Social media is essential to your success as a professional creative, and Instagram in particular is a powerful marketing tool for businesses because it captures your brand while also allowing you to connect and engage with potential new clients.
It facilitates a two-way communication between you and your audience, so you’re better equipped to dial up the personalization of your content and forge deeper connections.
But, as we know, you can’t build a successful Instagram feed by posting and calling it a day. You need to plan strategically, create a cohesive aesthetic, and execute interesting posts.
Fortunately, PicMonkey by Shutterstock can help. The easy-to-use design app offers a variety of Instagram Post Templates, which you can consider using as you build your next-level Instagram feed.
1. Add Texture or Geometric Shapes to Your Posts
We can all think of influencers or brand accounts that post the same old tired content over and over again, perhaps out of fear of rocking the boat.
If that’s you, stop! Maintaining visual style and brand identity is vital, but that doesn’t mean you should fall into the trap of monotony.
The trick is to repeat a visual element throughout your feed to create unity and visual interest—a principle known as rhythm—but to do so while maintaining variety.
With that in mind, perhaps you occasionally wow your audience with feed-friendly textures or graphics. The key is to deliver your surprises with intention. You don’t want your grid to turn into a jumbled or chaotic mess.
2. Take up Space
When possible, post vertical images to your feed to take up the maximum amount of real estate on the screen. Vertical images will likely improve your chances of being noticed by your audience and increase engagement to your feed.
Besides, Instagram is a visual place where your audience wants to be wowed, so don’t whisper—delight your followers with a striking full-bleed shot.
3. Experiment with Reels
Instagram Reels provides another opportunity to engage with your audience (and beyond).
Reels allow for better visibility and discoverability, given that they appear in the Explore tab, which distributes your content to many users outside of your followers.
Plus, they allow for greater shareability (unlike Stories, they won’t vanish after twenty-four hours).
Consider incorporating a transition to your reel and/or experimenting with voiceovers, which allow you to express your brand’s personality even further.
4. Post Collages
Collages are a cool way to present a collection of images, tell a story, or simply character to your feed.
5. Offer Words of Wisdom
Quote posts are simple yet powerful. They’re an opportunity to share on-brand messages or quotes with your followers, provide them with inspiration, and forge a deeper audience connection.
6. Have Fun with Infographics
Infographics are the ultimate scroll-stopper, asking viewers to take in information, statistics, or even jokes, in a satisfying visual way.
7. Create a Mock-up Post
Present (and promote) your product or service in a real-world context by popping your own image into a mock-up post. This is an excellent way to plug digital products, websites, or software.
8. Give Followers a Behind-the-Scenes Look
People love to go behind-the-scenes with creators. This is a nice way to inspire your audience and demonstrate the effort and details that go into your lifestyle or work.
Don’t Forget to Schedule Content
Staying on top of posting content can be daunting at times, which is why prepping and scheduling your content in advance can be the ultimate game-changer.
Instagram schedulers like Later help you stay consistent on social media, allowing you to choose up to seven weekly posting slots and times that suit you.
Auto Publishing with Later allows users with Instagram business profiles to schedule photos and videos to publish automatically at a time of their choosing—no push notifications needed.
Before scheduling your content, it’s important to determine when your followers are most active for maximum visibility.
Studies suggest the best time to post on Instagram (local time) is 6 a.m. Meanwhile, the best days to post are on Saturday and Sunday—with Sunday at 6 a.m. experiencing the highest average engagement on posts.
Happy gramming!
Cover image via GoodStudio.
