5 Tips for Creating a Unique Instagram Aesthetic
One of the first things we do when we meet someone new is look them up on Instagram.
The first thing we notice in a person, whether we like to admit it or not, is their looks. It's the first thing our eyes are drawn to, so it should come as no surprise that the same can be said for looking at a person's online portfolio.
When it comes to your own, if your feed is chaotic, someone might think of you as complex and wild-spirited. If you post on your feed only once every few months, they might think of you as non-committal. If your feed consists of mostly selfies, they might think of you as narcissistic.
The list goes on and on, so at the end of the day, how do you want to come across on social media? Check out our five tips for creating a unique Instagram aesthetic:
1. Find Five Accounts You Like
If you're truly serious about stepping up your Instagram game, begin by looking for inspiration. You probably already have a few accounts in mind, so start out with jotting down five accounts whose feeds you enjoy.
List three things about each individual account that you find to be appealing. Is it the quality of photos, the color scheme, or the content itself? Whatever the case may be, look at your answers and find the similarities in all of the accounts. Now, you have the perfect starting point for your own feed.
(via @emilyabay_photographer | Instagram)
2. Create a Mood Board
Keeping everything you learned from step one in mind, it's time to create a mood board. Go on Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr or any other place where you find inspiration, and start choosing images. Once you have a healthy number of pictures saved, make a mood board or collage.
How do the photos look next to one another? Do some of them not "fit" with the vibe? Remove the ones that don't make sense or throw off the energy you're going for.
Investigate your board once it's cleaned up. What types of images were you drawn to, as made clear by your finished product? Are a majority of your pictures people, products, fashion, art, coffee, lifestyle or any other number of things? Write down the top areas your mood board hit on and save it for the next step.
3. Select Colors for Your Feed
Deciding on what colors you plan on sticking to for your new aesthetic is arguably the most important step—so take your time on this one.
Don't feel the need to stay with one color. While it does look good, it also limits you. If you have a piece of content that even slightly throws off the vibe, it's going to ruin your whole Instagram aesthetic. That's why it's more practical to stick to color tones, as opposed to one or two colors in general. Take for example, the bottom feed by Sivan Ayla. She sticks with neutral tones and the occasional pop of pink, keeping her feed cohesive and pleasant to look at.
(via @sivanayla | Instagram)
4. Use a Planning Tool
While this next step may seem like a lot of work and sort of unnecessary, it's super beneficial in the long-run. Using a planning tool will allow you to see what potential posts look like next to one another. You can visually get a preview of what your feed will look like, enabling you to make any changes or rearrangements if needed.
The planning tools we would recommend to use are Planoly or Hootsuite. These are the most popular for a reason—they're both efficient and incredibly easy to use.
5. Archive
If you aren't familiar with archiving on Instagram, it's essentially hiding images from your profile. If your current feed is messy and will definitely mess up your new aesthetic, you should consider archiving photos.
While you'll probably have to archive a majority of your posts, you should have a handful that will go with your new aesthetic. The only downside to this, however, is that you won't be able to rearrange your photos. This is why some people opt to either archive or delete every single picture.
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