/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

How do i get my friends to interact with my posts more without coming across as a lonely person? I am lonely, but I'd rather not make others aware of how important silly things like social media acceptance, lack thereof, are affecting me.

>>10543708
comment on their posts/stories, reply to their comments, reply to comments on your own posts/stories

I want some lolitas under 1000. Old school, sweet, classic, gothic, I don't mind.

Lolitas under 1000

https://instagram.com/dielausi/
https://instagram.com/hibanasound/
https://instagram.com/agraynel/
https://instagram.com/seoho32/
https://instagram.com/prettyinpinkchair/
https://www.instagram.com/mahloarie/
https://instagram.com/vonmunsterswardrobe
https://instagram.com/hime.bunnyy
https://instagram.com/sweetie.meringue
https://instagram.com/fearlesslove723
https://instagram.com/hime_lancelot
https://instagram.com/zombieyanos
https://instagram.com/florea.lacrima
https://instagram.com/gothic_cat_mom
https://instagram.com/nintendo.wifi.connection
https://instagram.com/dreamy_rinn
https://instagram.com/phantasmag0rical
https://instagram.com/iki_ryio
https://instagram.com/way.too.salty.chocolate
https://instagram.com/kelleykawaii
https://instagram.com/jinbeees
https://instagram.com/lace.monster
https://instagram.com/strawbbyliv
https://instagram.com/curiouswendy
https://instagram.com/dr_papillon

>>10544360
Anon half of these are itas. There's a reason they have under 1000.

>>10544360
half of these are lm usernames lol

>>10543708
Interact with them.

For the last several months my posts get literally 0 tag reach no matter what I do with my tags. I even tried out a paid tag curation service out of curiosity and no luck. I've been posting without any tags at all for the last few weeks and get the exact same engagement (from my friends) as otherwise. Am I the only one seeing this? Are tags just dead now? I'm totally lost for how to get reach beyond my existing followers without spamming fake likes/comments or gaming following/unfollowing new accounts

>>10544618
i don't even use ig but didn't tags get kill from the us election until the inauguration(?)

>>10544620
Tags became browsable again a while ago but for some reason no one is seeing my posts anyway.

>>10544618
Are you sure that you aren’t shadow banned?

>>10544360
The first one reminds me of CCs gf

>>10544666
hmm I'm not sure. I just made a test post with a super obscure tag and I could see it in the recent posts section from a logged out browser but idk if it's different for a logged in user/on a phone. It sure seems like I'm shadowbanned though if not everyone is having these issues.
I don't do anything weird on my account, I just post cosplay and ootds and it's all 100% family friendly. DMCA from my dance covers maybe? Using the same hash tag group for a while? But it's been like this for months even after I haven't used the app for long periods of time. I thought shadowbans only lasted a few days? I might try switching my account back to personal. I had it set as a business account because I liked those analytics but I wonder if that's causing a problem somehow?

>>10544618

I started checking insights after this post and... Damn I lost tag reach for 7 posts in a row. I probably got shadow banned, idk why. Maybe I need to calm down with the lolita tags but my last post had the same tags as well so why isn't that one shadowbanned?

>>10544618
>>10544924
I've been using less tags out of laziness (under 10) and finding my posts get just as much engagement as the ones that I was using 20+ on

>>10544914
Switch up the tags. Awhile ago they started limiting posts from people “spamming” the same hashtags for every post. Find some new hashtags, separate them into two or more groups, and switch which group you use for every post.

Don’t use a business account. Either do a personal or creator account

>>10544952
less tags are proven to be better. the company i used to work with hired a marketing director that i was pretty closely working with and IG is pretty stupid.

like everyone else, i'm having issues. my posts are only reaching my followers, even when i'm not shadowbanned! i'm too lazy to even try and game the algorithm. whose engagement is even being benefitted rn?

>>10545424
it used to be "use as much tags as possible" but guess it changed the past year?

I used to have posts that would reach 1000+ but now I'm lucky if I get 300. Wonder if I'm being "punished" for posting less often.

>>10545589
I heard that ig is favoring reels the most atm

>>10545424
Different anon, but how many are we talking?

Tbh IG is dying outside of turning into a sales platform, it's not the best place for coords anymore.

>>10546237
Yeah, I've been feeling this for a while. Wonder where we should go next though, Tiktok is just as terrible

>>10546237
yes I feel so, too. But where else can we post coords?

>>10546245
>>10546370
wasn't there own sites for coord posting? jp still like to use wear.jp but foreign ips got banned from that site due to picture reposting without permission

>>10546379
time to get a VPN.

>>10546379
You mean something like Lookbook?

Insta is officially killing off sharing posts to stories.

>>10548361
Fuuuuuuuuuuck.

>>10548361
Sauce? I can’t find any info to confirm that

>>10543165
does anyone recommend any lolitas, particularly classic lolitas, that make lots of different-looking coordinates with a few pieces? I want some inspiration on how to coordinate my dresses in more ways

>>10548414
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/instagram-stories-feed-post-share-test-b1797170.html

How often should i post to become popular?

>>10550004
>officially killing off sharing posts to stories
The article says it’s testing this with a handful of users? That doesn’t mean they’re going to officially kill it off for everyone

>>10552100
There’s no specific schedule. It’s more about posting on a consistent basis and posting content that’s actually good. People who make their living off insta usually post once a day and add extras to their story. Normal people make posts around 1-3 times a week in my experience. But even posting consistently and posting good content may not bring you popularity because the algorithm is getting so fucked up

>>10552414
>The article says it’s testing this with a handful of users? That doesn’t mean they’re going to officially kill it off for everyone
It's "testing" because they need a while for it to be applied to all accounts, it already was announced as official upcoming change weeks ago.

>>10549979
Petit_piaf has an enormous classic wardrobe, but she does these coordinate series where she’ll wear a single dress several ways in a row. You could check her out. Other than that most of the dedicated classic lolitas seem to rewear their stuff often in different ways.

>>10552579
Seconding petit_piaf is a great start, I also love rosa.witch and adventurelibrarian. At least for me, when you follow one closely enough, others start to pop up.

