Discover MNL’s Lucky So Ablando further expanded on the idea of curation and branding in her talk. She brought up the four Vs of branding -- vision, values, voice, and visuals. Vision, according to Ablando, is what you aim to be and what your personal goal is for you and your brand on Instagram. Values are the traits that come naturally to you, like generosity or being a loving person, that you should be able to show in your social media. Voice is the medium you use to communicate your message, which in this case is Instagram. Lastly, she underscored the importance of visuals, especially in a platform such as Instagram.

Once all those Vs sorted out, Ablando advices to go out there and build a community that will help grow your brand. You can either do this by partnerships with brands or collaborations with like-minded folks. “You work on something with someone who has the same cause or goals. It doesn’t have to be a business collaboration,” she says. “If you see someone who has the same mission and vision as you, you can talk about a meet-up and spark a project on Instagram.”

Ablando also underscores the importance of authenticity when it comes to building your online brand. “For me, your social media should reflect your personality. Please don’t try to be somebody else. You can use somebody else for inspiration but there has to be an essence to your branding that makes it you. You want people to remember you and not another person,” she explains.

Ablando also outlined simple rules when it comes to making a flatlay. First off, use a basic background. Second, use natural light. Leave a space between objects so it doesn’t look cluttered. Pick a theme -- whether you want it light or dark -- and stick with your theme. Ablando also suggests picking a hero object that you can surround with complimenting pieces.

Most importantly, it’s important to keep yourself constantly inspired. “Follow accounts, check their flatlays, you go out and look for inspiration. Experiment with different layouts and don’t just stick to one,” she advises. “Try to rearrange everything and maybe you’d find a perfect layout there.”

Rounding up the first Traveloka Talks was Vern Enciso’s multiple tips and tricks on how to document your trip on Instagram. First and foremost, Enciso emphasized the need to research about the destinations you’re planning on visiting. She suggests googling the places where everyone goes, picking one place that’s pleasing to your eyes, and then skip the rest. She also advised making a separate folder in your phone that contains all the details and minutiae of your trip so you can easily access them.

Enciso also underscored the need to pick your outfits perfectly. Make sure that they match the places perfectly, and that they’re appropriate for the weather in the location. Enciso learned the hard way that not wearing weather-appropriate clothing doesn’t help out at all. “On my first few trips, I would wear clothes that I wanted to wear even if the location was 10 degrees lower than Manila, but I learned that you will really not enjoy if you don’t dress appropriate to the weather,” she shares.

When it comes to taking photos, Enciso advices on picking a filter that works for your destination and sticking to it. She also says it’s better to ditch the fashion poses when taking photos for your Instagram and travel blog. “Stand out and do something different for your photo. Make it you. It’s better if you’re doing something in the photo, like eating something or you’re laughing or drinking coffee,” she says. “It’s better to be different than most people. For you to stand out online, you’re supposed to look different from most people on Instagram.”

Finally, Enciso and King gave probably the best travel tip of all: Put down the camera and enjoy the trip. “Kapag nagta-travel kami, photo first bago enjoy. Kasi kapag nag-take ka na ng photos, later ka na pipili ng iu-upload mo,” says King. “Take a lot of photos tapos after noon, mas maraming time for experience, ‘yung time for fun.” “Put your camera down and enjoy what’s in front of you. Take photos for half of the day and enjoy the rest of it,” agrees Enciso. Inspired by Traveloka Talks? Follow us on Facebook to find when the next one is going to be held!]]>