The Dos and Don’ts of Instagram Aesthetics
Every trend has a shelf life. With the rise of Instagram, we saw carefully curated feeds become the norm.
But as Instagram has become a staple and a new generation of young influencers are taking over, the Millennial influencer trend of curated Instagram feeds has hit its expiration date.
Now let’s not confuse carefully curated with good branding. The two are different. It is important to have a brand and for your audience to instantly recognize that a post is from your brand.
What we are saying is that you don’t have to worry so much about each image working in harmony with the next to create an aesthetic.
The new generation of influencers have rejected a curated feed in favor of a messier and more unfiltered vibe. There is good reason for that, and brands should take note to stay ahead of the social media curve.
Influencer Culture Exhaustion
It’s not a secret that many people are getting tired of influencer culture on Instagram. It’s why Reddit has a whole subreddit devoted to “influencers in the wild.” Those perfectly pastel macarons paired with pale pink peonies is an image that is getting rather overplayed. But it’s more than just trendy home and kitchen photos. People are also tired of airbrushed beach selfies that set an unhealthy expectation of perfection. The result is people everywhere are “cleansing” their IG feeds of accounts that no longer serve up content that is relevant to them and their needs.
In other words, people don’t want content that will lead to feelings of jealousy or self-doubt. They want authenticity. They want meaningful content that improves their lives in some way.
Balancing Act
Now we’ve mentioned that you still want to have good branding if you are a company or organization. There is a balancing act required with social media. It’s about creating a feed with a brand’s look and feel while serving up rich content that is relevant. So while some aesthetics can be important, you don’t want to cross the line into the “overly curated” territory.
Here are some dos and don’ts of a successful, content rich branded Instagram feed.
Do: Stick to Your Branding | Don’t: Make Aesthetics Your Top Priority
Branding is important for businesses. It is how people instantly recognize a post from your organization. So stick to your brand’s colors (especially in graphic-based posts) and voicing when writing copy, but don’t put too much of your time and effort into every aspect of aesthetics. A focus on perfection is what causes people to hit the unfollow button!
Do: Serve Up Relevant and Engaging Content | Don’t: Drop the Ball on Authenticity
Rather than focusing on aesthetics to the Nth degree, serve up rich and engaging content. You need to make sure that users are getting something out of each and every one of your posts, whether that is demonstrating how to use a new product, sharing behind-the-scenes photos, announcing a live Q&A, or sharing a quick Reel tutorial. When you do share your posts, don’t drop the ball on authenticity; users are tired of perfection, so give them the real you or something that is attainable.
The Main Takeaway
When you focus on providing value and authenticity to your audience, you’ll find that it drives higher levels of engagement. It can also help build your brand’s trustworthiness, which leads to community around your brand and higher levels of brand loyalty! So drop the overly curated vibe and do what is right for your brand and your audience.