>>10552552
they also said they were officially removing likes for american users and that hasnt happened yet either.

>>10544406
Is that a problem lol? Lots of lolitas use the same usernames across their accounts

>>10544924
How do you check insights? Do you have a business account? Is there a way to check insights without switching to a business account?

>>10552603
>rosa.witch
I couldn’t find this one.

>>10553833
It's rosa.wich, I'm an idiot

>>10552629
They definitely tested it + were planning on actually rolling out but it seems the backlash was too much
If there's enough backlash for stopping story shares they won't do it

>>10552603
>rosa.wich
I find her a bit dull

Are views more important than likes for reels? Google gives me vague answers, I just wanna know if my reels do well at all cause they get much less likes than my usual posts, but a lot more views compared to my average like count.

>>10553964
She's definitely more toned down stylistically, but I personally enjoy that. Casual classic is comfy for me

>>10554069
If people aren’t liking your content, then the videos are probably shitty sorry anon

>>10554069
Instagram is pushing Reels hard because it's still new but the high view count doesn't necessarily mean that views will convert to likes and follows. Posts are a better way to get more engagement

>>10554302
It's mostly people who already follow me that like the content, I've heard that reels can go viral at random sometimes and end up on normie explore pages. Tbh after all the shit comments that I saw whenever that happened to other lolitas I kinda don't want that to happen to myself.

>>10554335
Yeah that's what I was thinking too, I wonder if it's worth the effort at all cause regular posts are so much easier to create than a whole damn reel.

what are some good oldchool lolitas? Some obvious ones to follow are

>itatoys (not on it but has her own website)
>cynicalneoprincess
>josinemaaike
>nefferinthia
>gao.mochi (isn't as popular and does some old-school coords from time to time
>claricepeach
>_thehungryghost_(sometimes does old-school coords)
>mistress
>onlyfrillsandhorses

>>10554631
stop recommending nef the nazi

>>10554631
The hungry ghost and nefferinthia are in your list of recs? This has to be a self post.

>>10555940
agreed

>>10555940
>>10554635
>>10556185
I was trying to found out more old-school lolitas to follow. idgaf about drama desu because I just use ig for coord inspiration


>alice_sternange
>wineriots
>brainwashedcarl
>morelkor
>kikillua77 (mostly classic, but sometimes does old-school)

>>10555940
Nayrt but how could one post be selfposting two accounts? And don’t they live in different countries?

>>10556200
are you fucking dense?

Who are your favorite sweet lolitas on ig? I need more sweet accounts to follow

>>10556205
you sound new

>>10556210
OP wasn't accusing her of being two people, or either of those people, retard.

>>10556209

I'm not a sweet lolita, but here are the ones I follow
>choconokecha
>jinbeees
>honeyteaclover
>minty_caramel

>>10555940
What's wrong with the ghost girl? I know Nef had some drama but what did the other girl do? Her coords are decent enough.

>>10556291
Nta but she had a wedding where she spent the entire savings on a Baby built to order dress while the wedding itself looked tacky. She also surrounds herself with fame thirsty lolitas while she gives off a fake wannabe influencer vibe.

>>10556588
meh, that looks pretty tame next to a nazi

>>10554635
Nef isnt the nazi and she has really good coords

>>10554631
>Kawaiicomrade
>Nintendo.wifi.connection

>>10556614
Nice bait

>>10556659
Nayrt but kawaiicomrade wears a decent old school sweet lolita

>>10556612
She owns Meta's nazi release dumb dumb

>>10556758
Many people collect nazi stuff without being Nazis themselves. Also die Valkyrie lacks sw@stika and so on

>>10556588

That's actually kind of juicy. Anyone can have their wedding how they want it to be, but it definitely felt like she centered it around lolita clout more than anything.

>>10556588
>>10556847
not to be a megabitch but isn't a baby MTO wedding dress like... MAYBE 1 to 3 thousand USD? and that's a huge maybe, because i've seen some go secondhand for ~800-900.

my point is that those prices are literally pebbles for a wedding dress so i don't understand how it'd be worthy of clout. i guess that makes it even lamer. idk why lolitas seem to have such low standards

>>10556859
Idk I feel like the price isn't what makes it clout worthy tho cause like you say, actual wedding dresses are way more expensive. I think the same people who romanticize wearing lolita love the idea of a lolita wedding and so to a lot of onlookers it really is a wild thing to purchase.
I don't really think it's all that cool but I also generally think wedding dresses are stupid and a waste of money.

>>10556588
Imagine being this bitter

>>10557184
I'm not sure how posting what I've heard equates to being bitter. You're the one who sounds bent out of shape.

>>10557331
nta but judging by just their Instagram wedding highlights, she just seems to be a girl into Lolita fashion who decided to wear Lolita on her wedding day, alongside her friends. Nothing showing clout chasing, just them having fun. She just has a bunch of vendetta-chans who take every opportunity to view her every action as an example of chasing clout. Hell they thought that a Lolita wearing a dress that was expensive by Lolita standards but inexpensive by wedding dress standards to be a failed attempt at clout chasing for some reason. Are people not allowed to post about their weddings without it being about chasing clout?

>>10557342
Her entire persona and friend group is built around clout chasing kek

>>10557345
Proof?

>>10557345
She seems nice and just wanting to be friends with people, I would assume laceferatu was who you were referring to if you hadn’t named hungry.

>>10557342
Nayrt but that whole group got kind of obnoxiously excited about it. Felt like I read the words #BabyTheBrideShinesBright every day for a month.

>>10557496
Lolitas getting excited about their friend's wedding? Call the cops lmao

>>10557408
Seconding this, I'm mutuals with her (and a literal who, if that matters) and she comes off as just someone who enjoys the fashion. Maybe it's not everyone's experience, but I also think it's hard to convey that "here to make friends" vibe over social media

>>10557345
I think I spy a monster which mocks the meat it feeds on...

>>10557506
nta but this probably sounded a lot wittier in your head than it did written out, huh? kek

>>10557497
>tfw your friends are k8, fatberry and fame thirsty lolitas
>t-theyre just excited omg call the cops!!!!!!!!

