How to Build the Perfect Instagram Account

Image via @allergictovanilla

Sometimes, a picture can be worth a thousand words — but it can definitely be worth a thousand “likes,” too!

We all know the daily struggle: how to make your content reach enough people, how to increase “likes” and attract new followers, which picture to post, and all the “could have, should haves” in between editing and finally posting.

What are some must knows to step up your Insta-game? We curated some main points to take into account to improve your In-strategy!

Lighting

Natural light is the best. If there’s a chance to take a picture in natural daylight, you’ll usually get more out of it without any additional effort of editing. If a picture seems to be really worth it but the daylight is not good enough or it’s dark, try to get some white light instead of orange- or yellow-toned lighting — the more natural the light, the better.

Arrangement

Speaking about natural circumstances, let’s get clear on something beforehand: even when a picture looks candid, there is usually a lot of thought behind every well-liked Instagram photo. We don’t want to use the word “staged” here, but sometimes, a picture with a decent thought behind it can really make the difference.

That’s why the golden rule of thirds is an important one to remember when you take pictures that should land on your feed. Summarizing this rule (used by every professional photographer), it means that an image is “most pleasing when its subjects or regions are composed along imaginary lines, which divide the image into thirds — both vertically and horizontally”.  Luckily, this rule is exactly Instagram’s square size and only means that you might want to work with the grid option when you take pictures.

Focus

Nobody likes blurry pictures. Adjust your settings to HDR when taking a picture (in the top bar, next to the flash option and the self-timer when you open the camera on your iPhone) — it will get you the best out of three pictures taken in a second.

If you want to focus on an object, make sure to AE/AF lock your screen. Just hold your finger on the screen for a few seconds, and the lock sign will pop up automatically.

Editing Apps

Every Instagram star has a favorite editing app that just makes the photos pop. Here are some of my favorites that can help you enhance the picture you took or help maintain balance within your feed.

• Afterlight — a huge selection of filters and special effects
• VSCO cam — quite a popular one among bloggers. Best to enhance pictures in no time!
• Adobe Lightroom — the classic
• Facetune — the magic tool!
• Careful: don’t go overboard with editing.

PS: A recent study (conducted by Curalate) revealed that images containing blue receive on average 24 percent more attention whereas red- and orange-colored photos are least likely to be popular. Who knew?!

Tagging

Be strategic about tagging brands, and give your followers a reason to visit your blog. Create a Shop category on your blog, which enables a range of your favorite products or the exact outfit you’re wearing, and let your followers know about it when posting on Instagram.

This doesn’t only drive traffic to your blog and reminds people that you’re not only existing on Instagram but it also helps you drive revenue in.
Geotagging your location increases your exposure and shares a nice detail your followers might appreciate.

Social Media

Interact with your followers! Answer their questions and comments, and let them know that you care about what they say — it builds trust and a community of your own and encourages people discovering your account to engage with you and your loyal readers!

Someone who is responsive appears approachable. It also won’t hurt to ask your community a question now and then. While it might seem silly to ask hundreds or thousands of followers something, your genuine interest in their opinion will still engage your followers. It can be as easy as asking what they’re doing this weekend when you’re about to share what you’re doing at the moment. Or a simple “Yay or nay” when you try something on or explore a new trend.

Don’t forget to answer your followers in an authentic way. Personalize your response, and don’t copy and paste the same thing over and over again — they will notice.

Analytics

Keep better track of your audience, and find out what really triggers interaction on your posts. We recommend Iconosquare or Squarelovin as great apps to do so.

The Feed

Remember 2Cs: (be) cohesive and consistent.

Consider categories for the pictures you post, and make sure you stay varied — don’t post four selfies in a row, rather try to spread them across a week and upload some other themes in between. Even if you’re just focusing on posting your outfit day by day, try to find different angles and ways to present what you’re wearing.

As mentioned above, stay consistent with filters and colors!
Hopefully that helped a little bit. Happy ‘gramming!

xo,

Anna