The Anatomy of a Great Instagram Profile

The Anatomy of a Great Instagram Profile

With hitting over 1 billion users, Instagram has become a heavy hitter in the social game ever since Facebook purchased it. Over the last five years, it has very much exploded alongside digital marketing in general positioning itself as a social media leader. People actively share their day, showcase their art, and it has also become a launchpad for influencers who use Instagram to showcase their lifestyle. How have they been able to create a following on Instagram? Well, with the perfect Instagram profile, of course!

Let’s dive into the anatomy of a great Instagram profile, which comes down to part voice and part aesthetics. When you see a beautiful feed, it might catch your eye, but if it says nothing further, would you follow? Probably not. If someone has the perfect caption, you probably will miss it as the imagery didn’t catch your eye.

Let’s dive into what an on-brand profile looks like and how these elements come together to create the anatomy of a great Instagram profile.

1) The Instagram Username

Being able to obtain your first name or even most company names can almost feel impossible these days, but well-positioned Instagram users never revert to numbers. No one should be Casey_44 or giving away your age cassie_1986.

Brands and individuals who are serious about their Instagram will DM “Cassie” and ask to buy her username, and there’s a chance it will be a lot cheaper than you think. Another option would be to combine your name and your signature look, brand icon, or what you do. Designer Cassie, Sassy Cassie, or pair it up with an emoji.

2) The Instagram Bio

The perfect bio treats Instagram as a search engine and tells people what’s in it for them if they follow. They think about what people are searching for. They typically include their industry, location and even perfectly placed emoji’s (emoji’s are searchable!). An example would be if they are an MUA in Toronto, would want to say MUA in Toronto and throw in a lipstick emoji. Additionally, they would include that they share makeup tutorials and are booking clients for the Spring of 2020. Essentially they make sure those 150 characters count.

3) The Colour Story

What is a colour story you might ask? A colour story could vary from very obvious @ohhappyday to barely noticeable think @healthylittlepeach, who looks like she uses the same filter throughout, or it could be the way the images are edited high exposure combined with low contrast.

Having a colour story and refining your look and asthenic is so important for Instagram, and while this at one point was one of the most significant factors in hitting the follow button number 4 has become more important. I also want to note that ‘real” photos are making a comeback, but even for a few influencers and brands that are using this approach, the pages that run their image through a filter or make some adjustments stand out.

4) Brand story

Having a clear brand story is everything, and it a combination of the other points in this post as well, but let’s dive deeper into what a brand story means.

When thinking of your brand story, treat it as a magazine and not a catalog. They capture what the brand followers want to see and are interested in and the lifestyle they are “buying.” They think about what the cover stories would be. How will they layout the brand stories in 8-10 carousels posts? What would the advertorials look like? Would they scream ad or be camouflaged discreetly in with the rest of the feed only to be found by the #ad hashtag or buy hover?

Check out @omielifeinc. Four out of 9 posts feature their product, but the majority feature recipes, customer stories and super cute food creations that happen to be easily carried in their bento boxes for kids. They are giving their followers what they desire, not just empty images of sterile-looking bento boxes. They are sharing customer stories and recipes.

For brands, they say there are two things you always want to feature, people who make the product and people who buy the product, this is partially why user-generated content performs well. People want to see others like themselves and love brands that acknowledge their followers. These two types of people play two crucial roles in your marketing.

The people who make the product and people who use the product represent the two characters in your brand story – the hero and the mentor. You may be thinking your brand is the hero, but no, your customer/follower is the hero, and you are the mentor.

The brand story is one of helping Peter Parker become Spiderman. @omielifinc becomes the mentor assisting parents to become the superhero of their children’s lunches, providing healthy balanced hot and cold lunches to their kiddos.

5) Cohesive and Consistency

There is consistency in the aesthetic, voice and posting frequency. It shows that they are taking Instagram seriously and not just winging it. Not only do followers take these accounts seriously, but so does Instagram itself. Instagram wants users to stay on the platform for as long as possible. So, if you are posting regularly and people are spending more time on your post or profile, it makes Instagram happy.

6) Authentic

“Be interesting. Tell the truth. And if you can’t tell the truth, change what you’re doing so you can. In other words, live the truth.” – Winning the Story Wars by Jonah Sachs. Everyone can smell someone who is faking it a mile away. People who aren’t themselves show it eventually, and followers will feel betrayed and can quickly go from fan to foe.

Imagine following an influencer, and they come across as sugar and spice and all that’s nice, and you start noticing that they are rude in comments when replying to people who engaged with her post. Most people wouldn’t be following for long, but if they were openly had attitude and were open with who they are, it would not come as a surprise and would be more welcome. The best accounts are clear about who they are so they can attract the right people.

In conclusion, there are quite a few touchpoints to keep in mind when crafting the perfect Instagram profile, but by far, having a solid brand story is vital. For creating the brand board that can help clarify your Instagram look and feel, visit my post on creating a brand board.

Next Steps

For more Instagram tips and tricks visit my post on getting more Instagram engagement or Common Instagram Mistakes.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this post and what you think creates a stellar Instagram profile worth hitting the follow button! Comment down below!