Think about the first time you walk into a new store. You might notice a few specific details right away that make you either want to stay and look around, or leave at first glance. In today’s world of social media and online stores, this first glance can now happen via the internet and can influence both potential customers and future followers alike. First impressions are everything in both the retail and ecommerce industry. No matter what type of niche you are in, it’s important that your business’s social media reflects your brand in the best light possible. In this post, we’ll outline 5 steps you can take to craft a better feed on Instagram in 2021.
Having a good Instagram grid is essentially equivalent to having a good window display. It not only leads to more followers for your account, but it can also act as a way to showcase your brand’s aesthetics and its overall consistency in a digital space. Having a cohesive and creative Instagram feed can also provide future and existing customers with a sense of credibility. Whether you know it or not, your business’s Instagram account holds a pivotal (and direct!) conversion opportunity. When stumbling onto your account, a potential customer’s first impression of your grid is crucial in their decision to either proceed or click away from your business.
An easy way to increase this conversion rate is to simply start with crafting an eye-catching and aesthetic grid. In order to execute this effectively, we suggest using a post-scheduling app, such as Planoly, UNUM, or Plann. These tools can help you plan out your grid ahead of time, so that you can stop stressing about what to post when the time comes.
5 Steps to a Better Instagram Feed
1. Select Your Grid Style and Stick To It
In 2021, we have seen all types of Instagram grids popping up across the board. We’ve seen structural themes such as the Tiled Grid (@skylar.yoo) and The Horizontal Lines Grid (@emmaleger). Or there’s the more color-based grid trends like color changing schemes (@themayfairgroup) and monochromatic grids (@thedesertcreative). The possibilities and creative liberties are endless. However, in order to gain that element of consistency, it’s better to pick just one style of grid and stick to it. This cohesive grid is also key for when you are in the beginning stages of trying to successfully build up your business’s feed. When potential customers land onto your account, your grid consistency will demonstrate that you have a strong brand identity as well
2. Choose your Content
For your sake, and the sake of your followers, it’s always best to pick between three and five subjects, or types of content, that you will be posting onto your account. Once you select these subjects, try to stay true to them in order to get a more unified feed.
For example, a clothing boutique’s Instagram could alternate posting about the actual items they sell, accompanying “mood images” that compliment brand, and then add in some inspirational posts, such as travel pictures, for an additional level of interest.
3. Know Your Formula
Not all grids are created equal, but you’ll want to give your followers a break from posts that are strictly based on marketing your own products or services. This is where filler pictures come into play. Try to place non-merchandise related pictures in between your own to supplement your marketing posts. These can be in the form of inspiring quotes, illustrations or graphics, or “mood images” that are pulled from other accounts or Pinterest. It’s important to take note of what your last, and every third before that, post is about so that you can plan what your grid will look like before you post your next image. A scheduling app can essentially take care of this formula building process for you.
4. Keep Your Edits Consistent
Or at least try to keep a similar editing style with each picture you post. Again, this simple step helps to keep consistency in your grid, and also can add to your brand aesthetic if you match it up with your filter choices. It’s good to keep in mind that there is also a recent trend of placing no edits or filters on any posts in a grid, so that can be another option for your business. This little detail can make or break the aesthetics of your account, and in turn, can lead to an increased conversion rate if done right.
5. Quality Photos and Quality Captions
This last step to creating a better Instagram feed is a generally a given. However, that doesn’t make it any less important to your overall success on social media and conversion rate. Sure, you can have a great looking grid — but it means very little if the actual content backing it up isn’t authentic or unique to your brand.
Captions on Instagram are taken more into consideration than you might think, and some of your followers will take notice if they are either exceptionally good or lacking. Our advice? Stay true to your brand and don’t skimp out on the writing. If possible, try to mix up longer, more educational captions with a few short and sweet ones for a more interesting user experience.
Did you know that along with website optimization, we also offer creative branding services? Let us help you own that first impression online with eye-catching graphics and logos.
