Let’s face it, we all love Instagram. In our posts, we show off anything from a new recipe we tried to the new boots we bought to us and our besties before a night out. A lot goes into posting an Insta pic and most of us want our picture to be as visually appealing as possible. But let’s be real: your ultimate goal is to break your record of number of likes on a single post. So here are six simple tips to help you do that!
1. Lighting– When taking your picture, natural light is always the best way to go. Sunlight is the best lighting because it makes the picture look very natural compared to a picture you take in your poorly lit dorm room. Obviously the sun is not always available when you want to take your picture-but that is what filters are for!
2. Layout– Choose a layout that is the most flattering for the orientation of your picture. The latest trend is choosing a layout that adds negative white space to the sides of your picture. This type of layout is especially helpful when posting a landscape picture so you are able to show off the entire picture without having to crop it.
Bonus tip: A great layout app is Instasize.
3. Filter– Pick a filter that is going to enhance the beauty of your picture. Do not overdo it by choosing a filter that makes your image too unrealistic or too cartoony. You want the most natural-looking picture possible, especially if your picture was not taken in natural sunlight.
Bonus tip: Choose a black and white filter when you want to emphasize detail in your picture. Black and white filters are perfect for pictures meant to have powerful messages.
4. Caption– Keep it simple. Less is more.
5. Hashtags– Just like your caption, keep your hashtags simple. There is nothing worse than a cutely captioned picture followed by 300 unnecessary hashtags. If you feel the need to use hashtags make sure they are relevant to the subject of the picture or to a product in the picture.
6. Timing– Timing is everything. To have the ultimate number of people view your insta pic (which leads to the ultimate number of likes), you need to post your picture at the best time. Resist the urge to post anything between midnight and 9:00am. Any time after 9:00am is a good time because the first thing most of us do when we wake up is check our phones, particularly our social media accounts. Late afternoon and early evening are prime posting times.
So when you are uploading your next insta pic, be sure to follow these six tips for the perfect picture!