9239. That’s how many followers Disc Golf Shout Outs has on Instagram as I write this post. For those of you that are familiar with Instagram, that might not sound like a lot. There are plenty of accounts with hundreds of thousands, even millions, of followers.
But not any accounts related to disc golf. For some reason, even though a ton of disc golfers have and look at Instagram daily, they are typically very stingy with the follow button. Come on folks!
Innova, the largest and best selling manufacturer of discs has 6448 followers. Discmania has 3147. Avery Jenkins, one of the more active pro disc golfers on Instagram has 6166. Eric McCabe, one of the more artistic, and also very active, posters has 3562.
[tweetthis]If we can’t even follow people on Instagram, how are we ever going to make it on TV?[/tweetthis]
These are pros with reach and exposure that us mere mortals will most likely never have. These are companies with marketing budgets. And they are nowhere close to 10,000 followers. Discgolfshoutouts is almost there. And that’s amazing.
So open up your Instagram my fellow disc golfer. Follow discgolfshoutouts. In return, you’ll get a collection of some of the coolest disc golf pics from around the web. And you’ll get a chance to win something. Most importantly, you’ll be supporting the sport you love.
You see, the disc golfers of Instagram spread the love of disc golf through pictures every day. For free. We don’t make money on it, we simply love it. We love the beauty of our sport. We love the beauty of nature. We want to share that with you. All it takes is for you to follow, like, and let us know you dig it with your comments.
Don’t have Instagram? As a disc golfer you need it. I promise we aren’t putting up pic after pic of what we had for lunch. We aren’t providing a never ending string of kitten pictures. We aren’t putting up advertisements trying to get you to buy things and calling it art instead.
[tweetthis]We love this sport. We love its beauty. We want to share that. Follow us on Instagram![/tweetthis]
New to Instagram and want to know who to follow? First, just search #discgolf. I do that daily and I’m always impressed by what the disc golf community posts on a daily basis. Next, find a few people whose feed you really like and follow them. Here’s a short list of my personal favorites…
- @discgolfshoutouts – tag your photos with #discgolfshoutouts and you could have your photo featured on their page and exposed to almost 10,000 other disc golfers! They pick the best of the best so you don’t have to go searching.
- @discgolfbaskets – either run by or simply heavily promoted by Avery Jenkins, this is exactly what it sounds like. Some of the most beautiful shots of the metal and chains we all love anywhere on the net.
- @zendiscgolf – a mixture of their own shots as well as a selection of those that people have tagged with #zendiscgolf. Need a moment of Zen? You’ll get at least one a day here.
- @organic_junky – there is something really authentic about this feed. You can tell this guy is genuine and really loves the sport. Great use of filters and a GoPro.
- @discgolfeveryday – yep, there are videos on Instagram too. This guy plays every day and shares one shot a day with you. Great idea, super addictive!
- @goprodg – another person who knows how to get a lot out of their GoPro. Some really funny memes too.
- @minnesotaflight – you’ll wish you lived and played in MN. Gorgeous.
- @mindbodydisc – OK, I have to self promote at least a little! I bring you at least one pic a day. A mix of humor, art, inspiration, and love for the sport.
There’s a lot I’m leaving out but those would be a great start for you. If you’ve already got Instagram, give ’em a try. If not, like I said before, all disc golfers need Instagram.
Now for a side note and soap box moment. I was reluctant to put this in here, so take this as my opinion and mine alone. Instagram is an online art gallery. For me, I don’t want 10,000 followers only because I followed 10,000 people. I want followers because people totally love what I’m putting out there. I want to know that I’m bringing value and beauty into your life. I want to know that I’m making you laugh, inspiring you, and giving you your disc golf fix when you can’t be out not the course.
I simply can’t follow and keep track of 10,000 people. I probably won’t follow you back in most cases. It’s just not manageable. I read a tweet the other day where someone said, “I’m unfollowing anyone who doesn’t follow me back.”. I also just read a comment on one of the above feeds that said, “FOLLOW ME and I’ll FOLLOW YOU back.” Sorry, that’s the wrong reason to follow. It’s self centered and missing the point.
This is our artistic outlet. This is not our form of gaining social status by trying to get as many followers as possible. We are after fans not followers. Think about it this way, you wouldn’t ask George Lucas to watch your home movies just because you watched Star Wars. You wouldn’t ask Stephen King to read your short story just because you read one of his books.
Follow our feeds because you like the art. Follow our feeds because they entertain you. Follow our feeds because they bring you joy. Trust me, if your feed does the same for me, I’ll follow back. If your feed is just what your cat had for dinner, I probably won’t. We are providing art and beauty and humor and awe for you free of charge. Why do we also have to follow you back?
By the way, as a trade off for not following you, most of us show our appreciation by running regular contests where you can win some awesome stuff! Personally, I’ve given away over $150 in free plastic up to this point and I don’t plan on slowing down.
OK, stepping down off my soap box.
For now, head on over and follow discgolfshoutouts. Be a part of helping disc golf achieve a social media milestone. Be a contributor and help our sport grow with a simple follow. Bring some art and disc golf love into your daily life.
Much love to all of you and I’ll see you over on Instagram!