How to make a pretty Instagram account? [6 Best Tips]

"So, you're on Instagram?"

A few years ago, you probably wouldn't have expected to answer questions about your presence on a photo-sharing app.... But, it's 2021. Instagram? Well, now it's as synonymous as a business card.

Yes, Instagram (or "Insta", thank you dear millennials) has quickly become an essential online social network. Be it for artists, influencers, travelers, bloggers, dog lovers, designers and business owners - to name but a few.

But even Instagram can be a great business card. Still, you need to have a pretty account to please and encourage likes. We give you all the best practices in this dedicated article.

Its simple, aesthetically focused presentation communicates your vibe and keeps your audience informed with a collection of posts, videos and ongoing stories. It's what connects you to the world and all the people who want to discover your brand.

Before you start sharing a glimpse of your business, services or lifestyle. Make sure your account won't look like a fake Instagram account.

We've met a handful of incredible and successful Instagram users and digital marketers. Let's dive deep into the best way to start your own account. And how to maintain it to develop followers who will stay loyal to your brand.

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Know your target audience to create the right feed

Instagram expert Kat Walters of @katwalters knows how important it is to visually connect your brand to your customers. She devotes her creative energy to coaching others with a free Instagram course on how to successfully create a pretty feed with the app.

"You need to know who your customer is to create an Instagram account that will captivate them, and draw them into your world", she suggests. "You want an account that'they'll look at and say YES, this is so for me, I belong here".

Personal stylist, Sydney Lester of @chicstripes thinks Instagram is also a powerful tool for your brand. "You can define a mood, create a tone and use captions to bring value to a crowded marketplace. This social network should be used as a marketing tool to support your business and give your community a clear call to action", she says.

Of course, posts and captions are very important to your audience, but it's the visual aspects of your account that resonate first. You don't want to post just any old images on your Instagram. You don't want to expect the post and accompanying content to reach them, Kat explains.

"People simply won't bother reading your captions if the images you use aren't beautiful. They'll just scroll through them. If your posts and account look great, THEN your followers will read what you have to say."

Choose consistent colors for your Instagram feed.

The first big thing to decide for your Instagram account is a basic color scheme or color palette. before you start worrying about hashtags and more advanced engagement. This helps make your stockpile of images and videos look like a neat collection, rather than a pile of disconnected moments.

Marisel Salazar, on his wildly popular Instagram account @breadbutternyc, focuses on food and lifestyle in NYC. He uses consistent colors (his favorites) to stand out.

"I gravitate towards blues, greens, whites and slate", she reveals, adding: "But that doesn't mean warmer colors don't make an appearance! Warm colors can really make food stand out when peppered here and there."

Similar lighting conditions can also be of great importance, according to Toronto blogger Joëlle Anello of @lapetitenoob. Her pink-centric account goes beyond hues - there are other considerations important to her ideal aesthetic.

"I make sure to have a similar color palette in all my photos", she says. "But also, I take all my photos in similar lighting conditions."

So, you've chosen your colors and are consistent with your lighting. Now you can really start to have a beautiful instagram account by limiting yourself to key filters, too.

"It's important to use the same apps and filters to edit all your photos", Joëlle explains. It's good advice, as 18% of all Instagram posts use a filter.

The world's most loved and used filter is Claredon. It highlights and brightens while adding subtle depth and saturation to any photo. Juno, Gingham and Lark are close behind. Don't feel limited by these filters: you could stumble upon the next big filter trend by experimenting!

Have a clear theme for your Instagram account.

In the same way that you want to have a consistent color palette, you should also choose a theme to focus on. A theme isn't just about a topic, it can also involve following certain rules of composition.

This will help you grow your audience, nurture hashtags, and it will also help you stay on track and gain followers.

Joëlle, who's carved out a niche for herself in fashion, travel and more, has her own philosophy. "Develop a theme from the start and stay consistent with it, no matter what. Consistency can be difficult, especially when you start working with brands that may have their own vision of sponsored content."

It's important to choose a topic you're passionate about. Maybe you want to share a glimpse into the life of a parent, the restoration of a motorcycle, raw food or the excitement of UFO hunting. Whatever speaks to you.

Ryan O'Connor, co-founder of One Tribe Apparel, quickly learned that'a theme doesn't have to be restrictive. "We experimented a lot with our Instagram feed @onetribeapparel,. Now, we don't limit ourselves to photos that directly promote our products, but rather those that fit our boho aesthetic."

One Tribe Apparel doesn't have a strict color theme like some accounts, he explained. "We try to stick to an outdoor nature aesthetic that vibrates well with our colorful products, and the'love of travel and yoga shared by our online community."

Sometimes you'll need to help your theme while you're taking your photos. "There's a lot of commotion", admits Marisel. "I always carry a few consistent props to liven up any photo".

Use the Instagram grid to have a pretty account.

Of course, when establishing a brand on Instagram, you need to consider much more than your individual photos. You also need to think about how each image will look in the feed grid.

