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I never thought that building a life on Instagram would one day make something as personal as marriage so complicated. But here I am, 27, living in Chennai, managing brand collaborations, creating content daily, and silently dreading every time a relative asks, “So, when are you getting married?”

From the outside, my life probably looks picture-perfect—travel, fashion, reels with trending audio, and a growing follower base. But the truth is, behind the filters and curated content lies a constant inner tug-of-war. Not just about marriage itself, but about who I’m supposed to marry.

As someone from the Mudaliyar community, caste has always been part of the conversation, even if it’s never openly acknowledged. My parents want someone from our caste—someone “well-settled,” ideally from a good family, and yes, someone who can handle the fact that their future wife is practically living online. Not exactly an easy checklist.

They even suggested I register on mudaliyarkannalam.com, a matrimonial site dedicated to our community. And while I understand where they’re coming from, I can’t help but feel a little boxed in.

It’s not that I’m against tradition. I love where I come from. I speak fluent Tamil, I celebrate Pongal with my family, and I’ve even posted about our rituals online. But being told that love must happen within the caste, that’s where I struggle. What if the person I connect with isn’t Mudaliyar? What if he’s from another background but respects me, supports my career, and genuinely gets me?

Dating is already hard as a public figure. People watch everything—who I’m seen with, what I post, even what I don’t post. If I share too much, it becomes gossip. If I stay quiet, people assume. Add caste expectations on top of that, and the pressure becomes unbearable.

And for women influencers like me, there’s a silent rulebook: tone down your content after marriage, avoid bold photos, don’t post “too much,” and definitely don’t outshine your husband. It’s frustrating. I didn’t build this platform to later apologize for it.

Some days I consider just going with what my parents want. Maybe I’d find someone decent on a site like mudaliyarkannalam.com and settle down quietly. Other days, I feel defiant—I want to marry someone I truly vibe with, caste be damned.

I know I’m not alone in this. So many young women like me are trying to balance personal dreams with family expectations. It’s not easy. And it’s not just about marriage. It’s about identity, freedom, and the future we want to build.

Maybe I’ll figure it out eventually. For now, I’m still creating, still growing—and still hoping that when the time comes, I won’t have to choose between love and being myself.

Let’s face it,

Creating and posting daily on Instagram is like a year-round self-imposed group project on steroids. You’re the planner, editor, writer, on-screen talent, creative director, and sometimes even coffee runner. I do enjoy creating content, but there was a time when I spent more time trying to figure out what to post than posting.

To combat burnout, I chose to take action and do something fun.

Gone are the days when I would create a reel 10 minutes before posting, edit on a 4% battery, and eat in between drafts. But now, I batch everything out in 2–3 days and hang out the rest of the week.

Here’s how I batch-create content and stay sane while doing it:

Begin with a brain dump, not a creative brief

Every Sunday, I go to my Notion page, “chaotic ideas at 2 a.m.,” and dump. There is no strategy, and you don’t need to be an artist or designer to do this; sometimes, just showing up is enough.

Group & theme your content

Once the crazy is out, I slam them into these three buckets.

• Relatable reels creator
• Helpful stuff (tools I use, growth hacks, behind-the-scenes)
• Personal/feel-good (examples, stories, book recommendations, inspirational carousels)

This structure helps me ensure that I’m not scrambling and posting for the sake of posting. I’m crafting a cohesive narrative from day to day throughout the week.

Batch Create — make it flexible

Batch Creating can create a lot; it can be the highest-possible-impact way.

Day 1 – Shoot day: Hair/makeup/wardrobe, lighting, stand setup, audio check, lip-sync practice, and going through TikTok trends.

Day 2 – Edit + caption + schedule day CapCut + Notion + Preview App = content creator power trio.

What’s living up my life right now: getting 3–4 reels filmed in a row when my hair is still done. There’s no need to jump around state to state or race the sun across the country daily.

Leave room for random creativity

Batching may sound robotic, but it’s not. It’s about having freedom and time for yourself. Sometimes, I am guilty of following the trends and following what others do just to be on the loop, but in the long run, it never works. It only reduces your credibility. So leave some room for the creative side of you to pop, now and then, so that it looks realistic.

Batching takes care of that foundation, and then I can add spontaneity when I choose to.

Take time to look back

Every Sunday night, I reflect:

So what was successful this week?

What failed and for what reason? Was I happy while producing it?

I adjust if it starts to feel like a work-for-hire gig that I need to go through because I’d much rather build at a slower pace and enjoy myself than fizzle out in a quest for perfection.

And most importantly-

You can batch evergreen content and still be that spontaneous, in-the-moment content creator. Surprise, surprise—authenticity isn’t the opposite of planning ahead. It’s about making room for happiness.

Your turn: Have you ever worked in batches with your content? Or are you more of a “post-what-I-think” type of content creator?

