Adopt a Personal Instagram Style

Instagram… it’s my favorite social media network and yet I have been ignoring it and abusing it for far too long. I have known great ways to improve it, but that little destructive voice in the back of my head has been telling me to just share whatever I want however I want and that people will just love it because they love me. Yeah, a bit narcissistic, but why else would they follow such an ugly IG feed? I have even had this plan to make the platform better for me, but have put it off. Well world… today is the day I quit the unplanned Instagram feed. Today, I am decorating my own instagram account like a well-decorated house. And I am adopting my own instagram style. Just like the home you are drawn into when the door opens, I want to have the profile that is warm, inviting, and begs you to dig deeper.

You know that home that you walk into and it offers so much warmth and personality? The one that even if you’re a stranger to the person that’s inviting you in, offers so much insight as to who the person is, what they believe, and what they value?

Goodness, I am getting nostalgic and heavy-hearted just thinking about it. Because that’s exactly what I desire for my Instagram account. The majority of people that meet me may never step foot into my real home, but most are sure to see some aspect of my blogging or social media. And since Instagram is such a visual platform, I want them to see, to really see what it is I am all about in the quick 7 seconds I have to make a first impression.

So am I a log cabin, a modern home with crisp white decor, or am I a splash of color with traditional furniture? These are all things we think about when adopting our own style. Whether it’s the style of our clothing, our home, or our style of writing. But somehow this seems to get lost in translation for most people on social media. And this is where adopting your own instagram style is so important.

I don’t want to feel uninspired when I go to instagram. And as a blogger, I have gone through cycles of hating instagram. But I realized recently that I loved it, but it just wasn’t “me” both in the people I followed and the way I presented myself.

5 Ways to Adopt your Own Style on Instagram

Choose an editing style and stick with it.

Whether you are editing with apps like VSCO or just using the IG filters, go ahead and either set a formula to add to all your pictures or stay with the same filter for every photo. The eye is absolutely drawn into an account that isn’t a hodge podge, but more of a collage.

Define who you are in both your profile & first 6-9 pictures.

In my profile I delineate 9 descriptions of myself – Parent, blogger, natural birth advocate, breastfeeder, environmentalist, tot schooler, Bostonian, wife, and dog owner. So when I post pictures, I am going to be posting supporting images of these descriptions. While there may be an occasional outlier (for instance if I am on vacation), but for the most part I need to be rotating images to show each aspect of who I am.

Don’t be afraid to be bold.

Take up space and turn one picture into 6 different IG posts to make a poster presentation on your profile. It makes a statement and shows some character. Obviously multiple pictures makes a bigger statement. Just don’t forget that each picture (for the most part) should have an element of intrigue. I did one of my sweet second daughter. I divided it up into 6 photos instead of 1, making sure I only have one picture that was “useless”. This meant each one had meaning individually in someone’s feed, but also showed a whole picture in my profile. I was able to talk about everything from her chummy legs to how she smiles with just her eyes. To do this, I personally use TRYPTpic.

If it doesn’t fit the decor, don’t post it

This is where I have always failed. I am telling you this now. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking everything is post worthy or that everything is beautiful. This is what gets you pointless photos with no engagement. It’s also what takes away from you as someone worth following.

So just like with your home decor or clothing, if it doesn’t fit the color pattern or the central theme, you probably wouldn’t use it. Same goes for photos.

Cater to both potential followers and “old friends”

This ties into my last point. Yes, the picture is beautiful in a stand alone setting, but when a new person stops by to look at your profile, is it engaging and appealing in the broad view of your profile? Does it make them want to click your clickable link?

Same goes for old followers. Will they appreciate the photo in the relationship they have with you on Instagram? Will they want to continue “dating you”?

So, I know that I am still a growing and fairly small on Instagram. And that’s ok. I am sharing these not only as tips for my clients and followers, but also as reminders to myself as I embark on establishing who I want to be, and not just stream-of-consciousness photos.