A beautiful Instagram feed is one of the keys to attracting new followers and potential clients. Have you ever looked at someone’s Instagram feed that had a stylish aesthetic and thought to yourself, “Mine will never look like that!”? Don’t worry, because in today’s episode, I’m sharing 7 ways to brand your Instagram to stand out online. This episode is not about growing your account to 10,000 followers. We’re focusing solely on the design elements that matter.
The Good, the Bad, and the Woo-Woo
The Good: We are launching a bunch of new websites this week and next. It’s always fun to debut a new brand and business out into the world, and of course, it’s always exciting for my clients, too. On a more personal note, I’m going on vacation this weekend to Myrtle Beach with my boyfriend, my best friend, and her fiance.
The Bad: While I’m excited about all of the new clients we’re bringing into our business and the websites we’re launching next month, it does come with a bit of stress.
The Woo-Woo: I’m diving even deeper into manifestation strategies by listening to podcasts and reading books.
Don’t forget to share with me your good, bad, and woo-woo so I can celebrate your good, support you in your bad, and probably try your woo-woo!
How to Brand Your Instagram Feed to Stand Out Online
Let’s get right into the 7 steps of how to brand your Instagram feed to stand out online.
Set your brand fonts and colors and do not stray
This is literally my biggest pet peeve, when I see a mish mash of different colors and fonts throughout a brand’s social media feed. If you don’t have a color palette or a moodboard for your business, I highly recommend creating one (Episode 20 will help you learn how to create a moodboard from scratch!)
When it comes to setting up your brand fonts and colors, simple is the way to go. I recommend no more than two fonts.
Use a branded profile image
Your profile image should be the same across the board. Consistency is key as it helps with brand recognition. Use the same photo of you as your LinkedIn photo, Facebook photo, Instagram photo, you name it.
Optimize your bio to attract who you serve
If you’re not sure what to include in your profile description, I recommend an “I help” statement that conveys what you do, and you guessed it – who you help!
For example, mine is, “Soulful design for coaches and wellness businesses.”
Make sure you link to your website in your profile, and I have a controversial opinion on this. While Linktree is a popular “link in bio” tool, I believe using your own branded link is the way to go.
Have consistent, branded Instagram highlights
Instagram highlights (the little circles that “categorize” your archived Instagram Stories) are a no-brainer to customize to your brand.
First things first, have a Results or Testimonials highlight that captures your client wins and success stories.
You can create branded Instagram highlight icons using Canva or purchase branded ones through Creative Market. Your brand designer could also create them for you.
Create templates in Canva to save time
If you love sharing quotes, tips, or highlighting data on your social media profiles, all you have to do is take the colors and fonts that you establish and create templates in Canva.
You might need to play with this a little bit, but once you create these templates, it will create a beautifully curated feed.
This is what will get your followers to “stop their scroll.” Because you’re using your go-to brand colors and fonts, they will know the post is you without even having to see your username.
Canva is free, so you have no excuse to try them out!
Get brand photos taken
In last week’s episode, I talked about how to plan for a stress-free photoshoot.
If you’re always talking about recipes or yoga or crystals, make sure your brand photos reflect that.
Always use the same filters
If you are always switching up the filters, take time and figure out filters. I use Lightroom on my phone and use presets across the board.
This goes for images in my feed and my Instagram Story.
“Your Instagram is an extension of your brand, allowing you to boost your authority, build trust, and build an engaged community online.”
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Episode 29: 6 Stress-Free Steps to Planning Your Next (or First) Photoshoot
Episode 20: How to Create a Moodboard and Color Palette for Your Business
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July 2, 2020