>>10557704
You sound so bitter it's actually really sad. How is not having friends going for you?

>>10557621
nayrt but it's Shakespeare you fucking idiot

>>10557708

nta but having friends like k8 sounds exhausting. i'm really glad my lolita friends are chill.

>>10557711
k8 and hungry are not friends lmao you sound so fucking dumb

>>10557712

>tfw your friends are k8, fatberry and fame thirsty lolitas

I don't know who the fuck your friend is lmao, just responding in kind to that.

>>10557715
Do you speak english, bitch? You have terrible reading comprehension

>>10557716

Do you? It's pretty fucking clear what they're saying you absolute dumbfuck.

>>10557712
The person you responded to never said that. Learn how to reply properly before using this board lmao.

>>10557712
>>10557497
>>10557715
>>10557724
Fuck off samefag

>>10557506
bro this is cringe as fuck

>>10557829
no shit talking my nigga shakespeare

>>10557829
>>10557838
it's one of Shakespeare's most famous lines you uncultured swines, get off this board and go read a fucking book

>>10557990
knowing a quote from a play every burger had to read in middle school doesn't make you cultured lmao

>>10558020
But not knowing it does say something.

>>10557506
>>10557710
>>10557838
>>10557990
Literally no one gives a fuck that you know a Shakespeare quote. This is an Instagram thread on cgl, stop being such massive pretentious cunts

>>10558025
The lady doth protest too much, methinks!

>>10557710
>>10557838
>>10557990
>>10558065
see
>>10557621

>>10557496
>Nayrt but that whole group got kind of obnoxiously excited about it.
It's a wedding anon. You sound miserable.

>clicks on seemingly uncontroversial thread
>Immediate retard fighting

Maybe the real lolcows are the ones we became along the way,anons

>>10558107
Sounds like a regular Monday on cgl

>>10558024
Not if you aren’t from USA

>>10558107
Everyone is a little bit of a lolcow

>>10558274
ah yes, the famous American patriot Billy Shakespeare. too bad he died at the Alamo.

>>10558297
Shakespeare is not part of the curriculum in most countries

>>10558065

Funny you're quoting hamlet because you're just as pretentious and up your own ass as he is.

>>10558300
You know it's possible to read books outside of a school curriculum right

>>10558300
Why think of America before England?

>>10558074
I cant wait to see what cringe worthy hashtag theyll use when they have their baby shower #babythestarsarepregnant #innocentchild #angelicbaby

>>10558348
I don't believe Hungry will ever have a kid. Overblown wedding spam aside, I respect her decision on that.

>>10558302
You know that a piece of literature being a classical in your country doesn’t mean that people from other nationalities not recognizing a quote from it means they are uncultured, right? Damn, that’s such a simple statement, you americans have your heads on your asses, don’t you?

>>10558300
The joke flew right over your head kek

>>10558349
She can’t even have one anymore anyways.

>>10558074

Just as they probably were spamming every moment of it on SM instead of chilling out and enjoying it for what it is.

>>10558351
See >>10558331

>>10558349
>>10558354
If I had friends defending me & airing my personal life on cgl I would cut off our friendship. It's shitty as fuck.

>>10558331
Cause united statians are the ones who believe that the world revolves around them

>>10557990
>>10558024
>>10557838
trying to shoehorn a shakespeare quote in an instagram is cringe and not as witty as you think it is. cringe anon, just take the L and stop trying to make it out like everyone calling you out just doesn't recognize the quote.

Okay it’s time to stop taking the bait gulls.

To get back on track, I’m interested in recommendations for cosplayers to follow. Looking for:
>female or nb cosplayers
>mostly craft their own stuff
>people with mid-size followings
>for the love of god no one with a patreon or only fans

>>10558426
@lucerocosplay, Mostly Sailor Moon content. One of her original designs went viral a while back. 3k followers
@chikkupea, variety. Great crafter. 9k
@pitchforkcosplay, another great crafter 5k
@omgitsbarri, competed in the Crunchyroll cosplay comp last year and won. 2.5k
@eliebberts, she also does youtube, aspiring idol, and crafter. She's a classic mahou shoujo fan and her stuff is well made. 3.6k
@noble_porpoise, unique costumes, some helpful tutorials, also does cosplay workouts (which I find cringe ngl, but her stuff is neato) 2.5k
@twisted_spade_cosplay horror and fire emblem cosplayer who is popular on tiktok. Her tiktoks are fun, imo. 1.5k

I could go all the way down my following list, but those are a handful that I enjoy content from.

We really need a new social network desu.

Insta is so fucked for me, I've got ~1500ish followers but have been averaging 50-100 likes per photo. I refuse to dedicate time making reels, i just want to share my outfits

>>10562687
The reels I made in the past month haven't done dick for my engagement. My posts are in the same boat. Is every one else in a slump when it comes to engagement?

>>10562700
everybody seems to be complaining about the same thing, even big accounts, shit is fucked

>>10562687
How often do you upload?

>>10562687
I had a few months where my engagement was super low, but just the past three weeks or so it's started to improve a lot. I've just kept posting on my regular schedule, and continued to interact enthusiastically with my followers and mutuals, which seems to result in more engagement on my posts.

>>10562700
This, reels just waste my time and get less engagement than regular posts.

How many % of your followers watch your stories?

For me it's like 10% but I don't really know if that's typical or not

>>10562799
Every 2 days

>>10562829

I'm getting on average like 60% with about 10-15% likes from that. I have no idea what counts more though. A couple have gone onto the explore page which is a bit of a double edged sword, so many normie comments ugh.

>>10562829
10% sounds about right especially if you’re not posting to your story a lot. More people will see your stories if you’re posting more and spreading it out a little bit. Every time you post a story, your icon gets bumped to the front on people’s feed so try posting more throughout the day

Does anyone happen to have Tsumikko's Sweet Lacy Basket coord saved? It was adorable, seems she purged her feed of anything from
her lav era that's non-sponsored or mentioning her blog unfortunately.

>>10572417
I find it hilarious this weird looking chick has such a big platform suddenly the moment she got hardcore into BLM and is now shilling for items.

