HOW TO CREATE A COHESIVE INSTAGRAM FEED
In the ever-growing world of social media, it can be pretty stressful trying to achieve and execute the right Instagram theme for YOU. Whether you are growing your small business, brand or blog’s account, you want to find something that feels *right* to you and goes with your vibe/style and message. So how do we create a cohesive Instagram feed?
Today I am going to give you Three Tips & Tricks to help you achieve your dream Instagram feed!
1. Figure out who your audience is and what the heck they want to see. Whether you are trying to monetize or merely looking to build your brand or platform, ask yourself these questions to help narrow it down:
Is my ideal follower male or female?
My ideal audience is __ years old
Is my ideal audience married? Single? What do they do for work?
When my ideal audience visits my Instagram how do they feel?
What kind of problems do my followers have and how can I help them solve these problems?
When you put yourself into your ideal follower's shoes, it allows you to be creative and envision what they may want to see. From there you can brainstorm all types of ideas. The more you narrow this down into a specific niche, the more natural you will find this to be. Know your audience and you will know your way!
2. Find your aesthetic. Y'all. This one is a BIGGIE. Having a cohesive feed that looks aesthetically pleasing to the eye is everything. And here is where finding your theme comes into play.
When I first began posting on Instagram, I had no idea what the heck I was doing. As I started to learn, I saw all of these accounts with stunning feeds and noticed all of the photos per account looked similar. After a little research, I discovered that many of these individuals were using a filter aka preset to put on a majority of their photos. The filter gave their feed such a beautiful look and a definite 'theme' to any follower who was visiting.
It was then that I discovered the incredible app called VSCO. VSCO is an editing app on your phone that is very user-friendly and helps you to edit your photos. However, if you were a novice like me, you had no idea how to edit the photo. What was contrast? Exposure? Saturation? This my friends is where Google became my BFF.
If you pull up google.com, type in 'VSCO filters' and click on images, you will scroll through hundreds of different themes. Themes from cotton candy vibes to fresh champagne, vintage, blue sea, and black & white to name a few. In each of these photos not only will you find the aesthetic, but you will find the actual VSCO formula to achieve this look. They show you the exact settings to follow & voila! Your dream feed is on its way!
Don't be afraid to play around with these filters. It took me a while to find different presets that I loved.
3. Plan your content once a week. Cycle through 3-5 topics. I love sitting down once a week and pulling my content for the upcoming week. I cycle through 3-5 subjects a week that I feel are 'on brand' for me and it makes it that much easier to come up with posts. Think about who you are and the message you represent. Maybe you are a mom who loves photography and trying to get your Etsy jewelry business off the ground. Great! A few topics to pull from: Monday post about an activity you love doing with your kids, Wednesday perhaps a behind the scenes post of what it takes to snap a great shot, Friday your latest piece on a girlfriend's wrist who is obsessed & lastly, Sunday could be a post about how you unplug and recharge.
Don't forget to take your followers on a journey. Talk to them as if they are sitting right in front of you. Always end posts with a call-to-action. It helps with engagement and keeps your post relevant.
If you all would like a VSCO tutorial, let me know! I'd be more than happy to show you the ropes.
As always, outfit details below!
Donna Morgan Alana Dress (dusty pink sold out but the beautiful lavender is still available - size two worn)
Fun fact: This was a bridesmaid dress I re-wore on Easter!