Remember the good old days when Instagram first came out and it was all just for fun. Pics of our everyday lives with a nice old fashioned filter? Yes I miss those days a bit too! However I do also like using out favourite photo sharing platform as a creative outlet and as a bit of a challenge. I also really enjoy working to an Instagram theme.
I’ve always enjoyed other Instagram accounts that have a theme. My aesthetic side loves the uniformity and how visually pleasing a collection of pictures can look together. I have a lot of admiration for heavily curated feeds as well as still loving the less floral and polished ones too. I definitely follow a mixture of both.
My Instagram Theme
Since I first starting using Instagram in 2012 I’ve used it in all kinds of ways. It was about 2 years ago I started thinking about themes. This year has been the longest I’ve stuck with an Instagram theme having gone with a yellow theme since all the way back in January!
I’ve stuck at it this long mostly because I’m still really enjoying it. I have found a big love for the colour yellow, which puts a big smile on my face. I’ve also taken time to actively seek out pretty yellow places and gone on lots of long walks looking for yellow things to photograph. It’s been so much fun!
I will still throw in the odd non yellow instagram picture and they still blend in very well. I’ve not found it restrictive or felt that its takes the fun out of Instagram, more that I’ve enjoyed it more by using it as a creative outlet. Before the yellow theme I used to choose a colour and run with it for a few weeks before mixing it up again and trying something else.
Keep it Seasonal
At Christmas I stuck to a mainly red and white Instagram theme. Our Elf on the Shelf made quite a few appearances! Keeping is seasonal is a great way to stay on theme.
I used the autumn months to go a bit crazy for orange. I couldn’t get enough of all the beautiful leaves and the pumpkins and squashes that appeared everywhere.
Pick a Colour
Last summer I went through phases of using a key colour in every picture. I really enjoyed using green as it’s my favourite colour. When I’m done with yellow I’m looking forward to going back to green. As I love nature and going for walks so much, this one was very easy to do.
Mix up your content
Even when working with just a single colour scheme, I like to post all different types of content. When I was going for a white Instagram theme, I mixed in flat lays, architecture and pics of the kids and it all flowed really well. I’ve been doing this a lot this year with my yellow theme.
Post content that you love
Even if I’m being very selective with what I post and only putting my best pictures out there. I make sure that each one tells a story and means something to me. Even if it is just a pretty building I’ve seen on a walk or a favourite product, I try to only post content that speaks to me.
Balancing out your feed
For a few months last year, before I wasn’t thinking too much about colours, I started using a pattern for my posting. Each day I would post one outfit picture and one scenic picture, so they always alternated. I kept this up for a really long time and although I enjoyed it, I found it a bit restrictive and when I decided to stop, it was great to just post whatever I fancied again.
Keep the memories
Of course as a photo sharing platform, Instagram is a great place to keep your memories. As someone who love taking photos, visiting lovely places and spending time with friends and family, it really is a great place to record little stories of my life. I love this little section of my insta from my trip to Margate last year.
Plan ahead
I like to plan my content in advance, so I use an app called Planoly to upload my pictures to and work out the order I’m going to post them in advance. I usually edit lots of pictures in one go, plan them out and add hashtags and then post them with a fresh caption a couple of times a day. This works really well for me as I can get my pictures ready while I’m working from home and post them quickly at other times of the day when I’m with the kids and don’t want to be glued to my phone.
Relax and Enjoy!
There is no wrong or right way to do Instagram and there’s really no clear route to success, especially now with evil algorithms and non chronological time lines. The most important thing is to enjoy it and not compare your feed to other peoples. Find something that works for you and keep up the good work. Treat it as an opportunity to explore and to share the best visual parts of your life.
Do you have an Instagram theme or are you a bit more chilled out than me?! What are your best Insta tips?
If you like this, you might find my guide to Colourful Street in London to Take Instagram Pictures.
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