>>10572417

She was always extremely preachy but damn you're right there's only like 50 posts left and she used to have hundreds. Personally I think she's just as preachy as before but a lot of the tldr is now on a blog which is nice. Sorry I can't help.

>>10572586
she used to be lampshade chan right? or am i misremembering

>>10572417
I miss her lavender posts they were so pleasant to look at :( it's her choice to move on from it if she wants to ofc

>>10572595

No, lampshade chan is victorianme. Rip to her posting, I miss her stuff a lot.

>>10572417
She became a SJW ita and it's a shame

>>10544360
>Lolitas under 1000
more like lolitas over 40

>>10572417
>Tsumikko
how does this person have almost 15k? this is garbage

>>10572770
Her coordinates are unique, she’s cute and takes clear photos in a consistent color scheme and background?

>>10572776
She's a wannabe Avina

>>10572776

2nd point is a stretch but she used to have this lavender scheme back when people were getting hard-ons for a single color when they open IG profiles. It was actually kind of impressive imo since she had quite the lavender collection too.

>>10572782
I'd say that Avina is the wannabe with 1/3 of the follower count.

>>10572782
Nyart but how?

>>10572782
Why? Their feeds don't look anything alike. I'm surprised how many likes Avina gets on her garbo coords. I suspect a lot of it is from people who want their woke points for supporting a POC lolita

>>10572874
eww avina

>>10572874
Yeah whenever she posts something I'm shocked when people swoon in the comments, most of it looks like shit.

>>10556192 good taste nonnie. I like jasteria, tiny.cream, lavendealer and clearkit as well

>>10572666
Isn't she like 30+ or something? She's definitely one of the cuter old-fags

Anyone got a list of chocolate lolitas?

>>10572666
cracks me up that y’all think 30s is old

>>10572961
>>10572985
Is 30+ seriously an oldfag? I’m not there yet but most of the people I follow and admire are, like Misako and FR.

>>10572666
wtf nonny. she's cute and def doesn't look 40? and that coord is very comfy.

I wanna follow more gothic, old school, experimental and edgy/creepy aesthetic lolitas, please link your favourites. Insta is full of sweet lolitas and I really don't care for sweet.

>>10572969
chocolate lolitas? like those with chocolate themes or?

>>10573066
Think she may mean spooks?

>>10573029
I’m in my 30s, as are most who have been in the fashion for 10+ years. I don’t think that makes us old- just means there’s lots of newfags and itas around.

>>10573060
Bug_witch was my favorite for oldschool and genuinely creepy looks (usually not at the same time), but I stopped following her because her constant gender sperging was annoying (like whining about people including her on lists of women/femmes to follow when she doesn’t consider herself a woman or femme, despite presenting as one in every way and being white and privileged as all get out). Still worth following if that kind of stuff doesn’t grate you.

>>10572666
The ageism on this board always perplexes me. Ngl you kinda sound like a pedo if you think women start to spoil like old milk at the age of 25.

>>10573029
>30+
>>10572985
>30s
>>10573183
>25

i said 40

>>10572666
She's not that old, she's just doing white people smile and it's giving her the appearance of bigger wrinkle lines and dimples. Her skin is fine.

>>10558371
I’ve had to cut off friends, and i regularly block people i know use lolcow, or who i think does. one of my friends ruined my reputation once by white knighting me, and now if i ever see her in public i’d probably start a fight right then and there.

>>10573509
Why would it ruin your reputation to wk you? I thought whiteknights are accepted not to be the person being ridiculed but people who side with them and are therefore ridiculed along with them?

>>10573573

I think anon might be referring to fake WK-ing, where someone WK's you to stir more drama. See above in the thread where some WKs are dropping personal details that aren't even on IG. I have no idea who they are or if they're real, but if it is and one of my friends posted that I'd be pretty upset.

>>10573158
Her coords suck though

>>10573573
Probably because people assumed it was her defending herself — I’ve had it happen to me too, saw someone jump to my defense in a thread a few months back and everyone assumed it was me being cringe myself

>>10573587
Bug witch has some really good experimental stuff, which is what OP asked for, so I’d agree with recommending her even if she’s not to everyone’s tastes

>>10558371 it could be some rando who said that, she did post it on her ig, but if it was a friend that's really shitty

>>10544360
>dr_papillon.
Nonny, dis already fucked.

>>10544372
Ok genius, show me one that's not ita above 1000 then. I'll wait.

>>10573666
nayrt but are you fucking stupid

Is 12pm eastern really the best time to post? (Mwf) I uses to post in the evenings regularly and wanted to boost my views so I changed to 12 but now it's literally seen by no one. Should I keep at it or does ig just want me to go back to my old time

>>10573666

Sorry you got posted lmao.

>>10573354
My point still stands but ok

Recs for good Japanese lolitas? I’m moving to Tokyo next year (fingers crossed for covid lol) and want to get more knowledgable about the scene over there — where do I find good Japanese lolitas other than the obvious ones? I know the vibe is different to what it’s like here in the West and I don’t want to stick out

>>10574671
I’ll be honest, I’ve never noticed any of the popular Japanese lolitas on Instagram or Twitter interacting with western lolitas that live there

>>10574671
Japanese and Western lolitas don't interact with each other much even if you go to an event hosted by a Japanese person.

>>10574719
I wonder why. Is it the same with (for example) Chinese and Western lolitas?

>>10574734
Probably because of the language barrier, Japanese people tending to be nice but pretty reserved, and potentially xenophobia

>>10574671
i mean if you just lurk the tags for ロリィタ / ロリータ / ロリータファッション (my katakana might not be all right but you get the idea) and look at the most popular posts, there you have it. idk what you mean by "other than the obvious ones" but you'll find some that way

>>10574734
Because you're not in their 'circle' and xenophobia. It's not a big deal because even if you speak Japanese fluently they'll only talk to you about the weather or how good you are at using chopsticks.

