With over 111 million Instagram accounts (and more by the day), it’s easy for yours to get lost in the shuffle. How can you stand out? What can you do to make your account more attractive so users are clamoring to follow you?

It all starts with creating an eye catching Instagram feed. One that draws your audience in, engages them with your content, and leaves them wanting more.

Why Create An Eye Catching Instagram Feed

You’re probably asking, why does it really matter? How can creating an aesthetically pleasing account really make a difference?

Well, it’s important so you don’t end up with this little nightmare below. This example of a chaotic mess of color, random text, and zero focus that leaves visitors to your account wondering what the heck they just stumbled into.

A disaster, that’s what.

Instead, you want to pull them in with a well-thought-out aesthetic. Something that doesn’t give the impression you approach your account the same way you might approach a dartboard after one too many drinks.

Steps To A Pleasing Aesthetic

Creating an eye-catching Instagram account is actually quite simple when you know what goes into the secret sauce. And, luckily, the recipe is made up of only five simple ingredients.

1. Decide On A Tone

First, you need to decide what you want the tone of your account to be. This will help you choose the types of photos you’ll feature and how you’ll present them to your audience.

Do you want to convey a cheerful and uplifting feeling, or something more dark and moody? Are you a minimalist, or do you prefer something a little busier? Bright and colorful, or somber and muted?

Whatever you choose, just make sure you’re consistent with it in your posts.

2. Think About A Theme

Similar to the tone of your account, you can take it one step further and center it around a theme. It can be something broad like “travel” and “family” or you can choose to be a little more specific.

The phrase “the riches are in the niches” comes to mind here. Some of the most popular Instagram accounts have a very specific theme. The Lego Backpacker only features photos of lego explorers in different locations. Mom I’m Fine follows globetrotter Jonathan Kubben Quiñonez as he displays creative “Mom I’m Fine” messages to assure his mother he’s ok. Famed photographer Murad Osmann and his girlfriend Nataly Zakharova are responsible for the “Follow Me To” movement with their photos of her leading him by the hand around the world. And, The Cabin Chronicles feature stunning cabins from gorgeous mountain destinations.

Get creative, the more quirky the theme the better!

3. Edit Your Photos

Another way to create a more pleasing Instagram feed is to do some light editing before you post. You don’t have to spend hours on this step, just a few simple tweaks can make a big difference.

Things like leveling the horizon (unless intentionally off-kilter), cropping for better composition, and getting rid of distractions like road cones or power lines to make your feed look more professional.

Learn what the best photo editing apps are here!

4. Choose A Filter (And Only ONE Filter!)

Another way to create cohesion within your feed is to use only one filter and to use it consistently. Sure, it’s tempting to use every filter and editing tool at your disposal, but that’s a surefire way to create confusion within your account.

Instead, find one that works with the tone and theme of your Instagram and stick with it!

5. Get Your Grid On

Finally, approach your feed as a grid to achieve uniformity and smooth transitions. Choose photos with a similar color scheme and tone, then ease into new ones gradually. That way your account has a natural flow instead of jerking your followers around from one photo to the next.

And, try to keep your grid consistent with one color scheme and tone for at least the length of a typical phone screen. That means three photos across and five photos down before transitions.

To help with your grid planning, utilize apps like Unum to see how your feed will look. It allows you to view your current feed and move upcoming photos around so you can see exactly how your grid will look before it goes live. Brilliant!

And, there you have it! Five simple steps to create an eye catching Instagram feed. Just a little tonal consistency here and grid planning there and voilà! An aesthetic that you and your followers will love!

Do you implement any of these strategies in your own Instagram account? Comment below, I’d love to hear about it!

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