Is there a simpler social platform for brands than Instagram?
OK, there’s Snapchat, but few brands have found a way to leverage it and none with a convincing ROI.
Instagram, though, requires just a photo, one-line caption, and maybe some hashtags, then boom: You’re done. The whole process can take seconds. It’s effortless, so it isn’t surprising that companies flocked to the platform when the rest of the world did.
The trouble is: exactly that. Instagram is so easy to use that brands can use it carelessly and quite a few do. But just because you can post any photo whenever you want doesn’t mean you should. I’m not talking about PR fiascos and embarrassing typos. I’m talking about aesthetics. Branding for your official Instagram account should be as important as your website or catalogues.
If you need some pointers on fixing your Insta-aesthetic, for your consideration: four rules for brands on Instagram.
1. Except in cases of celebrity, never post a blurry shot
I received that advice from a friend, bemoaning the state of an Instagram grid she stumbled upon.
“The only excuse for a blurry photo,” she said, “is Justin Timberlake at a coffee shop.”
I might expand the list beyond JT, but she’s absolutely right. Blurry photos, even slightly blurred, look terrible. Posting one is (almost) excusable if you’re in middle school. If you’re a brand, it’s downright sloppy. It looks awful when scrolling through a feed—and maybe worse when someone clicks on your profile and sees a hodgepodge of photos, ranging wildly in quality.
Just don’t do it, ever.
2. It’s all about light, really
Really. Nothing disrupts a uniform aesthetic like differently lit photos. A coffee shop dappled with sunlight is just about always gorgeous, but if the majority of your photos were taken in an evenly lit photography studio, the grid on your profile will look off-kilter. Also, look out for all fluorescent lighting and natural lighting that’s too dim to get a clear shot. They never turn out well.
3. Be wary of text, and beware of screenshots
A text post looks weird in a sea of photography, but if it’s branded and edited like all of your photos, you can get away with it sometimes. Remember, though: Instagram is for images. If there’s something you want to say, try it as a caption paired with a great photo. Facebook is a great platform for branded photo quotes, since it’s sharable there. On Instagram, be cautious.
All that said, never ever post a screenshot. Even if you received the first @ mention from the Dalai Lama on Twitter, there’s no way to edit a screenshot as anything other than a screenshot. It’ll wreck your grid and look tacky. Just enjoy the attention from His Holiness — and write a blog about it.
4. When in doubt, just use a real camera
Copywriting shmucks like me can get away with posting the pictures I take with my iPhone 5S, because I couldn’t operate a real camera that took real photos. Companies with production teams are without excuse. Every shot they post on Instagram, even the fun “candid” around-the-office scenes, should look professional if you’re a professional brand. That means using the same camera you would for a photo shoot. Some magicians with hands steadier than surgeons can take a perfect picture with their phones, but most folks are limited by the limited technology.
A real camera also solves a lot of the problems addressed in the previous three rules. Professional photography excludes unintentionally blurry shots, and nice cameras pick up light that iPhones can’t. Also, if you insist on posting text, write it on some stationary and stage it. It’s more effort, yes, but branded content should require effort, even on something as easy-to-use as Instagram.
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