>>10573721
There are certain times when general traffic is higher, but if you’ve already established a regular post time, it’s best to try to stick to that because the algorithm wants you posting consistently (which is so ironic considering how often they change the algorithm around)

You can switch to that new time, but it may take more time to establish it as your new consistent post time

>>10574679
Maybe you guys just don’t know how to dress because i get followed by japanese lolitas constantly and i don’t even post in their normal tags

>>10573573
What the other anons said. She jumped to my defense really hard and fast both publicly and anonymously and it made the situation a million times worse. People really thought i had my friends out here defending me like that when all i wanted was to be left alone

>>10573573
have you ever had wks? they are the social media equivalent of getting your parents directly involved with a bully. imagine your spergy idiot friends defending you when you don't want in a really lame way that just draws more attention to the issue.

>>10575060
Getting followed by someone on social media is different than interacting with them and hanging out with them in real life

>>10575060
I was referring to in person or at events which should have been obvious

Reels make me feel old. I’ve been playing around with them, posted a pretty lame one that got a lot of engagement from people that don’t follow me. Encouraged by that, I worked harder on a higher quality one and it hasn’t got a single like and hardly a view. What did I do wrong?

>>10576961
it's okay anon, they make ME feel old and i'm only, like, 20. i just can't wrap my head around putting that much effort into them. props to those who can, but i can't convince myself to spend ~30 minutes or longer editing and filming something as opposed to 2-5 on a quick outfit snap...

you didn't do anything wrong, i think it really is just luck of the draw. something people seem to be doing is copying popular tiktok formats so that they catch on. maybe try that?

I don't get the algorithm. Last week I posted a well photographed and pretty picture and got normal amount of likes. This week on the same time I post a really low effort, not so good picture and it's on the top page on almost all of it's hashtags. Most of the # are same in both pictures. Why even bother to take good pics?

My content has been getting all right engagement but I'm getting none from tags. Wtf am I doing wrong? I've been switching tags out and everything, and taking any tags with lolita out actually seems to hurt my engagement despite there being no tag engagement. I am so confused.

>>10581951
same anon, same. idk what to do about it. i have an older account with a few thousand followers and those kinds of accounts seem to be doing really poorly rn

>>10581952

Guess we'll just suffer together. Sucks that zuck just wants to kill this platform and turn it into a subliminal marketing app.

For me Instagram is working alright the engagement is okey. I’m having more trouble with my creativity. I don’t like the filter apps anymore i used and I kinda don’t know what to post. Working from home makes me really lazy desu.

>>10582120

Make your own filters on lightroom, do prompts for coords, look at trends and see if anything stands out to you.

Or take a break and come back in a bit. I know with needing to keep the energy coming for engagement and all you feel the need to be on the carousel but it's all fake points in the end.

For me getting out of a rut was as simple as the seasons changing. I have so many idea for floral coords now. Try to find something engaging I guess - for me I love building coords around themes.

>>10582121
Why do you and others want to put in so much work for no pay -- except the platform is getting paid? I just use IG as an outfit diary but I've been getting tired of the platform pushing me to put in all this effort (reels, business tools, etc.) just to make them more money.

>>10582121
Thanks snon I will try Lightroom!

>>10582123
I basically don’t care and I use the platform for me in the first place. I post what I love, details and outfits to look back at. I mean it fun to take pictures etc.

>>10582123

It's my hobby. I like it a lot. Sometimes I don't even post the photos but will keep going back to that day because I plan outings around gardens and the like, and the resulting good photos are part of good memories from that day. Yeah I get some serotonin hits from the likes but in the end it's because I love lolita a lot.

>>10582123
Like others have said, I use it like a picture diary and to keep track of past coordinates I've worn. All of my friends use Insta so posting the pictures to Twitter or Facebook wouldn't make the most sense. I can look at other lolitas picturesby searching hashtags to get new ideas for future coords.

>>10582255
>>10582155
>>10582131
You all say you don't care, but we're here on the IG thread, which is almost entirely whining about the algorithm and not getting enough engagement and likes.

>>10582258
I'm >>10582255 and didn't mention a word about the algorithm. Engagement has gone down yet again but it doesn't bother me because I don't care about imaginary numbers.

>>10582258

But none of these posts mention anything about the algorithm. The initial post you replied to was really about getting more ideas more than anything. Maybe don't focus so much on the numbers yourself and we can have meaningful discussion without going back to engagement.

>>10543165

@shoplolitanow

https://www.instagram.com/shoplolitanow/

They sell really good shit, that i use all the time, i especially love their bows.

here is the website if anyone cares.

https://lolitanow.com/

>>10582810
When you come to cgl to self promote...

>>10582812
Embasrassing

>>10582804
>>10582809
>>10582810
>>10582811

>>10582810
>if anyone cares
Nobody does, don’t spam cgl to self promote your shitty reseller

>>10582810
You use cheap ita crap all the time? You have my sympathy.

>>10558440
Definitely seconding chikkupea, barri, and eliebberts, but I'm also biased cuz im@s
But for those who do like im@s, liebsmachine and ichigokitty also have incredibly cosplay from the series

>>10583806
I just recently followed Ichigokitty for her Return / Mew Mew New costume -- she's one of the only people I've seen with it.

What tips do you have for a total newcomer on Insta? I made an account and followed a few people but I have no idea what to do next. How can I build a small following, what kind of content should I post? How can I stand out from every other lolita if I post only coords? Etc. Thanks for the tips

>>10584482
Ig seems to really favor reels at the moment, so that might be your best bet if you care about amassing some sort of following. I know dress-up/get ready with me videos seem to be popular atm, good luck!

anyone else with old accts/a few thousand follows considering just starting from scratch? it feels so stupid but having 0 interaction isn't fun

>>10584482
1. look what #s Lolitas with a simmilar style to yours use.
2. Use a good lit selfie as your profile pic.
Write a short bio.
3. Post pictures where your coords or accessoires are in the main focus
4. Don't use too much filters or stickers
5. Comment and like posts from other lolitas or write them messages to get some connections and first followers
6. Try to post once a week and interact with accounts you like so instagram sees your account is active and reccoments it to others
7. stay semi consistent in your feed and keep it on topic

>How can I stand out from every other lolita if I post only coords?

