HOW TO BRAND YOUR INSTAGRAM GRID
If you're like me, you probably love scrolling through Instagram and seeing the gorgy photos other creative entrepreneurs are posting. I definitely do. I can get sucked into an Instagram time warp and lose hours staring at styled posts and pretty feeds! And you know what I do after I find a beautiful Instagram account? I follow them! Obvi.
There are several ways to brand yourself and ultimately grow your dream-following on Instagram. (A dream-following is made up of an audience who is genuinely interested in your content + your brand and will therefore be more likely to buy from you).
When a new person stumbles upon your Instagram account, they will likely take a peek at your account's grid. (The grid is made up of all the images you've posted to date that fall below your account info). A cohesive grid will do wonders for converting passing 'grammers into steadfast followers. Below are a few things you can do to polish your Instagram grid.
Pick an aesthetic theme.
This can vary depending on what works best for you, but there should be some consistency to what your posting. Make a rule or two for yourself and STICK TO IT. A few good options include:
Picking a color palette. (ie: pastels, rustic neutrals, crisp whites + greys)
Picking a style. (ie: minimalism, bright + bold, dark + moody)
Picking a limited number of interests. (ie: beauty, interior decorating, your baby + your pup)
Here are some great examples of real people who have used a theme to create a gorgeous brand on Instagram:
Create a strategic grid.
Before I post anything, I take a look at my previous posts. How will the new photo look in my grid? Here are three questions to ask yourself before posting:
How does this image look next to the last photo I posted?
How does this post look above the photo that will be under it?
Do the colors of the new image coordinate with these two photos?
Does the layout coordinate with these two photos (ie: avoid photos with lots of detail from being side to side. It's hard on the eyes.)
Here are some great examples of real people who have created a strategic grid on Instagram:
Critique your current grid.
If you begin posting in a new style based on the tips above, don't be afraid to edit your previous photos. Deleting images that don't fit in can help visually clean up your feed and create a consistent look, which will help you appear more put together as a brand on Instagram.
Hopefully these tips help you craft a branded Instagram grid! If you have any additional tips that I missed, please let me know in the comments.
