All right... The Instagram idea. Yeah, I know. It's long.
Warning: Unlike with Facebook, this is a more "pace out and unfold" type of thing. The benefit, though, is that you'll be able to use it to focus discussion on different parts of The Hudlin Manifesto.
PHASE ONE:
1.) Go to Instagram and Edit your Profile. Change the website from "
www.hudlinentertainment.com" to "
http://hudlinentertainment.com/top-ten-things-black-people-need-to-do-now/"
I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but Instagram only allows clickable links in the profile. Most Instagram members use phones. By doing it this way, they only have to tap the link and BAM they're at your post. (Otherwise, they could only type the link by hand. They aren't going to do it.)
2.) Upload the same picture you have on your FB post to Instagram. Looking at it, I think it should crop just fine. Don't mess with the filters.
3.) Copy and Paste the following to the caption:
Top Ten Things Black People Need To Do Now
When I was a child, the poster listing the Black Panther’s 10-point program seemed to be everywhere. You may have disagreed with their goals or thought they were not realistic, but at least there was an action list that people could respond to. This was not a new idea. Booker T. Washington and WEB Dubois have done similar agendas.
So why am I attempting it? I know I am not nearly the best qualified person to do this. But no one else is doing it. So I figured I would kick off the conversation, in a “from little acorns, mighty trees grow” kind of way.
http://hudlinentertainment.com/top-ten-things-black-people-need-to-do-now/
THE LINK IS IN PROFILE! Just click!
4.) Pick out about 10-12 Hashtags and Copy/Paste them at the bottom of your caption. Instagram relies WAY more on hashtags than Facebook. I suggest using a mix of words that describe what you do (or you think the audience you already have will look for) with words relevant to the post. Hashtags - like the link in your profile - are clickable. You can probably get away with a few more; just don't go overboard. For this post, I'll throw out:
#Hudlin #Film #Movie #Manifesto #HudlinManifesto #Education #Power #Diversity #Multicultural #SocialChange #Black #African #Religion #Family #Love
5.) IMPORTANT: Feed this picture to Twitter, but NOT Facebook. When Instagram shares to Twitter, it will include a link back to Instagram (which you want). When Instagram shares to Facebook, it will post the picture and the caption EXACTLY as you post it on Instagram (which you DO NOT want). Any more than two hashtags does NOT play out well on Facebook.
PHASE TWO: This is a bit more involved/tedious.
1.) For each item on your blog post, create a picture specifically for Instagram. I'm going to use item number two for an example. Here's the text you want ACTUALLY IN your picture.
"Don't FIGHT the Power; BE the Power!"
#HudlinManifesto
If you can swing it, I'd include a picture of something/someone (like Mandela) behind the text. The challenge is making sure the text AND the picture are clear. Keep the Hashtag in there so someone else doesn't up and yank your picture. It'll probably happen anyway, but if they keep the #HudlinManifesto tag in there, it might at least lead back to you.
2.) In the caption, lay out the rest of what you have under that section in the post. Depending on how long it is, you MAY want to abbreviate it. For "Don't Fight the Power; Be the Power!" I'd use something like:
Black Americans have only had full rights as citizens for a short time…essentially since 1964. I am in the first generation of black people to basically have been born free. And even with that, our fundamental rights are constantly under attack.
But even in the face of that, we have to reject victimhood, take charge and be the boss. We helped build this country. We have access to tremendous capital and resources. We are politically crucial and there is literally nothing but our own insecurities stopping us from assuming great power.
http://hudlinentertainment.com/top-ten-things-black-people-need-to-do-now/
THE LINK IS IN THE PROFILE! Just click!
#Hudlin #Manifesto #HudlinManifesto #Film #Movie #Black #African #Power #Success #SelfDetermination #Uplift #Diversity
Note that I used different Hashtags here than I did in the one above. This particular item is focused more, so you'll hopefully pull anyone looking specifically for that theme. And if they click the link in your profile, it will take them directly to your post.
3.) Have Instagram feed it to Twitter as well. I figure in general, it is just better to feed as much as you can to Twitter. (You could probably use the same pictures on Facebook. Just upload it separately; Don't let Instagram feed it to Facebook. Personally, I think that first picture you posted to Facebook is doing the job and you don't want anymore splitting the discussion.)
4.) IMPORTANT: With ten items, I think you want to space out these particular posts to maybe 2-3 a week tops. In between them, you should post at least 2-3 pictures from other areas of your life. Dinner with Sidney Poitier. Announcement about Image Awards show. A picture of your dog dressed up like Static Shock. Curtis's original framed Charles Mingus pamphlet on kitty-toilet-training. Stuff like that. Cool-type stuff like you're sharing on Facebook from other people all the time.
The big thing is that you don't want Instagram to feel like your pushing the Hudlin Manifesto all the time. Basically break it up a bit.
5.) IMPORTANT 2: If you change focus on the blog away from The Hudlin Manifesto, don't forget to A.) update the link in the Instagram profile so it goes to the new blog post and B.) Edit the older Instagram pics to remove "THE LINK IS IN THE PROFILE! Just Click!" You'll still have the link spelled out in the "old" individual IG pics, they just won't be able to tap it.
Check out
Lewis Howes' Instagram page. He doesn't do it exactly like I suggested, but I think he's got a pretty good balance between his theme and the other stuff.
