Book Review: Hashtag Authentic by Sara Tasker

If you’re using Instagram for business, or thinking about using Instagram for business - or even thinking about using Instagram to express your thoughts and daily experiences, you need this book in your life. Hashtag Authentic by Sara Tasker is the essential guide to using Instagram to build your community and create content which captivates your audience and builds relationships.

Sara Tasker has successfully made a career out of her Instagram prowess. Not by promising you thousands of followers overnight, or guaranteeing huge revenues if you follow this very strict posting schedule, but simply by using it to authentically tell your story.

Let me share this excerpt with you…

“How is me sharing my morning coffee going to change the world? Well, maybe it won’t, but that doesn’t mean it has no value... Perhaps the caption you add, mentioning how you switched from plastic coffee pods to a biodegradable line, prompts a handful of others to do the same, and then take further steps to go plastic-free. Maybe the cafe you tagged in the photograph gains a new local customer thanks to you, and becomes a little more profitable as a result. Connection, communication and community are the underrated secret weapons of social media. Quiet and gentle, they nevertheless have the power to slowly shape our world”

This extract, taken from page 14, sums up the essence of this book for me. And it might seem lazy to share an excerpt from so early in the book (I promise I HAVE read the whole thing!), but that’s how quickly Sara gets to the heart of the good stuff. This book is all about using Instagram thoughtfully, using it as a vehicle to find your voice and finding your tribe.

For me, Instagram has been an incredible platform. We’ve won work from the connections we’ve made on Instagram, from all corners of the world. We’ve met people we’d never otherwise have met, and become known by circles that would otherwise have been hard to access. Instagram has quickly become a major marketing tool for our business - and I only have a modest following (come join me @dittocreative!). I’m a huge advocate of Instagram, and if you’re new to the party Hashtag Authentic is essential reading.

Beautiful photography, beautifully printed and heaped with thoughtful and articulate guidance, it’s a must-read. Grab yourself a copy - and let me know what you think!