Tips for Maintaining a Consistent Aesthetic Instagram Grid

Instagram has evolved from a simple photo-sharing app into a platform where aesthetics and branding play a crucial role in how people perceive your content. One of the most popular ways to present a cohesive look on Instagram is by maintaining a consistent grid aesthetic. Your Instagram grid is the first thing visitors see when they land on your profile, and it can make or break their decision to follow you. A well-designed and consistent grid not only enhances the visual appeal of your profile but also strengthens your personal or business brand.

In this blog post, we’ll go over some essential tips on how to create a grid on Instagram and maintain a cohesive aesthetic to ensure your profile stands out.

Define Your Brand Aesthetic

Before diving into grid layouts and image choices, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your brand or personal aesthetic. What story do you want to tell? What emotions do you want to evoke? Whether you are a fashion blogger, a food influencer, or a small business owner, your aesthetic should reflect your unique style or brand identity.

Key elements to consider:

• Color scheme: Stick to a consistent palette. Whether it’s bright and bold or soft and muted, maintaining uniform colors throughout your posts is the foundation for a cohesive Instagram grid.
• Tone: Determine whether you want your content to be casual and candid or polished and professional.
• Imagery: Use visuals that align with your brand. If you’re a food blogger, showcase your dishes, ingredients, and cooking methods. For fashion influencers, focus on outfits, accessories, and lifestyle shots.

Choose a Consistent Filter or Editing Style

One of the easiest ways to maintain a consistent Instagram grid aesthetic is by applying the same filter or editing style to all your photos. This helps create uniformity in the overall look and feel of your grid. Consistent editing creates a visual thread that ties all your images together.

Here’s how to ensure editing consistency:

• Choose a signature filter: Most Instagram users rely on presets from photo editing apps like VSCO, Lightroom, or Snapseed. Pick a filter that aligns with your aesthetic and use it for every post.
• Adjust lighting and exposure: Whether you prefer bright and airy photos or dark and moody tones, adjust your lighting settings similarly across all posts.
• Keep the edits subtle: Avoid over-editing. A subtle, uniform touch will elevate your grid without making it look artificial or forced.

Plan Your Layout

To achieve a visually pleasing Instagram grid, plan your posts strategically. Instagram grids consist of rows of three posts, and you want to ensure that each set of three complements each other. Consistent layouts ensure your feed doesn’t feel cluttered or disjointed.

Here are a few popular Instagram grid layouts:

• Checkerboard: Alternate between two different types of images (e.g., one image with a light background, the next with a dark background). This is a popular choice for bloggers and influencers.
• Row by row: Each row of three photos tells its own story or focuses on a specific theme, product, or outfit. This can be an effective way to show different aspects of your brand while keeping the overall grid cohesive.
• Tiles: This layout alternates between image types. For example, you might post a quote followed by a photo, then another quote.
• Puzzle grid: This complex grid design allows one photo to be split into multiple posts, creating a seamless, puzzle-like look when viewed on your profile.

When deciding on a layout, it helps to use a content planning app like Preview or Planoly to visualize how your grid will look before posting.

Stick to a Posting Schedule

Consistency is key when it comes to maintaining an Instagram grid aesthetic. Posting sporadically or only when you feel like it can cause your grid to look disjointed over time. To maintain a steady flow of content, create a content calendar or schedule that allows you to post regularly while sticking to your aesthetic.

Some tips for sticking to a schedule:

• Plan your content in advance: Batch create and edit photos to ensure you always have something ready to post.
• Use scheduling tools: Apps like Later or Hootsuite allow you to schedule your posts in advance, helping you maintain consistency even when you’re busy.
• Post at optimal times: Knowing when your audience is most active can help you reach more people and maintain engagement, which is crucial for maintaining an active profile.

Use Instagram’s Grid Preview Feature

Instagram offers a grid preview feature that can help you see how your feed will look before you post something new. While this feature isn’t available directly on the app, third-party apps like UNUM and Preview provide a preview of your grid so you can plan posts with your aesthetic in mind.

Previewing your posts in advance ensures that they fit seamlessly into your existing grid and that the colors, content, and layout don’t disrupt the overall aesthetic.

Maintain Visual Balance

A cohesive Instagram grid is about more than just color schemes and filters—it’s also about balance. Avoid overwhelming your audience with similar types of content in succession. For example, avoid posting several text-heavy images back-to-back or too many selfies in a row.

To maintain visual balance:

• Alternate image types: Mix up the types of images you post, such as close-up shots, wide shots, and text-based posts. This variety keeps your grid dynamic while still adhering to your aesthetic.
• Pay attention to spacing: White space, or negative space, is important for creating balance in your grid. This can be achieved by including minimalist photos or quotes on a solid background in between more detailed shots.

Incorporate Highlights and Stories

While your Instagram grid consists of your main posts, don’t forget that Instagram Stories and Highlights play a role in your overall aesthetic as well. Highlights, in particular, are visible on your profile right below your bio, making them a part of your first impression.

To ensure they match your grid’s aesthetic:

• Create custom Highlight covers: Design Highlight covers that use the same color palette and design elements as your grid.
• Be selective with Stories: While Stories are more temporary than grid posts, maintaining the same editing style, color scheme, and branding in your Stories can help reinforce your grid aesthetic.

Engage with Your Audience Through Your Grid

Finally, a successful Instagram aesthetic is not just about visuals but also engagement. Engaging captions, interactive posts, and meaningful comments can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your profile. A well-thought-out caption can complement your aesthetic and give depth to your visual storytelling.

Here are some engagement tips:

• Include call-to-action captions: Encourage your audience to interact with your posts through questions, polls, or contests.
• Engage in conversations: Respond to comments and engage with your followers to foster community. This helps create a deeper connection beyond aesthetics.

Conclusion

Maintaining a consistent Instagram grid aesthetic requires careful planning and a clear understanding of your brand identity. By defining your aesthetic, using consistent filters, planning your layout, sticking to a schedule, and using Instagram’s grid preview tools, you can create a visually stunning profile that attracts and retains followers. Now that you know how to create a grid on Instagram, go ahead and start curating a grid that not only showcases your style but also leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

Resources:

Lavelle, Emma. “How to Create a Consistent Instagram Aesthetic — Wherever.” Wherever, 28 Oct. 2021, where-ever.co.uk/journal/how-to-create-a-consistent-instagram-aesthetic