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How to Manage an Eye-catching Instagram Profile As a Business Owner

Instagram is one of the world’s biggest photo-sharing apps, with over 2 billion users. For a marketer, this means that Instagram is a fantastic tool to bring awareness to your business. However, with that said, many Instagram users bring one challenge: being able to reach out to your target audience.

It would be best if you had an Instagram profile that could catch someone’s eye. You can buy IG followers, which is a great start for your profile development, but you also need an optimized profile to bring a new audience to your account.

This post will help you figure out how to get more eyes on your Instagram account. Let’s begin.

Build a Brand Blueprint

Some businesses treat their social media like their own personal account, posting whatever they want to. However, this can end up disastrous, as you may not have a singular brand identity. Instead, you want a consistent brand image whenever people check out your account, which means you’re more likely to attract people who resonate with your voice. A brand blueprint is a generalized idea of the way you want your brand to operate, and involves a few different areas to work on and perfect. Here’s what you need to consider with your brand blueprint. .

Personality

When it comes to your brand, how you show your personality makes up a significant fraction of your brand image. Some brands present themselves as authoritative and professional. Others can be a little looser, inserting humor into their posts.

One way you can figure out your personality is to imagine your brand like a friend. What five adjectives would you use to describe this friend? That’s an excellent way to build what brand personality you’re trying to project.

Content Posted

What types of content are you going to post on your Instagram? Do you want to post beautiful photos, video content, memes, infographics, or a little bit of both?

We have an article about Instagram content already, so we’re not going to dive too deep into this subject. Think about what should be your primary focus for content, and then try to create it. One consideration is to look at your competitors and see what they are posting.

When you look at your competitors, you do not want to copy them word for word. However, you can use this content as an inspiration, enabling you to create content in your own words.

Whatever your idea is, keep it to 1-3 types of content. This way, you can focus on quality rather than quantity. Down the road, you can add content, but less is more at the beginning of your marketing plan.

What is Your Theme?

Another way you can catch the eyes of a potential audience is to think about your theme. Your theme can be represented by your logo, the colors you use, and the aesthetics in your graphic design.

Think about the colors of your favorite brands. For example, when you think of Xbox, you think of black and green. Meanwhile, McDonald’s uses red and yellow in their social media, coinciding with their restaurant colors.

A theme gives your brand a voice; after a while, your theme’s colors can remind people of your brand. Unique colors make your brand more recognizable, so keep that in mind.

Grid Layouts Can Be Good for Branding, Too

A grid layout is simply a way you can organize your page’s feed. Some layouts can use a rainbow, meaning you organize it by colors. Others use row by row, helping you tell a singular story. Finally, there’s a tile theme, which alternates images with a solid background.

Stick to Just One Filter

Instagram is a website known for its filters, but when it comes to a business, a single filter can be a way for you to create consistency. Do you want a brighter filter? Something a little more rustic? You may not even want one filter at all. No matter your choice, be sure to set it in stone going forward.

What are Your Handle and Bio?

A short, snappy handle or bio that tells your potential customers what your business is about can help you create an eye-catching profile.

With your handle, you need something short and memorable that lets your customers know more about your brand. In some cases, this describes your business name. Other times, it can be a shortened version of your company name or be something altogether that still ties in with your brand.

In addition, you need to think of your bio. A good bio is short and has a call to action, but it isn’t overly long. Again, look to other businesses for ideas on this front.

Making High-Quality Photos

One challenge you may have when creating your Instagram profile is figuring out which photos to take. Instagram requires clean, high-quality photos. However, you don’t need to be a professional photographer to see some fantastic photos.

With a bit of basic photographer knowledge, you can create some fantastic photos that stick out from other profiles. How does this work? Let’s explain. Please note that this advice can also apply to other image types, such as infographics.

Contrasting Colors

People love photos with contrasting colors. Black and white. Red and blue. The list goes on. If you want to take a photo or create an infographic, be sure the colors contrast or blend well together. One piece of advice we can give you is to look at other Instagram users’ photos. Which pictures pop out the most? Why is that? By figuring this out, you can create some photos that your audience will love.

