Oh, Instagram. We can’t live with you and we can’t live without you! Instagram can be hard to navigate. From accounts just starting out to experts who have been around since the beginning, everyone has trouble. In comes Marcela Jady. With a following of 18K strong, Marcela’s Instagram posts will be sure to make it onto your mood boards in no time!

How long have you been actively creating content on Instagram?

About 2 years.

Where are you originally from?

I’m originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil but I’ve been living in Miami for 6 years!

Where is your favorite place in Miami to take visiting friends?

I love taking them to the beach, of course! Especially Nikki Beach and Sunny Isles where the water is amazing! But their first question to me is always, “Where is the mall?” Then we go to the beach!

What are some of your favorite local brands/businesses that you worked with?

I was invited to the Hyppo Media Event in Fort Lauderdale. It was so much fun, I made great friends and we’re still connected on Instagram till this day. Plus their popsicles are super delicious, we could try as many as we wanted! (I didn’t know that until I went to the cashier to pay! Oops.)

I have to say Baker’s Cay Resort in Key Largo was one of my favorites, too. All the staff was so nice and friendly, I felt so welcomed there! Not to mention the resort is AMAZING!

What are the 5 things in your closet that you can’t live without?

My brown crossbody bag, beach hat, currently my disruptor Fila, my $5 round sunglasses, I can’t leave behind, and high waisted shorts.

How can local businesses gain more exposure on social media?

Sometimes I want to know more information about a restaurant or a ballroom, but their websites aren’t always complete. I know it takes a lot of time to work on, it’s very detailed work. So, that’s where Instagram comes in! Instagram is a “diary” that business can feed to get the customers attention. It’s like the news, we look for it every day to know what is happening.

I think businesses should invest in local advertisement, giveaways, events, and keeping their Instagram up to date. Encourage customers to post a photo on social media using your specific hashtags, and repost the coolest ones.

Tell us your biggest challenge as a content creator

Time! I have to manage my time pretty well and always feel like I have to produce more and more. Usually, I prepare my schedule for each task, including college, work, write a new post, edit photos, post stories and sometimes go to the gym.

What are your tips for other influencers who have a lot on their plate?

Be consistent! It took me a while to understand this after I created my blog, but nothing is more important than being consistent with your work!
Another important note is: if you lose followers here and there, don’t worry! This is part of the job. Keep up with your work and people that like you will always stay!

Out of everything you’ve accomplished, what has been the highlight of your career?

The highlight of my career as a blogger was when Radio Florida invited me to broadcast live about me, my blog and the experiences I have been going through here in Florida. It was super excited, I met wonderful people and I’ll be always grateful for them!

How can other content creators better engage with their audience?

First, engage with their audience! Reply to them, ask questions, share a lot of details about your specific content. We need to give the audience a reason to interact with our content! It’s not always easy but we have to keep trying.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Camila Coelho. She works in the fashion industry but I love the way she lives her life. Such an inspiration!

Tell us your strongest skill

Faith! Always believe! If you don’t believe in yourself then you won’t succeed in anything you set out to do. The more you believe and push yourself, the more likely you are to reach your goals.

What book has left the biggest impact?

The book that has the biggest impact on my life is “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. It’s incredible what we can do with our thoughts, the words we produce and the things we believe in!

If you could choose one place to go on vacation, where would it be and why?

Oh, that’s hard! There are so many! But, right now I really wanted to go to Hawaii and enjoy summertime there! I love the mountains, the ocean and the atmosphere over there. Everything seems to be so peaceful!

What equipment do you use?

I have a Canon SL2 with 15-50mm lens, but I mostly use my iPhone XS Max. It’s easy to carry and the quality is outstanding. I also have a GoPro Hero3+ for on the go shots and a DJI Spark Drone. I’m still learning how to fly it but it’s super fun!

Top 5 Apps

  • Lightroom (Can’t live without it. My favorite!)
  • Plann
  • Unfold
  • Adobe Spark Post
  • PicSee

These are my top 5, but I’m always looking for new apps, so the last 2 on my list usually change!

Update us on what projects you’re currently working on

I started college this year and I’m super happy! I’m a full-time student of Business Administration at Miami Dade College.

Be sure to follow Marcela on Instagram, @xpresstrips, to keep up with her!

As always, be sure to check out our other Miami influencer spotlights, here.