As an inherently visual social media channel, it’s vital that your Instagram feed looks good. If you’re posting blurry images with dodgy lighting, you’re not going to get as much engagement than if you were posting bright pictures and crisp visuals. If you would like to design your Instagram feed the right way, then continue reading this article.
But you don’t have to be a design pro to make your feed stand out.
In fact, there are a few simple tips you can abide by to make sure your Instagram account pops and stands head and shoulders above your competitors.
Here’s what you’ve got to do.
1. Consider Color Combinations
Color is obviously one of the most important design elements.
It’s the first thing people notice and it can help set the feel for your feed. In fact, color is so powerful it can create a specific atmosphere and even invoke a certain memory from your viewers.
Things get really fascinating when you dig deep into color theory. Each and every color has a meaning behind it and relates to a specific feeling or mood. For example, a cool blue evokes a sense of calm peacefulness that a bright red just can’t.
Incorporate color theory into your Instagram feed by considering the emotions you want your followers to experience when they land on your page and that sends out the right message about your brand.
Then, once you’ve established a color combination, be consistent with it so that people start to recognize your pictures when they pop up in their feed.
Invision app’s Instagram feed uses a colorful palette with lots of different shades of purple and yellow, which makes it look consistent and cohesive.
2. White Space
One of the hardest things to do with an Instagram feed is balance out the use of pictures and white space. This is essentially the space around your subject matter and text, and it works by offering “breathing room” for viewers to really soak up your visuals.
Pictures that have no white space aren’t easy on the eye, and it can be a struggle for your followers to really determine what they’re about.
To avoid this, make sure you incorporate a lot of white space so that viewers have the chance to really take in what they’re seeing.
Pantone’s Instagram feed features a lot of white space within its posts.
3. Relevant Imagery
It goes without saying that your Instagram photos should be relevant to your brand and resonate with your audience. If they’re not and they don’t, your followers are going to get confused and not fully understand what you’re offering and what your value is to them.
Start by listing out words that relate to your brand. You can begin by being super specific and then branch out from there.
For example, if you’re a florist, you don’t have to limit yourself to pictures of flowers; you can also share images of things related to flowers, like interior design and other natural elements.
Rifle Paper Co’s images focuses on a completely different subject matter, but they all relate to the brand in some way.
4. Keep It Simple
You don’t have to be a photography whizz and a dab hand at editing to have a good Instagram feed. In fact, this can actually be detrimental if you don’t know what you’re doing (we’ve all seen those feeds that are so heavily edited they hurt our eyes).
Perhaps the best graphic design tip for your Instagram feed is to keep things simple.
Don’t try and create elaborate sets for your photos.
Instead, take a shot of something you think your followers would find interesting. It doesn’t have to be turned into a posed photo; in fact, subject matter that’s snapped in its “natural habitat” often works a lot better than heavily-staged photos.
This cafe simply takes photos of its dishes and drinks. It’s incredibly simple, but works really well for their audience.
5. Be Creative
Here’s the thing: Instagram is, at its core, a creative, visual channel, and you shouldn’t limit yourself to what everyone else is doing.
In fact, the more creative you can get, the better, especially if this goes hand in hand with your brand. You’ll notice that the most popular Instagram accounts (you know, the ones with the wow-factor) have something a little bit different about them, whether it’s an unusual choice of colors, quirky set-ups, or they share a subject matter that’s unusual on Instagram.
During your Instagram brainstorming sessions, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and experiment with the kind of visuals you post. The more you play around, the quicker you’ll find out what your audience respond best to.
The Key Items’ images work well on their own, but they also come together as an entire image when you look at the whole feed.
Looking For More Instagram Feed Tips?
Here are some bonus Instagram feed tips to help you design your Instagram feed.
Don’t Be Afraid To Use Stock Photos
We don’t all have the time to have photoshoots… And sometimes we just don’t have anything interesting to snap up. In these dark times, stock photos come to the rescue! You can find ones that are authentic and relevant to your brand (Look again at Instagram Feed Tip #3).
They also help you stick to the color and content themes of your feed. You can simply search online for images matching your color palette.
Whether it’s snaps of the city or nature or candid portraits, stock photos could fit onto your feed and help you create the desired aesthetic. Plus, you can just find a few and add them to your Instagram scheduler to keep the content coming. A handy trick!
Be Bold (with your fonts)
Another addition to Instagram Feed Tips #1 and #2: when using fonts, remember space and color! Using bold and dense fonts with eye-grabbing colors can be just the contrast your feed needs. Fonts can be used very creatively on your feed – different sizes and styles to engage the viewer and get your message across.
The important thing is to think about what you’re trying to say, how the colors contrast, and how the fonts look amongst your other posts.
Find Your Flow
Like we said before, Instagram is all about figuring out what’s relevant to your brand. That applies to your actual content (the what) and the “curation” and design of your Instagram feed (the when and the how).
Some people develop strict social media strategies and post through automated platforms like Preppr. They stick to planned themes like minimal posts with tons of white space. Simply using a common filter is another way to curate your content. This is one option: sticking to a set plan!
The other is winging it… Being haphazard can ruin the visual flow of your feed, but some people genuinely make it work. They transform chaos into order, posting randomly and impulsively. This works for their brand and can create a more authentic experience for their followers.
It just depends on who you are and what you’re about. You could even find a balance between curating and going with the flow. Schedule some posts, but supplement them with quirky things that come up in your day to day life. Whatever works for you!
Use Light
This Instagram feed tip is a must! Lighting is everything when it comes to pics and videos. Make sure whatever content you upload is taken in good lighting because it can make all the difference.
How you use light can also contribute to contrast, color, and theme. So think carefully about the subject of your shot and what look you’re trying to achieve. Once you know this, you can find out what kind of light can help you get the feel you want. Go on and light it up!
Spice Up Your Instagram Feed Design
Instagram is still one of the most important social media channels for connecting with your audience and building trust. In order to stand out and make your feed pop, you need to abide by a few key graphic design rules.
Start by considering your use of color and experiment with your subject matter (as long as you keep it relevant)! But, most importantly, don’t forget to be creative when you design your Instagram feed.
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