in addition to giving broad tips, she shared exactly what she does for different points as well. I loved her section on social media flow. It's something I hadn't thought about in quite that way before. I also enjoyed the sections on making a pretty grid. I really expected this to be more of a lookbook than a super helpful guide, but it was very very informative. I love that she goes into exactly how she edits her photos, photography basics, hashtag specifics, analytics, and even uses other Instagrammers to showcase specific types of IG accounts. I loved a look at a travel- or food-centric Instagram to get an idea of how other people alternate their posts. Overall I want my social media to be a bit more real life than what I am seeing in this book, I don't expect or necessarily desire to be a sponsored Instagrammer... but I appreciate the tips and strategies to be used in my own way and brand. Highly recommend if you are looking to up your Instagram game for fun or profit.

This was actually kind of fun! I can see how this can help those new to Instagram or those new to using Instagram as a tool for a business could use this! I have actually started using some of these tips on my bookstagram!

I think this is an interesting and well written book on the art of influencing, creating instagram content and social media identities. I think the topics covered are great and informative for people interested in understanding how they can improve their digital presence especially teens and young adults!

Great book to learn more about engaging with people on Instagram. Filled with interesting photographs that helped to tell the story and give ideas on authors type of content and how she plans it and works it into her brand message. I got a lot of great hints out of the "Elevate" section of the book which explains how you can optimize your posts and connect to your followers. As a beginner on this social media platform, I feel like I learned a lot with this book. Thank you for the opportunity to delve into this book.

Whether you're looking to up your Instagram game or make money on one of the most popular photo platforms, InstaStyle is the book for you. Written in an easy, accessible style, with clear tips and instructions.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is an excellent and fast read if you are wanting to create a marketable Instagram profile. The writer has a BFA degree and it shows. InstaStyle is creative and to-the-point.

Our only concern is that we sell stock photography and don't really want it all out there, for free on Instagram.

Barton is outstanding at what she does and puts it all there, as to how to copy her success.

Worth your time if this is what you wish to do!

For anyone looking to either start out on Instagram or those looking to up their Insta game, this book is an excellent primer. It covers the absolute basics, growing an audience, honing your aesthetic, monetizing, and collaborating with brands.

I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars because it primarily focuses on lifestyle focus. The extra pops from "other" industries are all lifestyle-adjacent: food, fitness, mommy/family, fashion, and interior decorating, the last of which I suspect was only thrown in because the author's mother is an interior decorator and wrote that section.

InstaStyle is both an art book and a guide book to getting a brand or identity going on Instagram. It covers many different potential focuses for Instagram accounts, like lifestyle, fashion, travel, food, beauty, family, health/fitness, interior design, and products. So it’s likely that no matter what type of account you’re looking to start, you’ll get a good idea of where to go from here.
Personally, I run a Bookstagram account, so I was reading this book for tips on that. That meant mostly that the product ones applied the most to me, as well as the generalized tips, posing and hashtag advice, and so on. Still, I found it incredibly helpful. They suggested some tricks that I sincerely wouldn’t have thought to try on my own, like trying to find the best time to post, and how it’d vary day to day.
I also loved the suggestion of varying up the subject, giving subcategories a chance. It makes sense not only for followers, but to prevent burnout for the creators. Little tricks like that can really go a long way when it comes to maintaining social media presence long term.
Along with a bunch of helpful tips, tricks, and guides, this book also includes examples from real Instagram accounts. There’s one included for each of the listed genres above, and they’re all real people (and of course their information in included should you choose to follow them). I thought this was a nice touch.

I couldn't find any app or program to support actually opening this download document. Very bummed I couldn't view.

This book was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. It was engaging, brilliantly formulated in terms of content and how it was split up, and for once, it wasn't too overwhelming. I found myself taking notes, and making change to my social media as I read through it, feeling more and more confident that I was on the right track. Tezza not only gives examples of each suggestion she makes to create content, but also shows examples of what not to do. The book covers everything from where to start an Instagram profile, to photography tips, to content curation, to analytics, and every bit of it is helpful.

My review has been posted to Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

Thank you! :c)

If you're going to write a book about being an Instagram influencer, you need to have the credentials to do so, and author Tezza MB is more than qualified. With over half a million followers, including model Suki Waterhouse and popular "Bachelor" alum, Tezza describes the psychology and strategy behind her Instagram posts and shows through her stunning photographs (she studied photography at Parsons) how up and coming influencers can achieve her type of success. Do not go into reading this book expecting a paint by numbers on how to get a million guaranteed followers with all the top brands going after you. This book is meant to inspire, not instruct; to be a guide to how to express yourself on an extremely curated platform.

I wonder how well this will age once it's officially published and after. For example, Instagram now has a feature called IGTV, which allows users to post longer versions of their Instagram Stories, but there's no mention of it in this book. It goes to show you how much technology can change in a blink of an eye.

A great book for those looking to use Instagram as a professional medium, but also for those just looking to learn to do better photo editing/photo shooting. There's advice across the board of how to get inspired and how to get your profile out there more, and also down to the tiny details of every day editing.