Hashtag Authentic: Finding creativity and building a community on Instagram and beyond

by Sara Tasker

In Hashtag Authentic, social media guru Sara Tasker provides tips, advice, and guidance on how to turn your personal Instagram account into a profitable creative outlet.

Since setting up her Instagram account (@me_and_orla) while on maternity leave in 2013, Sara has become a celebrated influencer and iPhoneographer, and through her calm, atmospheric, and authentic style has garnered legions of followers. Here, Sara presents the lessons she has learned along the way.

Sara's nurturing voice and enchanting photography provide guidance on: 

• storytelling, with tips on finding your own visual style and personal niche; 
• making pictures, including composing for Instagram, finding the best light, and getting the most out of your camera phone; 
• archiving your life, with tips organized by themes like Craft & Making, Family & Pets, and Food & Ingredients; 
• and sharing your world, detailing the keys to Instagram success and beyond. 

Hashtag Authentic is both an inspiring manual and an interactive tool for finding an online voice, growing a tribe, and becoming an influencer.

• ISBN13: 9781911127611
• Publish Date: 21 February 2019 (first published 19 February 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 26 July 2023
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Jacqui Small
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: Hashtag Authentic isn't just beautiful to flip through and look at but also very informative with some great ideas to inspire creativity. I like that it's accessible and useful to anyone whether they're completely new to photography and Instagram or are so experienced they're earning their income through these means. It's one of those books I'm sure to reach for time and time again when I'm in need of inspiration.

[Quirky Cat]

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

Hashtag Authentic is the perfect novel for anyone out there trying to work on their Instagram presence or image. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing it as a personal account or trying to get a business going. This novel will help you organize your thoughts, come up with a plan and feeling, and keep you on track.
Sara Tasker is a trustworthy expert in the field, so you won’t be wasting your time with her book. She’s the perfect Instagram coach, as pointed out in this book’s bio. But it’s true, she really does know what she’s doing, and she had no problem laying out the whole process from beginning to end.
This novel covers everything, from the cultural relevance of Instagram, to photography basics, to how to think about arranging your photos, and how to capture everyday parts of your life. From there she progressed into other subjects, such as finding your personal style, how to include nature, pets, family, and whimsy, things like that.
The novel also covers a lot of the more technical elements of arranging photos, such as composition and lighting. She even includes tips on using the camera within your phone – something a lot of traditional photography books will overlook.
Finally, the book also includes tips and advice on your actual Instagram account. Everything from how to include stories, to captions, and how to define your own version of success.
This book is an amazing resource to anybody that is trying to up their Instagram game. I think it’d be a fun read for those that have a personal account for fun, and vital for those trying to make a business out of their Instagram page.

For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks