Hating how your Instagram profile looks? Not sure how to make it look aesthetically pleasing… I have some solutions for you. Instagram can be hard when competing with thousands of influencers. Millions of pictures of the Met Gala and red carpet show up on your feed, exposing their extravagant lives, but don’t sell yourself short. Your unique, fun, and exciting life deserves to be shown too! Here are five ways to make your Instagram everything you’ve ever wanted it to be.
- Profile Picture
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Social media profile pictures are like first impressions; crucial. A good profile picture sets you apart and shows that beautiful face of yours! Solo pictures are unmatched. My advice is to stray from group pictures because they tend to make it difficult for others to know who you are. Remember, this is your account! I recommend going to the beach with your friends and getting the sunset picture (Peep mine below!). This may just be the hardest step of all my suggestions. If you’re anything like me, you’ll change your profile picture every month because you’re indecisive, and that’s okay! Profile pictures are meant to change; keep your viewers guessing.Â
- Bio
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There are limitless options for biographies, which is the best part about them! Here is another analogy for you… think of your bio as an “elevator pitch.” This is the first thing people will learn about you when they visit your account. I like to keep my bio short and sweet. For example, tagging your university or organization (ex., sorority, clubs, volunteering). Another option is adding your hometown, so people know what area you’re from. Make your biography unique to you, add a quote, a funny statement, emojis, or whatever it may be!Â
- higlights
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Highlights are a collection of Instagram stories that recap all your experiences in a matter of seconds. Making one is easy and takes less than five minutes…so make one! Instagram allows you to customize your highlights by adding titles and cover pictures. Personally, I am a fan of titles like “Friends,” “Good Eats,” “Views,” and “Me.” Highlights are dependent on how active you are on your Instagram story, so try to post as much as you can! Adding a cover image is a must! During the process of settling on what picture to choose, keep in mind the “vibe” or color scheme you want your Instagram to be. You design a chic Instagram page with a consistent aesthetic. For example, the image below is my cover image for my “friends” highlight. It has a cool tone that fits perfectly with the theme of my top three most recent posts. Highlights are a great addition to anyone’s Instagram page. It allows your viewers to see what they’ve missed and gives a mini preview of your content!
- Archives
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Archives have been growing in popularity for good reasons. If you haven’t hopped on the trend yet, you will after reading this. Archives give you the ability to enhance your entire Instagram. When choosing what pictures to post and archive, it is important to keep in mind the theme of your profile. For instance, my profile is organized by seasons, and I try to coordinate my archive photos to fit it. This can elevate your page and create a cohesive Instagram.
What type of archive should I post? Answer: all of them. Kidding, but seriously, archives can vary, especially throughout your page. Some ideas are positing a sunset, a fun activity, a scenic view, or a group picture! Now the real question is, how do I create an archive? It’s easy! First, choose your desired picture and make it a normal Instagram post. Immediately after, the three dots to the left of the post and press archive. I suggest waiting four to 10 days before unarchiving it to make sure it doesn’t pop up on anyone’s feed! After those days have passed, you can finally show your picture to the world by going to the archive section in Instagram’s settings and pressing the three dots. One of the options will display “show on profile.” And just like that, your archive is posted! Don’t be shy to share them…I post a ton.
- Be Authentic
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Every pic is an “insta-worthy” pic! Instagram is meant to be fun and a way to express yourself. Be excited to show your unique experiences. I recently posted this picture on my Instagram, and some might say an unposed picture should never see the light of day on social media…but WHO CARES! So many others will see a wholesome candid where you were your authentic self, and that’s really what it’s all about. Nowadays, too many people focus on the number of likes they get, but what counts is your opinion, and I say if you like the picture…post it!Â
Your instagram, your way!
These are only a couple of ideas on how to spice up your page. There’s no “right” way to do Instagram, but these five simple ways will give your profile an extra wow-factor. The number one rule of social media is don’t compare yourself to others and don’t copy them either. Be yourself and post whatever your heart desires. Then again, I’m no expert, or maybe I am, you can be the judge of that. Check my instagram out at adrianavillacis32!