One of the very first people I connected with on Instagram was Caroline Topperman, a Canadian fashion and lifestyle writer and blogger, transplanted in Warsaw Poland. I particularly liked her blog; Style on The Side because of the varied content and the unpretentious, informative, writing style; not surprisingly Caroline's credits include the Huffington Post.

It does take time to establish connections that hold water and I've found it is usually better to hang back, do my thing and see what comes to the table for real. 

So when Caroline dropped me a line asking if I was open to being featured in her "Designer Spotlight" I was ecstatic and really excited. Read her expert PBL review and How To Wear Leggings style advice.

We are all on social media to promote ourselves and our products but my recommendation to making worthwhile, mutally beneficial, lasting connections is to try and keep it real. Think about what you can give not what you can get back. Post good quality engaging content every day. Like pictures you genuinely like. Be generous with follows and positive and kind with comments. Then sit back, be patient and see what comes.

Follow Caroline on Instagram, Twitter and Visit Caroline's website.