If your coords are good you'll stand out after a few posts. Don't be discuraged when your first pic only gets 10-30 likes. That will change if you stay consistant!

>>10584491
Tbh this is good advice even for older accounts

>>10584488
I've done it. Abandoned 10k six months ago. I had an interaction of like 1,9% and no reach at all after a year absent. I tried a lot but it doesn't get better and looked to outsiders like I bought fake followers. I made a post where I linked my new account and mentioned it in the bio of my old account. Atm I have 35% interaction and 4k and it feels much better than posting to a dead account

>>10584569
How come does your new account do better than the last interaction? Was it just the hiatus that killed the first? Genuinely curious to know, I think discussing popularity on social media is very interesting and I want to know more for personal reference.

>>10584581
How come your new account does better* fuck I'm tired

>>10584581
I think it was because my new account gaint a lot of interactions in the beginning. Old follwers that were still active came to the new account and the ones that were inactive in the first place stayed. My pictures have been quite successful in the past so with the new account I slowly but surely gaint more new follwers that are active. Compared to my old account, my new one trends more often in #s and gets recommend to others. Switching was really the best decision I could've made. I mean posting to a dead account just fore the prestige of having 10k flowers is stupid if your engagement is shit and no one sees your posts and they are invisible in #s. You'll bleed followers sooner or later and that doesn't feel good.
I definitely recommend switching to a new account better sooner than later so at least some people can see the post that you changed accounts and you can build something new.

For the reason, I'd definitely say it was the hiatus and me sad posting in my stories before I took the break. Noone wanted to interact with someone who is always whining. I took the break to get into a better place mentally and it really shows in the way I interact with my followers.

>>10584640
Thanks for your input. Very interesting and insightful.

>>10584640
My account has less than 10 posts and about 90 followers. It's about 6 months old and each post (all flat lays) has about 10-30 likes on average but no comments. I want to get serious and start posting regularly and varied content (actual outfit shots for one, but not only that). The scale is completely different from you number wise but do you think this is a similar situation where I should start anew and post consistently right off the start? Or is it just too early/too small numbers to really matter? Basically I'm wondering if I might or might not have set myself up for a bad start because I have barely used my account even though it's already six months old. Would making a new account and be very active right away make things better?

Name the top 3 things that make you not only want to follow a lolita, but also to STAY interested in them and want to keep up to date with their coords.

>>10586099
1. Consistent good coords - nice mixes of different styles and dresses. So like not the same 3 dresses worn constantly; some kind of variety
2. No fakeness or efame-y personality - once I see that dumb question shit I immediately unfollow/lose interest
3. They wear a style I personally like and engage with me/others naturally, maybe?

>>10586099
1. Wears a style similar to mine so I can check out her looks for inspo
2. Reasonably pretty and healthy looking
3. No annoying poorly-informed political stuff in their captions and a minimum in their stories

>>10586099
1. They wear at least one of, preferably more than one of my substyles - same reason as >>10586115 I want inspo
2. They’re cute looking or posed interestingly enough that I don’t care
3. Captions I’d actually want to read consistently - Instagram is mostly all we have left of the old blog days so I love when I see girls who use it in a similar way e.g. explaining their coording choices, chit chat about meet-ups, cute thoughts about lolita or new releases

>>10586099
wear outfits i like in a style that matches my own. double points if they have a similar body type to me.

that's it. i dont care about anything else. i just want to be inspired by pretty coords. im not going to toss someone aside just because they post annoying stories sometimes.

>>10586099
1. good coords, maybe sometimes something a bit out-there or experimental will keep me interested. I don’t mind if experiments aren’t always perfect so long as they are interesting
2. interesting captions that aren’t just engagement-bait like >>10586103 said
3. lots of burando?

Who are some of your fav lolitas on Instagram? I need some new blood in my feed!

>>10586432
This is so vague and pointless - if you really wanted new lolitas you’d specify what substyle etc. you were looking for. It’s clearly a setup for you to selfpost

>>10586099
1. Good quality coords in styles I’m interested in (doesn’t have to be styles I wear!)
2. Limited amounts of taobao (but this is just personal preference)
3. For personality stuff, I like when people post cute personal stuff in their stories

>>10586539
Nah, actually looking for new lolitas to follow. Sorry to disappoint lol. I like to follow many sub styles, feel free to recommend anyone!

>>10586612
then look in the fucking thread?

>>10586612
is it really that hard to go into the lolita fashion tag and find people yourself? anyone that gets posted here has and will get shat on

>>10586621
>>10586622
Okay samefag ;)

>>10586624
we didn't even say the same thing.

>>10586622
That’s not completely true, I’ve seen several lists of reccs posted here that people appreciated and didn’t sit on.

>>10586099
I get bored and unfollow when all their outfits start to look the same, or they take photos in the same place all the time.

>>10543165
What're the tags people are using for general jfashion? Since larme died I'm having trouble both tagging my posts and finding things I want to look at. There also doesn't seem to much much of a "community" around jfashion anymore, no idea what to search to find people into the same things.

>>10586740
Good point about taking photos in the same place all the time. I’m guilty of this but agree it gets a little boring when looking at other peoples photos!

>>10584640
Damn I feel like I’m going to have to do the same thing. Awhile ago, I stopped posting for 6 months to focus on my education. When I started posting again, my interaction was bad, it got a lot better over time, but I never got my posts to trend again. Now I’m on another break until I graduate, which is really for the best, I’m in a much better place mentally and I’m better able to focus on my classes. When I graduate I’m going to try to resuscitate my account one more time, but I have a feeling I’m going to have to start over again like you

>>10586740
I actually like this. Consistency is appealing to me.

>>10587183
>>10584640
When you made a new account was it with a new email or connect to your old account.
I have been thinking about starting a new one on a seperate email from my normie account so it won't be associated with my real name at all. I wonder if that would help.

does anybody actually care about an "aesthetic" feed? like as long as all your pictures individually are nice, would you actually unfollow somebody for their photos not looking the same

>>10587216
Personally I wouldn’t unfollow over that. However when you’re first coming across someone’s account... aesthetically pleasing feed usually gets a follow!!

