Best Instagram Tips

It's no secret if you have a blog or a business or, just want to get noticed that Instagram has become an invaluable resource. For myself, I've made countless connections both business and personal via IG and it has actually become just as important as the blog itself. For this post I wanted to reach out to some of the people who I think have really incredible accounts to get their best tips in addition to a few of my own.

From accounts with over 50k organic followers to smaller accounts that are perfectly stylized, these ladies run the gamut of styles and vary in the way they use Instagram but they all inspire me and I hope you can learn a thing or two from them too! So without further ado, here's ten tips to grow your instagram following, take better pictures and achieve the best look for your Instagram page. 

My top 5 tips

1. Lighting: lighting can make or break a photo. I try to maintain a bright and airy aesthetic so for me, that means no dark or super shadow-y photos. I try to always take my photos in natural light and I use IG to up the brightness, lessen the shadows and increase contrast to achieve crisp bright photos.

2. Poster Board: Since starting 204 Park, poster board has been my best friend. I use thick white foam board as a backdrop for photos for my flatlay photos, or vertically as a backdrop in pictures. I'll also use poster board to reflect light to brighten what I'm photographing and help eliminate shadows- I'm telling you people, it's a game changer!

3. Balance and Asymmetry: I try to take photos that vary in their composition. Mixing up the composition from a photo with a centre focus, to following the rule of thirds and making sure the overall aesthetic of my feed is balanced is something I really try to pay attention to.

4. Taking Photos in Square: This one is crazy simple but so much easier to work with when you're taking a photo that you might want to post later. I ALWAYS shoot my photos in square mode because then there's no cropping required. There's nothing more frustrating than staging a beautiful shot, only to realize you need to cut part of it off because you were shooting in regular photo mode. #InstaFail

5. Avoid 'Over-Filtering': When I look back at my early IG snaps I cringe. Hellooooo valencia! I now never use any IG filters and will purely edit my photo using (mostly) the IG editing options or else VSCO and Snapseed to adjust brightness, shadow, sharpness, contrast and saturation. 

And now from 5 of my Edmonton IG favorites...

1. Alyssa Lau: Blogger at Ordinary People and owner of sustainable fashion shop Shop New Classics

Alyssa's Tip: "When posting on Instagram, my general rule of thumb is “only post a photo if it looks in tune with the rest of your feed”. This means that there is surprisingly a lot of thought that goes into posting a photo on Instagram. Whether it’s maintaining a consistent editing routine (I use VSCOcam and snapseed) or paying attention to your feed’s colour-scheme, make sure to find a method that works for you!"

2. Holly Baker: Blogger at In the Fun Lane, house flipper and overall crafty, DIY-er extraordinaire!

Holly's Tip: "Instagram has been a place for me to totally be 'me'! I don't use it as a business, or worry about follower count, but strictly as the little place I can share a glimpse of the world through my eyes. That means more than just snapping what I'm doing, but more like how I choose to see the world. It sounds pretty straight forward, but some people really see the world through a different lens and I love seeing how others view it, and sharing my special view as well.

Don't over think it, but take a little time to find the best way to capture your interpretation on the world around you and you will be surprised at how suddenly there is a thread running through many aspects of your life."

3. Kira Paran: Blogger at Northern Style Exposure, mama to the cutest little bear Alastair and my first internet friend turned friend IRL! (lol)

Kira's Tip:"My biggest tip, shoot your photos in natural light! From outdoors to near a window, it makes all the difference in the quality / appearance. Instagram is all about the visual for me, post photos you're proud of and you can't go wrong."

4. Kristina Lynne: Blogger at Inspired by Lynne, house flipper and decorator and overall cutie pie!

Kristina's Tip:  "I think having a cohesive look is so important and finding an editing style that works for you is a great start to achieving that. I love using the free Vsco cam app to edit my iPhone photos! It’s super simple to use and gives you plenty of editing options. 

I often try and look through my own feed to get a sense of my “look.” If an older photo seems a bit out of place in terms of colours, content or editing choices, then I may just delete it entirely. I try to constantly learn by looking back and editing my feed so it truly reflects not only who I am but how I want others to see ‘Inspired by Lynne.’"

5. Sandy Joe Karpetz: One of Edmonton's OG fashion bloggers at The Pretty Secrets and queen of all things vintage and fabulous!

Sandy's Tip: "Cleaning the lens of the camera on my phone is always the first step to getting a crisp shot. Nothing is worse than a fuzzy photo (unless that's the vibe you're going for)."

Happy Instagramming!