Rule of Thirds

While it is a bit of a common knowledge photography tip, the rule of thirds is still worth repeating because it is time-tested. If you don’t know the rule of thirds, it involves putting your subject in the left or right third of your photo. If you have multiple subjects, keep them in that zone to ensure a lovely contrast or perfect harmony.

This positioning creates a photograph that looks eye-catching. Many cameras have an optional grid you can apply, allowing you to position your subject so they conform to the rule of thirds. Give it a try and see how it enhances your photos.

Lighting is Key

People love some excellent lighting. Without lighting, images can be grainy or hard to decipher. However, you don’t need to invest in expensive photo lights for your photos to look professionally taken.

Some people, especially in a business with open windows, take advantage of the natural light around them. The sun can be your friend depending on the time of day, so keep that in mind when you take photos.

Of course, there are days when the sun just isn’t cooperating. You can invest in some photographers’ lights in that instance.

Tell a Story

Above all else, you want to tell a story with your photos. What will people see when they see your pics, and what will they get from them? Through framing, angling, and posing your subjects, you can give people an idea of how your business looks. We could write an entire article about photography tips, but know that you can take some fantastic photos, even with your phone.

Video is Also Important

These rules also apply to video, as Instagram is a website that relies on video posting nowadays. Videos, especially in the form of Reels, can be a way for others to notice you, and the same rules apply to videos as photos.

You want your videos to be visually appealing and you want them to stick to your brand. With Reels, you want shorter videos explaining your business in an easy-to-digest way. Look to the competition to get an idea of how your business should go.

How to Make a Logo

Your logo is your profile picture, which means it’s something that a person will see the second they click on your profile. As you may expect, you want to have a logo that sells the meaning of your business and is something memorable.

A logo should be made of simple shapes and give people an idea of your business. Use easy colors that contrast, and don’t make it too text-heavy. Rather than using too much text, what you can do is put it under the logo.

Also, think of a logo that would make an excellent watermark for any of your photos and videos. You’ll want a logo that you can put on your pictures that isn’t too large but can make an impression. Think of all the greats, like Apple, Nike, Windows, and other major brands. They have their logos perfected. Find a logo that builds your brand story and enables people to think of your company when they think of that logo.

How to Use Hashtags

As one knows, hashtags are vital when using Instagram. They can help others find your content; you should put them at the end of every post if you want your profile to catch many eyes.

However, one consideration you need to make is how you implement hashtags. You don’t want to use too broad of a net. Instead, you’ll want to use hashtags more strategically whenever you can. Use around 5-10 per post, and do some research on them.

The ideal way to use hashtags is to keep them niche-focused, but not too niche. You want hashtags with an audience, but do not use a hashtag everyone follows, as that can make your photo lost. Any hashtag with over one million uses may not be ideal, but you should avoid any hashtags that don’t have at least 1,000 uses.

Some users may have the temptation to spam their captions with as many hashtags as possible but be warned. This can seem spammy, and Instagram may even shadowban your account if you’re using too many hashtags, mainly if they are irrelevant to your business.

In addition, think of a couple of unique hashtags for your business. As your profile grows, that hashtag can be more influential. One reason why that is? Instagram allows you to follow hashtags, meaning your audience can quickly receive notifications relating to your company. Think of a hashtag that’s short, snappy, and easily spreadable. Once again, this is a case where you may want some competitor inspiration.

What hashtags are your competitors using? Is there any way for you to take the hashtags they use as inspiration but keep it in your voice? Experiment with some hashtags; remember that not everyone gets it right the first time. Finding the right hashtag cocktail for your business needs may take a few attempts.

Remember, Branding is Fluid

While you should know how you want to present your Instagram account, your branding can change as your business evolves. Alternatively, rebranding is a solution that you may want to try down the road if your current plan isn’t working.

With rebranding, you’ll only want to do so if nothing is working. One way you can check this out is through your analytics. For example, consider a new strategy if it’s been months without growth.

Conclusion

By sticking to these steps, it is possible to create an Instagram account that will catch the eyes of both your longtime customers and your new ones. We hope that this article was helpful. Good luck.

 

 

Jeff Campbell