Until next time, batch smart, sleep smarter.

Hello there!

Whether you’re looking to expand your storytelling skills to include more visual mediums or just want to get a better sense overall of how to move through this timely transition to hybrid and virtual formats, our new track is designed for you. The built environment at this scale invites us all to create interventions that elevate, connect, heal, and flourish. influencer 101

You might be reading this blog post right now on Instagram, soaking up all the free education reels, and at some moment in time, you’ve wished I want to create content online. You are in the right place.

I was just like you, a person who started with no knowledge, a few followers, a phone, and a dream to put out something tangible, relevant, and a little drama.

Who qualifies as a “content creator”?

It feels a lot like being a one-person band with your own brand, because you create all the content in-house, everything from video to photography to copy to memes, stories, everything. It may be a fashion transition or a funny, relatable reel.

But a big part is more than just going viral daily or looking pretty.

You need to be consistent in what you do. Use your imagination and be as creative as possible to tell your story. Be real and speak the facts.

Is this an actual career?

Many people will say no, this isn’t a full-time career, and it cannot give you as much as any job would. But I say, yes, it is, and I will state the reasons why it is sometimes better than a full-time job-

You learn fundamental skills by applying them practically here

Writing captions improves your communication. Designing posts boosts creativity. Talking to a camera is all about confidence

Build a personal brand

Finding the right frequency of posting that works with your schedule and capabilities will help you be recognized as that unique voice that people want to listen to. This is personal branding, or how your presence is affected online.

Making a profit

We have these brand collaborations, or you could sell your own merchandise, create your own courses, become an affiliate marketer, and do many other things. There are endless opportunities, provided that you learn how to make the most of them.

Work at your own pace for quite some time

You do have control over who you collaborate with and how extensively you decide to collaborate. You’ll have lots of flexibility to make your own choices. As terrible as it sounds at first, the reality is that it’s less stressful than a nine-to-five job.

So, how do you get going?

1. Establish your overall theme right from the start.
2. Avoid chasing trends and leaning too hard into the new thing; instead, lean into where your energy is.
3. You don’t need a team or a DSLR. Your smartphone and natural daylight are plenty.
4. Post regularly. Even just once or twice a week is amazing in the long run.

That’s ultimately why I got into content creation—to create change, empower and uplift others, and educate in the process. I was so enamored with the idea of folks employing creativity to create something from absolutely nothing. And now it has turned into a space where I surprise them, make them think twice, and evoke an emotion.

So if you’re reading this and you happen to be one of those people who’ve been hoping for a “sign” that it’s time to begin your creator journey, this is it!!

Today, with how quickly Instagram moves, it’s not enough to slap up some pretty pictures. You need strategy, consistency, and the right tools to simplify your life. Be it with style guides, uplifting messages, or documenting life’s recurring moments, we recognise the magic in how influencers leverage cost-effective products to enhance their work.

It’s easy to get burnt out when working alone, so using tools to achieve the most impact with the least effort is essential.

All content creators should use five easy, free tools:

These help to plan, design, edit, and grow your page.

Canva– your design bestie

Imagine creating time-saving, pre-made posts for your feed in just a few minutes, and having an entire library of templates and designs that give you creative freedom. That’s Canva in a nutshell.

It’s a set of compelling styles, layouts, fonts, illustrations, and even pre-made stickers that’s simple to customize. Canva also has a vast library of stock photos readily available for use on your designs.

CapCut – the easy reels editor

I spent hours editing every video in different apps, which led me to try this video editor. The difference has been incredible. It’s now my secret weapon for producing viral reels. It’s super intuitive, allowing you to learn and craft your video. It lets you cut down video clips, introduce background music, and auto-generate captions in fun and flashy fonts.

It also lets you know the secret to making those smooth fly-through transitions from your phone.

Preview App – for planning your grid

Unlike other tools, this one allows you to preview your future posts without waiting until they are published to your profile. You can drag and drop your posts to preview them.

You can pre-write your captions and hashtags and schedule all of your posts in advance. This can help you identify which posts are doing a good job and which may need a refresh.

Notion – for brain dump & ideas

It functions as a digital corkboard, too, my personal favorite. It’s like a magic tool in how it helps me outline and structure my ideas, efficiently reminding me what I should be doing, what I need to plan for, and how much time I can save if I get my act together and do X sooner rather than later.

From custom templates and trackers to keep your brand collabs on track and plan your content calendar, to save your 2 am random thoughts — it’s all in there. The most exciting part is that you can make it your own.

Snapseed – your photo editing sidekick

Those days are over with Photoshop. Snapseed is a potent tool and easy to use when it comes to editing your photos. Whether you need to repair the light, make your colours more vibrant, or even blur the chaos of your home office, we can help!

