Today, I am sharing 5 ways to improve your Instagram profile that’ll be surefire ways to start growing your reach! Instagram is a huge platform used by bloggers, business owners, and creatives. Everyone is constantly trying to learn new ways to give their profile that sometimes they overlook the basics. Let’s get back to the basics today
1. Take Good Photos //
I know that this is a very vague statement when left alone, so let me get a little deeper for you. When I first started on Instagram, I was all over the place. I felt the need to post at least once each day, I used really bad filters, and I didn’t have good composition. In order to take good photos, you need to pay close attention to the lighting, focus, and the composition of the photo.
With lighting, it’s all about finding a good exposure – not too dark, not too bright. This is why I am a huge lover of natural light. When I take photos indoors, I try my best to take them near a window instead of in the corner of the room, so my shot is naturally brightened up. When you’re somewhere dark your photos will end up grainy and that’s never good. So, lighten up! When it comes to focus, remember that you are your own tripod. Be steady when you’re capturing a shot so it doesn’t come out blurry. There are a lot of rules for composition, but since we’re just taking photos with our phones for Instagram, I’ll narrow it down to a few: simplify the scene, backgrounds and leading lines. Overall, you should be aiming for a simple and neat photo, instead of one that is cluttered.
2. Edit Your Photos //
When I say edit your photos, I am also silently pleading with you to stray far away from the filters on Instagram. Although Instagram has been progressing their editing features, the filters are still not what you should be using. The main app that I use for editing on my phone and I absolutely love is VSCO Cam, which provides a ton of editing options, as well as a variety of minimalistic filters. While this app is free, the majority of the filter packs do cost money, but they are very worth it (I’d know, since I basically have them all). The other app I like to use is called Afterlight, and it costs $0.99. Afterlight is perfect if you like to quick edit your photos and be done with them, whereas VSCO Cam is better for a more detailed edit.
3. Tell Us Who You Are //
Not only in the photos that you take and the captions you put with the photos, but tell us who you are in your profile description. So many times I have people follow me and I go to look at their profile and there is absolutely no information about them at all. I find that weird (maybe I’m just weird)! Now, I’m not saying you have to write your whole life story in your description, but tell us a few things about you – things you love, are passionate about, where you’re from, etc. If you have a website or blog, definitely include it your description so people can connect with you further than just Instagram. Keep it all sweet and sweet.
4. Use Hashtags //
Hashtags are a great way to view other people’s photos who have the same interests and photography taste that you do. You should always use relevant hashtags to go along with your photos. I particularly do not like putting my hashtags with my original caption, because they can take away from the words I put there. My solution to this tiny problem is to just comment them right after I post my photo. Now, back to the word relevant. Use hashtags that are relevant to your photos, your entire feed, and your overall voice. For example, some common hashtags that I use are: #vsco, #vscocam, #socality, #thatsdarling and #liveauthentic. I use anywhere between 5-12 hashtags on my photos, but they always go along with my overall voice. There are some people who use every popular Instagram hashtag they can think of to gain follows. For example: #instafamous, #instacool, #swagger, #cute, and #followme. Are those really necessary? I don’t think so, but that’s just me!
5. Get Creative With It //
Instead of taking a shot of your coffee from up above, like you do every day, try to capture the shot from another angle. Think of new ways to stretch yourself and try them out. Try new editing techniques. Try some text on your photos. Take less selfies. At the end of the day Instagram is just for fun, so try not to take yourself too seriously. Have fun with it!
