Meet Sara Tasker from Me and Orla
Sara Tasker, aka Me and Orla or to use her other name ‘Instagram Queen’, makes a living from Instagram and pretty much knows it inside out. She first started using Instagram as a ‘time-wasting hobby’ but soon became intrigued by what made some posts (and some users) more successful than others, so she started to look for patterns and investigating the science behind the screen. She now shares her knowledge through workshops, Instagram retreats, online courses and her monthly #theinstachat.
We caught up with Sara for a quick chat ahead of her workshop at the Weekend of the Maker this Saturday (26 November) where she’ll be teaching makers how to grow their craft business through Instagram.
Book your place at Sara’s workshop
I’m Sara, a Yorkshire lass and mother, and somewhat teasingly known as the ‘Instagram queen’.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about what you do?
I’m Sara, a Yorkshire lass and mother, and somewhat teasingly known as the ‘Instagram queen’. What started as a hobby three years ago is now the mainstay of my business, and I earn my full-time income through sponsorships, photography and helping people make their Instagram accounts awesome. I’ve worked with big brands like Canon, Land Rover, Ikea and Adobe, as well as hundreds of small makers and artists to engage the Instagram audience and create beautiful advertorial content.
As my pictures improved, I found I was connecting with a real audience, and became interested in the science of it – why did some things work better than others?
How did you get to where you are now?
I started, like post people, with an Instagram account as a time-wasting hobby. As my pictures improved, I found I was connecting with a real audience, and became interested in the science of it – why did some things work better than others? How could I use this knowledge elsewhere?
As my audience ballooned, I began to receive offers for editorial and advertorial work, and realised here was an opportunity before me. From there, it was a series of very deliberate choices and a whole lot of hustle to enable me to quit my NHS day job and devote my days to doing all that I love.
It’s easy to feel like you’re late to the party with social media, but it’s never too late to get started.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
To set yourself goals! Whether it’s ‘gain 100 followers on Instagram this month’, or ‘make Mark Hamill my new best friend’ (ahem), setting specific goals is a total game changer in life. After going full-time I spent a year treading water, doing the work that came in with no active plans to make different things happen. As soon as I recognised this and wrote myself targets, life opened up and new doors began opening everywhere!
Whether it’s ‘gain 100 followers on Instagram this month’, or ‘make Mark Hamill my new best friend’ (ahem), setting specific goals is a total game changer in life.
And what would be your top tip for anyone running their own creative business?
Get on Instagram, for starters! There’s an amazing community of makers, artists and creative business owners to support you, and a huge potential customer base just waiting to find your work. It’s easy to feel like you’re late to the party with social media, but it’s never too late to get started and Instagram is a pretty level playing field to dive into. Because it’s so visual, it’s a brilliant way to showcase your work and really get into the hearts and minds of your real target audience. It’s a little like having your own lifestyle magazine or lifestyle blog, but you create it in 5 minutes out of your day.
I like that point where the mundane meets the magical, the everyday wonder.
How would you describe your Instagram style?
My photography is often called simple and romantic. This probably carries over into all that I do – I like that point where the mundane meets the magical, the everyday wonder. My workshops and mentoring sessions are friendly and informal, and are suitable for beginners and my fellow Instagram addicts alike.
I’m really passionate about creating great photography full of feeling, without spending hours with a camera.
Can you tell us bit more about the workshop you’ll be running at the Weekend of the Maker? What will you be covering and what will people come away with?
I’m really passionate about creating great photography full of feeling, without spending hours with a camera. When it comes to sales, this is significant – a seductive lifestyle product shot is the difference between “I like that” and “I need that right now!” We’ll be talking about visual marketing, Instagram strategy and what simple tricks creatives can use to reach out to their audience there.
The session will also include a crash course in styling your own product shots, simply and easily, with the things you already have. I’m asking sellers and makers to bring along some of their items, if possible, so they can get hands-on during the session and come away with a fresh set of photos, as well as the skills to take their visual imagery to a whole new level online.
I’m asking people to bring along some of their items to the Weekend of the Maker workshop, so they can get hands-on and come away with a fresh set of photos, as well as the skills to take their visual imagery to a whole new level online.