There’s a very nifty healing tool to remove your photo bombs or unexpected t-shirt stains, which is cool. Honest to goodness, if you can avoid checking these boxes during a shoot, you can get one gorgeous shot right out of the box! An absolute game-changer

It’s simple, free, and takes your photos to the next level.

You can create something extraordinary with Canva, CapCut, Preview, Notion, and Snapseed in your toolkit!

When I first began developing content for Instagram, I believed that increasing reach was about virality. Similar to how we know when a post goes viral up to 1k views, and you just became that overnight success instant, with collabs pouring in the inbox and DMS spilling over. What I didn’t realise is that you can’t only go viral in the hopes of creating long-term growth on the platform.

Growth happens over time, and you need to have the patience to wait for it to happen.

So if you keep asking yourself, “How can I grow if I’m not trending or going viral?

This is for you.

Here’s what we found to be effective.

Build a movement, not a moment

You know what keeps me lingering on someone’s profile? It matters—not the culture, the art, or the photograph on the wall. It’s the first caption that reads like an actual narrative. It’s not just their images or even their sound. Though it is in the sound, it’s in the experience of how their narrative resonates with us because that’s the most basic level of storytelling.

Remember, nothing drives growth like a person who knows you care, and your audience will be seen, heard, and appreciated.

Stop ghosting folks in your DMS

Use the story as an opportunity to question and return to the present.
Share and celebrate these small wins with your followers and provide an inside peek into the work your organisation is doing.

Storytelling > Marketing

Stories are back, and despite all the algorithms, trends, and most incredible stuff out there, the only thing that will stop someone in their scroll and get them to watch is a story.

Explain what inspired you to take that shot, explain how your product saved the day at the hour of need, elaborate on the day you saw or heard that quote you’re tweeting about. Your personal stories create the emotional gut punch. How do we make that connection? It is a much more potent force than any algorithm.

Create save-worthy posts

We’ve moved beyond the sharing age and into the save for later age. Curate your content posts in a way that inspires people to come back to them time and time again.

Take a crack at writing something that’s

• Bright and hopeful
• Poetic or aesthetically pleasing

A moment before you hit share, pause and consider: Would you save this post to your favorites or scroll by quicker than your case of the Mondays?

Pay attention before you demand their attention

One thing that enabled me to continue to grow despite having a low organic reach: intentional engagement.

• So, spend 10–15 minutes engaging with other people’s posts before you post.
• Follow accounts you mesh with and start those conversations by sliding into their DMs with something nice.
• Share and save Content from other members, as well.

When you do come, everyone is paying attention and looking to you. They return with them.
Real engagement isn’t about trying to get something; it’s about giving something. Meet them where they are, lead with value, and be authentic.

Sometimes growth doesn’t mean a 10K increase in a week. At other times, like right now, it feels like three new followers who understand what you’re doing. Or a DM from somebody who no longer feels alone after reading what you shared.

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For most of us, to begin as a total noob can be overwhelming and intimidating. We have no followers; we have little audience, actually, and we post fairly consistently, for quite a while now, and it feels like we are talking into a void. We need to keep in mind that every creator has many followers , starting out with none. This is a part of mutual travel on the path; It all begins now.

But here’s the real deal:

Every person with a million followers created zero videos today. Which means you are not behind in your quest; you are simply beginning.

So, here are a few things I wish someone had told me before I started out as a complete newbie;

I gave up waiting to be “Ready”

Never think that you’re going to be ready one day and you’re just going to wait until everything is going to be perfect before getting started, because it ain’t going to happen; waiting makes you want to stay even more, and it doesn’t get you anywhere. So, just begin wherever you can.

One day, I simply grabbed my phone, made a quick video about something that interested me, and published it. There were no filtration systems, and there was no pressure.

The only way to start is to start. It’s okay if your first video isn’t perfect.

Choose a niche that represents you

Ask yourself what I love to talk about, even if no one is listening?

Your niche is the thought that popped into your head. Whether you love gaming, journaling, music, memes, or even ranting, it’s your best call rather than blindly following the trend.

Don’t put yourself through the stress of chasing views every round

Refreshing your reel views and allowing the algorithm to determine how exciting your content is was a big misstep. Yes, views matter, but when you’re at the initial stages, they can be overwhelming and make you feel worthless.

Some videos receive 100 views, others 1000 views. The important thing, though, is to make sure you continue to create content.

I learned as I posted

Pretty much all I learned was through the process of actually putting it out there on social media.

I think that’s because most people start on an entry-level creative content path, or honestly, maybe just digital marketing in general, and go from there. While learning by doing may not be flashy, it certainly is a better step forward.

I was then able to discover the optimal time of day to post by referring to a chart of when my followers were most active. I learned what hooks the audience latched onto. I pushed the envelope with trends and made them my own.

Sometimes,

A mobile phone, a crazy idea, and an intense chip on your shoulder are all you need to begin.

Sure, you might be at follower level zero in your first week, but you’ll soon be beyond that.