Is making it big on Insta really worth it? I bet many of us are dreaming of those high numbers, myself included, but I'm starting to wonder if that'd really make me happy. Does anyone here have any experience with this and share how it's like to have a relatively big following?

>>10587183
Please keep us updated about whether you manage to revive your current account. I'm really curious if I fucked myself over by neglecting my account too and if I need to make a new one.

>>10587733
What is relatively big for your standards?

>>10587737
I'm not sure actually. I guess between 5000-10k followers? I have such a ridiculously low number (less than 50) that 5k is huge to me, but I don't want to compare to the people who have over a million either. I'm more curious about slightly more realistic numbers

>>10587733
What would having a high follower count fulfill for you? Would it be worth dumping countless hours into posting pictures and videos to get those follows?

>>10587738
Imo, unless you're insecure and need some sort of validation boost from the internet, it's not worth hovering from 5k-50k You'll have to work hard to post content in order to maintain any decent engagement rate and your account is too tiny for anyone to consider for decent sponsorships. Once your ER starts falling it'll just make you feel bad so there's always the pressure of making new content. At 50k+ you'll start being considered for sponsorships but because lolita is a niche, you'll only ever get tapped by taobao resellers who won't ever pay you outside getting some free clothes that don't cost more than $10. If you want to grow your account more than that, you'll have to appeal to casuals and normies-- cosplay is easier to grow in that regard. Keeping up a social media account eventually becomes a chore if you're actively trying to grow and maintain because if you don't post consistently, your ER will usually tank.

>>10587733
realize that you're asking if big social media numbers will make you happy. of course they won't. if anything they're actually make you feel worse. it's made-up fake social currency that equates to nothing.

focus on posting sincerely with no expectation of anything, it's going to be more fun than playing the numbers game

>>10587733
I know two people with those numbers, one is jfash one is twitch streamer. Both are depressed as fuck and have essentially sold their souls to fame, constantly on the grind for it, and they get sad every time their numbers don't get exceeded (they've come to expect infinite growth). Purely anecdotal however.

I think the best way to do it is create content in a way that satisfies you first and foremost, and if the followers come along with that then great.

>>10587736
Will do! I graduate in mid-May and there are a few things I want to experiment with when I start posting again regularly, so I probably won’t have a solid update until late June or July

>>10587738
I’m in that range and honestly it’s a mixed bag depending on your mental health. Before I took some breaks from posting, a lot of my posts would trend and that always was a self esteem boost. But when my numbers didn’t do as well, my self esteem dropped with it. Taking a break from posting made me reevaluate what I was doing to myself. You really need to check yourself and make sure you aren’t attaching your self esteem to your numbers because otherwise you’re just gonna feel like crap no matter what the follower count. Honestly the thing that’s best about it is the new cosplay friends I’ve made, but you can make new friends without having high numbers. If you want to truly be happy on social media, just focus on making posts that you enjoy and making friends in your hobby.

>>10587738
I'm at 8k right now. It's fine but it ties you to your account and it's hard to break the circle of consistency.

>>10587738

I'm in that range because of a faketok and I'm actually kind of annoyed because it's pretty clear there are a bunch of people who weren't actually interested following my account now.

>>10588087
What's a faketok?

>>10588206
I think anon means reels

>>10588206
Reels? Or am I lost?

>>10587738
It’s weird as hell, but my following is the biggest it’s ever been and I care about my posts less than I ever have. I used to be so upset if a post didn’t hit 1k likes. Now I just post whatever and don’t obsessively check likes or comments.

>>10588087
is ig still boosting reels? i thought that was over already

>>10588206

Reels

>>10588613
Seems like it. FR's recent reel had something like 200k views.

How is your insta doing at the moment gulls?

>>10597513
better than usual because i posted a reel that blew up, but i actually kind of hate it. like a few hundred new follows and all of them are norms, plus i keep getting mean comments from men.

>>10597530
What are they saying?

>>10597530
Sorry to hear that anon, I hope they leave you alone soon. What kind of reel was it?

>>10597532
just weird stuff like calling me childish, obviously making fun of what i'm wearing, "you would look better in normal clothes" type stuff, etc. i guess it's mild but for someone who only really interacts with other lolitas, it's annoying. i keep going back to delete comments like that once or twice a day.

>>10597534
just a meme that i'm pretty sure 95% of people who interacted with it misunderstood lol.

just blogposting now but i used to get really good interaction ~ a year ago and was sad it went down after algorithm changes. after this i don't care anymore, i'd rather not have numbers if it means this

>>10546245
>>10573158
She steals pretty much all of her content from Junji Ito manga

>>10597513
I was on a roll until midterms. I haven't posted in a while and looking at my unfinished project sitting there makes me sad. Now it's about to be finals and knowing that I won't be able to finish until after they're over makes me feel worse.

Had to unfollow this one. Her posts/reels have become insufferable. The popularity of Tik Tok has ushered in a generation of cringe and little clowns.

>>10597513
I've noticed in the last week that story views have dropped off a cliff. I still post the same amount but the views are almost halved. Has this happened to anyone else?

>>10597513
Pretty meh but I stopped caring about that. At the end of the day the reasons why I started my ig were cause I wanted to connect with more lolitas and document my coords. Pretty happy that I have achieved both and will continue to do so.

>>10600222
yup same happened to me

>>10600274
Ayrt, it's baffling me why stories are being nerfed now too. First it was posts, then reels and now stories.

They say to consistently post on Instagram. Is once a week enough?

>>10600941
nope

>>10600941
Zucc wants you posting at least 3x a week to please his algorithm monster

>>10600966
3 Times a week, nobody has time to take all those photos

>>10601053
You do if you want instafame

>>10601053

If you have nothing else to do you like all the other instafame chasers you probably do.

>>10601053
The trick is to do take multiple photos all at once, and slowly release a stream of them the following week. Build up a backlog to post so once you are busy, you won't go days or weeks without posting.

>>10601053
I post 4-5 times a week it's not that hard nonny

>>10601102
I admit I unfollow peple who upload too frequent. The pictures get repetive fast.