Lee Esposito, of digital PR firm Lee Esposito Associates, believes that "Instagram is all about the "big picture". "Don't forget that'an Instagram feed is a mix of images relating to each other. This means that it incorporates individual publications, as well as a grid of image thumbnails. It has to tell a story", he says.

Marisel agrees, but sees his feed as a giant puzzle, with a specific flow. "I tend to alternate between aerial and vertical shots", she explains.

"I always play with which shots will come in a specific sequence to make sure everything flows", adding that'she likes to use her phone's photo album to arrange images - which is a pretty cool trick!

There are plenty of feed apps that can also do the trick. "To make your Instagram feed look fabulous, work in rows of 3 using the Planoly app", recommends Kat. (Planoly is free and lets you drag and drop the layout of up to 30 pieces of content per month).

Note also that Boostfluence also lets you preview and schedule your publications, in addition to making it easier to manage your account and boost your visibility.

"You can check that'they're going to look good, and keep your feed design on track. Once your next three posts are ready, you can start publishing them knowing that your feed will still look great", she explains.

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Splitting photos across the Instagram space can also have a very big impact. You may have already seen some really neat accounts, where a single image takes up 6 or even 9 tiles on your grid, to give the impression of a gigantic image.

You no longer need to do this manually, thanks to apps like Pic Splitter, Tile Pic or Instagrid. If you opt for this approach, don't forget that you will " derange " all your visuals if you don't plan to post to maintain their alignment. Planning isn't just about what you're going to post, but when.

In addition, you need to think beyond the grid when planning this type of layout, according to Zellie Freidnman, Social Media Manager at Power Digital Marketing. "You need to make sure that each tile is a visually appealing photo and unique enough to stand on its own outside the grid", she explains. Without this, your followers will quickly unsubscribe.

Edit your images before posting them to your account.

Taking professional-looking photos with your smartphone is not only possible, it's quite common practice, but that doesn't mean you can cut out the most important step - the editing process.

Once in a while, you'll have a lucky moment, when your photo is "perfect" on your phone and you can post it directly to Instagram, but that's the exception, not the rule. The good news is that there have been a ton of apps created to help you edit the perfect post for your profile.

You can also get creative and create composite images - they're imaginative and attract a lot of attention when someone scrolls.

Kat, like many Instagram experts, knows that when it comes to your photos, "many small improvements add up to make a BIG difference."She edits her photos before she even considers opening her Instagram app. "My favorite app for this is A Color Story", she shares. "There's always something you can do to improve your photos, even if it's just to brighten them up a bit."

Marisel is a fan of spot retouching. "Personally, I don't use any filters", she says, "I like to retouch my images individually on Instagram using Snapseed. I favor high-contrast images, so I like to tone down the mood to create more austere photos that stand out."

Increase your follower count with Stories and Hashtags.

Taking inspiration from Snapchat, Instagram went interactive with the launch of "Stories" in 2016. Insta users (and Snapchat fans) rejoiced!

"You should use Stories from'Instagram as an ongoing way to interact daily with customers behind the scenes", Sydney explains, "to showcase your unique personality and working style".

Self-proclaimed blogger and foodie Krysten Dornik, of @KrystensKitchen, agrees. "Instagram stories'have really helped me develop my Instagram account over the past year" adding that she's enjoying the new tools available in the app.

"Using the "poll" feature, the Instagram sticker for links to your other content, and tagging businesses to let them know you're talking about them are just some of the simple ways to improve your marketing on Instagram."

She also keeps abreast of new features that'Instagram introduces throughout the year, such as featured stories.

"Now, you can choose a few things you want to "feature" on your page from your Insta story," she says in bubbles. "Right now, I'm highlighting a contest and a new recipe on my blog!".

Cooking blogger Julia Nickerson of @SavoryTooth has some old-school tips for increasing followers. Not least by using actionable hashtags. "My advice, she shares, is that to boost engagement on your Instagram post, you should interact with posts using the same hashtags." To do this, you can use Boostfluence to make it effortless.

She recommends regularly visiting posts of the hashtags you're currently using to leave comments and engage with the online communities associated with them. "Do this before and after you publish your post", she advises. "This kind of activity tells the algorithm that you're active on that hashtag".

Bring it all together.

If you bring it all together, you'll end up with a branded Instagram account that reaches the right people online.

Take a cue from Kat: "Having an Instagram feed that looks like a jumble will confuse your followers. BUT when you create a consistent theme that expresses "the essence of your brand's soul " it means that in just 3 seconds, your followers are clear about your message and your brand. This will instantly create a deep connection with a person who's right for you. That's how powerful it is."

Now it's up to you to stand out on social networks so that your profile attracts more followers. Start creating high-quality visuals. Apply the tips given to get a harmonious feed. Look for the best tones and colors for your publications and create harmony on your feed.

If you apply all these tips you'll quickly succeed in standing out on social networks and attracting new subscribers.

If you need more help boosting your Instagram profile, feel free to read our other blog posts or launch the Boostfluence app.

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