How To Create An Instagram Theme

HOW TO CREATE AN INSTAGRAM 'THEME'

AND MAINTAIN IT!

I'm going to break down the steps on how to create an Instagram 'theme' for your feed and how to maintain it. This is something that most people struggle with, even if they've been on Instagram for a long time. For some, it's an easy skill to grasp, but if you are like most who struggle, keep reading to learn my tips & tricks!

Step 1: Decide what kind of content you want to post.

Step 1 for 'how to create an Instagram theme' is deciding on the kind of content you want to post. You will need to stop thinking about your feed as being a personal diary and more of a brand that represents you and your work. You will also need to decide on what kinds of content you like to produce and what could be marketed in the future. For me, I like creating content featuring myself and my outfits, makeup, jewellery and accessories. I don't tend to deviate from those things either!

Grab a notebook and make a list of all the types of content that you love to engage with. Go through your likes or saves on Instagram as this will give you a big hint. Some of these things may include flat-lays, selfies, makeup shots, outfit shots, quotes etc.

Step 2: Looks at others who inspire you!

The next step is to look to those who inspire you! When I was trying to decide on a new theme, I scrolled through my 'following list' and looked through some of the accounts whose content I loved and engaged with the most. From this, I started to narrow down what I did and didn't like. I made a note that no longer liked the current theme I had as it didn't represent me. Slowly, I started to lean towards a clean, white and brown theme.

Also, I studied the editing style of these images, for instance, if there was a lot of white in photos i liked, I knew that my photos needed to be edited in that style to maintain a consistent feed. I love the de-saturated look too unless there is a colour I want to 'pop'. I would never have a pop of red next to a pop of blue (see image below with no theme). The colours class and don't add to the theme at all. Whereas in the beige theme, there are pops of beige/sand against deep greys and creams which works well. All of these things are something you'll have to take into consideration when deciding on a theme. Below are some colour scheme ideas for your theme:

Love this brown theme? You can recreate this too! Here are the presets I created and used for this beautiful autumnal feed! They're currently on sale!

It might be a good idea to take some screenshots of the feeds that you are digging and put them into Canva to create a mood-board.

Step 3: Get your colour scheme.

Something fun I like to do when I come across a super aesthetic feed is put their username into Colorkuler.com. This app gives someone's feed an overall colour palette from all of their recent uploads. From this, you can see the major colour featured in anyone's feed and really hone in on making that colour the centre of your editing. This leads me on to the next step…

Step 4: Decide on your grid pattern.

What you might not realise is that what makes a theme so aesthetic is the grid pattern. What I mean by this is how the pictures look all together as one cohesive theme. How is the eye drawn to specific parts of the grid? See below for example grid patterns. For instance, the one I am currently implementing on my feed is the 'checker-board'. This is where you alternate between 'opposites'. For me, I alternate between a photos with me in, such as selfies or outfit shots and flat-lays, product shots or prop shots.

Step 5: Create a preset!

One big secret I have on how to create the perfect Instagram theme is having presets. You can do this on Photoshop Lightroom (free mobile app) or you can purchase someone else's presets. I have created my own presets which you can buy here! Presets make sure every photo I take is edited to the same style. My presets are some of the cheapest on the market with 16 gorgeous filters for £11.99! I currently have a discount code too for 20% off; 'earlybird20'. Make sure you apply it at the checkout!

I have also split them up into separate packs, ones perfect for selfies and one perfect for flat-lays so if you want to save some money, each with 7 beautiful filters for £4.99! Just one click and your photo's ready to post! The discount code still applies for these packs too!

Step 6: Use a planning app!

Make sure you use an app like Preview (my fave!) to help you plan your grid pattern. It shows your already uploaded photos as well as any you plan to post. You can write and edit captions, set reminders to post and there are some decent paid features also but I prefer the free version.

When it comes to planning, I like to make sure my photos aren't repetitive. I won't post two selfies in a row or two flat-lays as it can seem boring. I like to mix it up so I make sure my grid is a mix of different things, like selfies, flat-lays, product shots, indoor shoots etc…

The main take away…

Using an app to plan what your feed looks like is something you should definitely be doing if you take your content seriously! Instagram is literally all about aesthetics so making sure your feed is top-notch is one way to be ahead of the game and attract potential followers!

When it comes to creating an Instagram theme you need to make sure you are editing your posts consistently. If you find that even when you are using the same filter for each photo and they still don't look good, it could be either the quality of the photo – as in the lighting is too dark to too light – or that the colours in the photo don't work cohesively. Let me know if you want a blog post about composing photos, matching colours in photos, lighting tips etc, leave me a comment!

Finally, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them as a comment, or dm me directly through Instagram (I'll reply much quicker that way!) Likewise, if you enjoyed my post on 'How to create an Instagram feed and maintain consistency', be sure to share it with those who may benefit from these tips!

Yay! Since you've made it this far, you may also enjoy my recent post about '30 quarantine-friendly indoor photoshoot ideas for Instagram!'

Lots of love as always,

Kate, x