>>10601329
The most popular lolitas/jfashion people all post near-daily with different pictures from the same day so something in this method must work, regardless of your personal feelings

>>10601102
>>10601166

I see. Its probably easier when you are taking photos inside or in your garden.
I'm quite picky with photo backgrounds, so I cannot see myself taking so many photos

>>10601366
I always feel like it's pointless to share multiple pictures of the exact same outfit unless there's some special background or other point of interest. Is this really what you have to do? I'd feel like I'm just annoying my followers with shit they've seen already.

>>10601418
No you take photos of different outfits on the same day

>>10601419
That's even more pathetic. There's literally nothing to get out of lolita efame. If they're going to put in that much effort, they should at least try to be regular kawaii influencers or some shit.

>>10601402
If backgrounds are a problem for you, blur it out or put cute stickers over it.

what are some examples of lolitas who use their photos to convey a fantasy of living in lolita, sorta like how the loligirls documentary showed them rowing in summer/spring with parasols, picnicking, etc or advertisements done by brands that are aesthetically pleasing?

>>10601420
>lolita efame
>regular kawaii influencers
Don't those walk hand in hand though? I thought lolitas aimed for the kawaii audience

>>10601938
No, kawaii influencers can get 100k followers + potential money. lolita efame is just pandering to the small community

>>10601940
Forgot to mention that if a lolita tries to go the kawaii influencer route they will get ripped apart by the lolitas they need to get them started so

>>10601940
>>10601943
Oh, I see. Thanks for explaining

>>10601935
Most of the Lolitas on Instagram only do boring coord photos, which are neither really aesthetically pleasing nor creative.
I think, some taobaoshops do quite interesting photoshoots, so I would recommend you to follow a taobao reseller. The dresses aren't so nice but the photos look nice.

>>10601943
I hate how true this is

>>10601992
They're boring because they're safe coords. Imagine girls doing more experimental/out their looks. They'd get ripped apart a la >>10601943

I've been thinking about starting a lolita insta account. I have 3 types of layouts in mind: pictures that convey a mood of lining as a lolita like I said >>10601935, a full-edited background that conveys a feeling (pic rel), and a simple background that has some things that fall into the lolita aesthetic (tea cupboards, dolls). I think I enjoy pics that convey a mood, but they seem to be the most difficult to pull off

>>10601418
most people/followers aren't going to remember it's the same outfit unless they manually check

>>10601940
all you get out of lolita efame is cyberbullying and a devilinspired partnership

>>10602541

>>10602553

>>10601992

Lolita is an everyday fashion. Photoshoots are nice once in a while but at the end of the day it's kind of dense to be putting on angel wings for an OTT photoshoot every week and then complain that people are treating you like you're wearing a costume. That's why there are so many "boring coordinates" which quite frankly are a bit less of a headache to look at than overshopped alien photoshoots.

>>10602564

This. They are just my clothes.

>>10601940
>kawaii influencers can get 100k followers + potential money
speaking as someone who has been there, done that, kawaii influencers make jack all for money. unless you branch into youtube or something, the most you get is taobao resellers offering you clothes and a discount code kek

>>10602582
That's not true. I have way less followers and get clothes/items/makeup from reputable brands. I also charge some brands if they want me to promote their new products.

>>10602900
>reputable brands
which ones?

>>10602900
Yeah usually if you're not a complete idiot or have bot followers you can get sponsored by brands once you pass 8k

>>10602900
>>10602907
what brands are even worth getting sponsored by tho? it's not like anyone gets sponsored by AP or Baby, so it seems kind of pointless for a lolita.

unless you just want a bunch of useless doohickies and anime t-shirts or something.

>>10602902
I don't want to out myself by posting specifics. It's not all lolita related either. Some are Korean beauty and makeup brands, some are US indie makeup brands, there's also free gift boxes and free afternoon teas for myself and plus one. Most times I'm sent PR for indie and Etsy accessories shops.

>>10602924

Do you approach the indie brands, or do they approach you first?

>>10602900
>get clothes/items/makeup from reputable brands
none of this is money
>charge some brands if they want me to promote their new products
yes and then they ghost you or only pay you a fraction of what normal influencers get. $100 a post is nothing sweetie

>>10602900
>get clothes/items/makeup from reputable brands
none of this is money

>charge some brands if they want me to promote their new products
yes and then they ghost you or only pay you a fraction of what normal influencers get. $100 a post is nothing sweetie

>>10602924
>makeup brands
then you're branching out into the makeup/beauty category, not being solely kawaii fashion/lolita based
christ, know how to categorize yourself.

>>10602924
>>10602907
>>10602900
Getting free shit is worthless unless you actually wanted that shit in the first place. You can't sell PR because once brands catch on they'll just stop sending it to you, and it's considered really rude. Lifestyle influencers can make a living off brand sponsorships of real money once they hit the 50k mark if they're savvy, there's no way you can do that in the Kawaii niche cause there's just a lack of interest from brands. When will people learn that free shit=\=success.

>>10602954
basically all of this. i got sponsered by "reputable" companies a few times just due to my sheer order volume. most sponsorships are just mutually beneficial short-term things.

>>10602954
>>10602957
You sound unnecessarily angry lmao. Of course they are items and makeup I would have bought otherwise. It's not like this is my main job. Geting extra money and stuff on the side is nice but seethe harder.

>>10602957
Yeah but I save money to buy brand by not having to buy extra shit.

>>10602993
>>10603019
I have no clue why you're being so defensive. The original comment said
>kawaii influencers make jack all for money.
Which is still true, the shitty makeup they send you because you're dumb enough to promote for free is literally just because you promote for free and it costs them pennies.
Not to mention its pretty obvious you barely receive anything from companies-- that shit clutters the fuck out of your house if you're receiving PR from a ton of companies. Stop samefagging while not knowing about what. you're talking about.

Sometimes it do be like that.

>>10602933

Hmmm I guess you're one of those annoying fucks begging indie brands to part with their items so you can give them "exposure," considering you didn't bother answering my question.

>>10602957
I- I just think it's fun...