We have all come across those accounts that are so beautifully done you end scrolling to the beginning of there profiles just to see it all. That’s the goal, isn’t it? To create an Instagram profile that keeps people coming back for more and hitting that follow button.
But how do you accomplish this? Well, a great branded Instagram Feed isn’t just about great captions and hashtags. (although those are important as well). You need to make sure your pictures are of high quality and fit the aesthetics of your feed. This is where your brand style guide comes in.
Creating one for your profile is important so that you and any of your staff are all on the same page when it comes to the look and feel of your brand.
Now, let’s go through the 4 components to the perfect style guide:
1.) Composition
Composition refers to the placement or arrangement of visual elements. This means making sure your photos all work together to tell your brand’s story.
For Example: If you were running a lifestyle blog you wouldn’t want 3 photos of yourself side by side. Instead, you would want to break up your feed with other images such as food, lifestyle action shots or maybe scenery. This way the composition is broken up and kept interesting.
2.) Color
Picking out a color palette is very important to keep your feed looking consistent. This doesn’t have to mean sticking to one color, it just means you need to have a familiar feeling throughout. For example, in Fall you could stick for more oranges and reds and in Winter you could stick to more whites and blues. When using these different color schemes, make sure that they still have an overall look that is the same. For example, some feeds are very dark and moody and some are more light and airy. Keep this in mind when incorporating these seasonal colors.
3.) Fonts
If you’re going to use text elements in your posts it’s a good idea to stick to one or two different fonts that are consistent with your brand. This means that they match your website or other marketing materials.
4.) Filters
Make sure you are sticking to only 1 or 2 different filters for your Instagram photos. Using a different filter for every post can quickly make an Instagram feed feel disjointed.
Now that you have the 4 components of your brand figured out, you are going to need a way to organize your feed so you can see what all of your posts look like together. You could do this manually by placing each image in a grid on Illustrator or Canva. Or, you can use a tool like Later or Planoly as I do.
By using a tool like this you can save time and drag and drop your images on the screen until you find the aesthetic you are looking for.
Another great thing that I love about Later is that you can save all of your pictures on the app itself and schedule your Instagram stories. These 2 features make it even easier to stay consistent and on-brand when it comes to your Instagram Stories.
I can’t wait to see how your brand’s come together on Instagram after implementing these components. Drop your Instagram handle below so that I can check out your profile.