You’ve worked hard for this holiday. You’ve earned it. You’ve put up with all your friends and coworkers bragging about their international adventures, and now it’s your turn. Follow our guidelines and we’ll help you make your time abroad sensational, while making sure everyone knows it… and all without making you seem pretentious.
With the big trip finally here, you’re understandably excited. Whether you’re off to explore the ancient cities of Greece, relax on the hot beaches of Mexico or enjoy a non-stop party in Benidorm, you probably want to make sure your friends and family back home know what a great time you’re having.
Is that a bad idea, you may wonder? Not really. Social media is part of life now, and we use it all the time to share the highs and lows and connect with those we care about. There’s no harm in poking a little cheeky envy out of your nearest and dearest while abroad – we all know you’ve earned your big trip. Remember those postcards you used to get that said ‘Wish You Were Here’? It’s the same principle. A little bit of showing off while you’re abroad isn’t just accepted – it’s expected. So how do you best to go about it without looking smug?
Be smart with your photo uploads
Whether you’re tweeting, posting to Instagram or updating the Facebook masses on your adventures, the fact is that a lot of the ways people post about their hols has become mundane and cliche. We’ve already seen your Eiffel Tower selfies, your feet crossed by the clear blue sea and oh so very many pictures of your food. Be smart and be creative.
What if, instead of photographing that stunning Barcelona cathedral interior, you took a vertical panorama from the floor, sweeping it up the walls and rising to take in the huge, intricately decorated ceiling? It’d give a fantastic sense of place. Panoramas are also fantastic for beaches, high hills with stunning views and more.
Get creative
Feel free to sensationalise a bit. Have your partner sitting with the sunset behind them, and photograph their silhouette against it for a cool artsy vibe. Is it a party holiday? Make it stylish, because we’ve all seen blurred drunken selfies at home. Surround yourself with your exotic new friends and toast under the stars, or dance under that blazing neon.
Think of it like a numbers game. When was the last time anyone sat down and scrolled through an album uploaded to Facebook with 200+ photos in it? Keep your snaps snappy, and think of it as quality over quantity. Think about some filters too – some of them are pretty amazing, like the advanced technology at play with Prisma.
Check in at those landmarks
Chances are that many of the places you’ll be seeing during your journey are pretty cultural, and you can immortalise your presence here with a quick check-in. Sometimes brevity is the source of wit – you don’t necessarily need a snappy one-liner to write about it, nor a selfie of you and the family in front of the monument. Just check in and let the questions from friends and family flow.
You can even be a little extra cheeky and not answer any messages or questions that pop up, saying later that you were having such a good time that you’ve only now had the chance to get back to people. You know what they say – scarcity creates value, and you want everyone to know what a brilliant adventure you’re having.
Mark it with a Life Event
You’re probably the most familiar with these as big windows that pop up on your Facebook timeline whenever those two lovebirds who everyone knows have been seeing each other finally decide to make it ‘Facebook official’, confirming what you all knew in the first place.
Yet Life Events can be created for everything, from new births in your family to new jobs and vehicles, as well as, of course, trips abroad. Pick your best photo, craft a description of your epic adventure to your chosen destination, and there you have it. A badge of honour celebrating your journey for all to see, with ‘likes’ rolling in and everyone green with envy at your exotic escapades.
Make memories with moving pictures
Everyone takes photographs nowadays. But if you look at your social media feeds carefully, you’ll notice that videos are becoming more and more popular, especially if they’re only a few seconds long. You can chronicle your trip in a similar way, providing your mobile data is up to it, or preferably you have Wi-Fi access.
What makes for a good video that’s going to capture the attention of the folks back home? Think fun, short, sweet escapades, like you or your friends trying a new kind of foreign food for the first time, together with the reaction. See if that wacky waiter you met wants to give a message to all your British friends and family. Snag a snippet of that awesome local band blaring their music into the night.
What’s more, apps like Periscope let you stream what you’re doing live through Twitter, and you’re able to live stream anything you’re up to on Facebook these days too, which then gets permanently added to your timeline. Just make sure your connection is up to the task.
Take an old school camera for a traditional album
This one’s a little out of left-field, but think about it. You can take a few phone snaps while you’re out and about abroad, but nothing beats the impact of a photo album you can touch and personally show people. It doesn’t have to be too big or flashy. Either that, or get some photos printed in a nice big frame and dot them around your house for when friends next come visiting. Don’t underestimate the impact of physical images in our digital age.
When you’re abroad, how do you best like showing off your adventures to the folks back home? Let us know in the comments below!
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