Instagram is all about aesthetics. You need to think about how you will build a cohesive brand image to present your company in the most effective way. And this starts with what the content you are posting looks like.
Aspect Ratio
There are 3 main sizes of Instagram posts; Landscape, Square and Portrait. None of these are better than the other, it depends on your content, however it is worth noting that Portrait takes up the most real estate on mobile devices (the vast majority of users are on mobile devices), followed by Square.
Imagery
Ideally you want your post to evoke an emotional response in one way or another. According to AdEspresso, there are a few things to keep in mind as far as the aesthetics of your post (remember that these are not rules, think of them more as guidelines that can be broken if there is good reason):
- People generally prefer images that have a background over those that have no or very little background.
- People generally prefer images portraying texture over those that are smooth.
- People generally prefer images with a single dominant color and are more likely to engage with the post.
- People generally prefer bluer images over redder images and lighter images over darker ones.
Post Ideas
People are bombarded by ads on a regular basis and are less likely to engage in overt advertisements, that’s not to say you can’t make overt ads, just pay attention to how often you post them. Instead try some of these other ideas:
- Share an experience – Show an image that outlines a specific experience you or one of you customers had with your product or service. GoPro is a great example
- Behind the scenes – Give some insight into the happenings of your business on the inside, or the people who make it happen
- Creative ways to use your product or service. Apple uses the #ShotoniPhone to show how people use their product creatively
- Competitions, contests and giveaways – These can be a great way to increase engagement
- User generated content – Repost content related to your business that is made by your customers
- DIY/ educational videos – share your expertise
- Motivational
- References to current trends/ events
Conclusion
Your images or videos should pop and catch people’s attention. The goal is to make people stop scrolling and engage. With the mass amounts of content being flooded into Instagram on a daily basis, what can you do to grab the attention of users?
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