Instagram is by far my favorite social media app and the one I use the most. I catch myself opening, refreshing, closing, and opening the app over and over again countless times as the minutes tick by. As we all know, the more “likes” we get, the more awesome we feel about ourselves. Even if you consider yourself an independent and confident lady (or gentleman) it still feels great to get like after like after like. Am I right? 

In order to maximize your likes in 2015, follow these steps to social media success.   

1. Choose your selfies carefully. 

I never, ever, EVER upload a selfie on Instagram, (unless it's an "usie") let alone any social media. I don’t feel the need to fluff my hair, pout my lips, and act like I’m about to do something awesome and very Kendall/Kylie Jenner-ish when in reality I’m just laying in bed watching Netflix. (Pouting my lips at Tim Riggins....Texas forever.) So, take it easy on the selfies in 2015. I know some of you can’t help it, and have to do #SelfieSunday but try to keep it limited to #tbt or #TransformationTuesday. Throwbacks and transformation pics are usually comical and give everyone a good laugh, but #SelfieSunday is basically just a cry for attention and you trying to show your followers how hot you think you are.             

Listen, I am happy and proud if you are feeling beautiful and confident...but it can sometimes appear off-putting or desperate if you post too many selfies. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but chances are, you won’t get as many likes on a selfie of you pushing your collarbone out and applying lipstick with a caption that reads, “I'm so FANCY,” as you will on a side-by-side Picstitch of your awkward fifth grade photo and a photo of you now. Less selfies in 2015, please. ** Unless you're attempting to run a fashion blog via Insta **

2. No more silly locations. 

Putting the actual location of where you are in your photo is acceptable if you’re somewhere fun. House names are even a good idea (since Oxford is effortlessly cool.) However, don’t make up your own location that is an inside joke with the person in your photo with you. For example, you and your bestie take a pic together on spring break in the bathroom… the location reads.. “rAtChEt bAtHrOoM sTaLL” with some choice Emojis. I’m sure you and your friend in the pic will get a kick out of it, but none of your other followers care. They actually want to know where you’re spring breaking, what bar you’re at, etc. So as much as you want to post that funny location, try and stick to real locations. I have definitely fallen victim to the out of control locations, but I am making an effort to use a real location, or no location at all. 

3. Filter choosing.

OKAY. It’s time to get serious. Choosing a filter for your Insta pic can either be exhausting, or easy as pie. Sometimes you’re lucky enough to have good natural lighting and the pic looks flawless in any filter, other times you need serious help. I’m a HUGE fan of “Rise,” “Valencia,” “Hefe,” and “Mayfair” but now Insta got all cray on us and added more filters. Take a deep breath, ya’ll! In addition to just choosing a filter on Instagram, there are other apps we use BEFORE actually adding the pic to Instagram. My bestie introduced me to the app, “Afterlight” that allows you to crop the photo, adjust the shadows, saturation, colors, lighting, etc. It also has different frames that you can add to your photo and make it look even more hipster than before. I love this app and think it makes my Insta pics look ~super kewl~ I know this can take some work and more time than simply posting it to Instagram right away, but come on… Sometimes it’s worth it. Do it for the likes. 

4. Captions. 

I feel very strongly about Instagram captions. They simply cannot be too long. I follow a few people that post literally a 500 word paragraph with every photo they post. Like, I don’t need to know your entire life story, how much your dress costs, your favorite quote from Legally Blonde, and a Dave Matthews Band lyric all in one caption. (Especially if you don’t regularly listen to Dave Matthews and only know one lyric from his song Crash Into Me) ~* Sweet like candy to my soul, sweet you rock and sweet you roll*~ Like, no. Just no. Keep the caption short, sweet, simple, and to the point. No one will read your long caption, I promise you. I scroll right on to the next photo if someone posted a huge caption.

5. Hashtags. SIGH.

Okay, another sensitive subject. To use them, or not to use them? I think it honestly depends if you’re using them in a joking manner, or if you’re serious, and like trying to get more followers or something. For example, a picture of my housemates and I might include the hashtags… #squadgoals #besties #FLAWLESS. These are all supposed to be silly and funny. On the other hand, if I upload a selfie and add the hashtags #beautiful #likeforalike #lovemymakeup #eyeshadowonpoint that is embarrassing and just too much. I think at this point hashtags are meant to be funny, and plain silly. Not too serious. 

6. Privacy. 

As a 22 year old, almost teacher, I have to keep all of my social media private. The worst thing that could happen is a potential employer finding you on Facebook or Instagram and seeing pictures they may find misleading. Therefore, you should keep your accounts private to be safe. A simple pic of you and your friend having a beer at Steinkeller or a marg at Fiesta Charra can lead to not getting a job. Although you want your stellar photos to be seen, in the long run, it’s safest to keep your privacy on lock down.

Take these tips into consideration as you live it up in 2015 and in the words of Nicki Minaj, "Instagram another flawless pic." Even though it feels pretty nice to have 50+ likes on your pics, all that matters in the end is that you’re happy with who you are and what you posted! Happy Instagramming!