Last year, during one of DYT’s AMA sessions, a content creator said something that stuck with us. “If you cannot be an original – copy, but do it with credits. It’s called being inspired.” That sent us down a rabbit hole. We pored over the Instagram handles of creators we love for inspiration. We decoded them for tips that would help other budding creators build their follower numbers.
And here we are.
We’ve already put Sakshi Sindwani’s and Masoom Minawala Mehta’s Instagram under the microscope. Now it’s the turn of our favourite travel influencers: Savi & Vid, or as they are better known, Bruised Passports.
Distilling Content Tips From Bruised Passports’ Instagram
Do travel content creators need expensive equipment?
That’s a popular question and a look at Bruised Passports tells us that the answer is no. A good phone can click Instagram worthy pictures or shoot videos.
In their own words, “You don’t always need elaborate equipment or teams to create cinematic content – all you need is creativity, a keen eye for detail, and an inclination to step out of your comfort zone.”
How do you make a sponsored post look organic?
You do it by believing in the product or brand and connecting it to your niche. Take a look at the Bruised Passport’ Instagram post below. Read the caption. It is a prime example of how to publish paid content and make it look natural.
View this post on Instagram
Should travel content be all planned?
No. The reason Bruised Passports’ content works is that they mix spontaneous photos with conceptual ones. Their feed proves how much time they spend thinking, shooting and editing how to best highlight the destination through their content.
How did they reach 678,000 followers?
Most of their followers are likely people who want to visit the places Savi and Vid have. Their blog is a font of information for travellers. But more than that, they engage with their audience through Live sessions, vlogs and replies to comments. They’ve built communities in literally every corner of the world.
What helped them gain an army of loyal followers?
Through elaborate QnA’s. Followers want to know who you are and what your story is. Savi and Vid realised this long back. They have a Highlight dedicated to just this segment. They also have an entire post on questions they are often asked as travel creators.
Do they limit their content to just travel?
No, and an even more emphatic no since the pandemic. They bought and renovated a home recently. So, sprinkled between travel content is home décor posts.
They went the extra mile and created a separate account for it. Why? Because they realised that not all travel enthusiasts would want to see home reno content all the time. Those who do can simply follow the bruisedpassports_home account.
They also use different content formats from IGTV to Reels to showcase content related to travel. For example, one of their Instagram Guides is ‘Life Lessons From Travel’, which talks about concepts travel has taught them, like shinrin-yoku from Japan.
Capitalise on long-term collaboration with brands.
This is a content tip we’ve been urging all creators to follow. Build a long-term relationship by being a brand advocate. It’s helpful to you, your followers and the brand. Savi and Vid are firmly #teamgalaxy, and you can see them posting about it quite frequently.
Promote causes you are passionate about
It is a great way to amass a different segment of users. For them, it meant crowdfunding a computer lab for a school in Rajasthan or advocating for gender equality. For you, the causes can be different.
The last content tips we pick directly from one of the posts on Bruised Passports’ Instagram handle is:
“Exploit your TALENT, whatever it might be. Instagram has democratised everything: anyone with skill & insane drive can make it big.”
“Finally, and most importantly, strike a BALANCE that suits you – despite social media being an important part of our jobs, we rarely whip out our phones when we are with friends or family. So, find a happy balance and always prioritise your MENTAL HEALTH.”
There you have it, folks: content tips from Savi and Vid’s aka Bruised Passports’ Instagram.
Now, go forth and apply them!
