Let’s be honest – as small business owners, Instagram is a key way to market and grow our businesses. It’s also a visual platform… meaning that instead of just valuing the content of the post (as might be the case on LinkedIn or Facebook), it’s also a crucial place to use your visual brand identity to stand out from the crowd and attract your ideal client.
That said, I know how overwhelming it could be to feel like you’re forever curating your grid. And I often get questions like, “Does the grid even matter?” and “How can I be authentic and be worrying about curating a perfect grid at the same time?” Both valid questions!
The fact is, there’s a middle ground. While it is important that your Instagram is a visual reflection of your business, you also shouldn’t feel like you need to be spending hours and hours making it perfect. So here are my top 3 tips for maintaining an on-brand grid and Instagram presence… without overthinking it.
1. Consistency is key.
This is probably the most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to branding yourself across any of your customer touchpoints (whether it’s social media, your website, a lead magnet, etc.). As part of your brand identity, you should have not only a primary and secondary logo, but also a color palette and font system (at minimum). And these colors and fonts should come with you everywhere!
So my number one tip: if you don’t have colors and fonts yet—it’s time to get some! Whether you DIY it or work with a designer, you quite literally can’t come across visually consistent if you don’t have basic visual guidelines to work with.
2. Contrast is equally as important.
Yes, I know – consistency and contrast might seem like opposites. But I promise you they’re not. When I say “contrast,” I mean that you should post a mix of both photos and graphics. For photography-based posts, change it up between shots that are close up and far away. For graphic posts, switch up your backgrounds and utilize various colors from your palette. This will help create some visual interest so that, while consistent, your whole grid doesn’t just start to look the same.
3. Don’t ignore the bells and whistles.
When I say “bells and whistles,” I specifically mean your profile picture, bio, and highlight covers. These are both simple and important ways to brand yourself because when your audience lands on your grid, they’re not just looking at your recent posts – they’re looking at all this good stuff right at the top, too.
If you’re a service-based solopreneur, make sure your profile picture is a photo of you. For your bio, clearly state who you’re helping and provide a strong call to action. And for your highlight covers, lean into your color palette and any custom graphics or patterns that you have in your brand arsenal.
Want help optimizing your Instagram presence so you can attract more dream clients? I’m offering FREE brand audits & I’d love to chat with you. Go ahead & book one here!
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