By now we all know that posting to Instagram is about more than a single post, every post forms part of a literal bigger picture a.k.a your feed. Many accounts have found a way to keep their bigger picture consistent, for instance by always posting quotes as their third post, by using the same border on each post or by creating a puzzle feed. I don’t have a specific RULE I follow but I have noticed that there’s a method to my madness, and decided to share the unspoken guidelines I follow with you …

1. When it comes to a photography style … consistency is key

I always try to post images with a similar style of photography to create a more cohesive bigger picture when someone visits my feed. Whether it’s a stock photo or a photo I/someone else has taken I try to make sure that the style is similar.

2. Have a colour thread in your feed

Having a strict colour palette for all your posts can be very limiting, that is why instead I try to carry though a continually changing colour thread. What I mean by this is, when I’m about to post something, I look at my nine most recent squares and try to post something that will pick up another colour in one of those nine posts. For instance, when I’m about to post an inspirational quote with a solid colour as a background I often colour pick a colour from another post like the colour of a shirt I’m wearing and use that as the background colour … (that’s a bit OCD I know, but you get the idea).

Recently I visited the website A Year Of Color and found my profile’s colour palette. Although I don’t use this as a rule, I try to use that palette as inspiration for what the vibe of my feed is.

3. No post edges may bleed into one another

I try to avoid posting a post with a similar background colour/edge colour than one of the three posts that will be surrounding it. Again … a little OCD, I know – but this helps to make your grid definite, creating the bigger picture.

4. Images with clean backgrounds

I find that busy backgrounds distract from the subject of the image and compete with its surrounding images, images with clean backgrounds. Plus a simple image on a grid is much easier to appreciate at a glance than not being able to see what’s going on because it’s too busy

5. Mix the content up

Aside from my necessary rule that I’m not allowed to post a cat photo without first posting 5 different squares in between, I try to mix my content up between personal posts, inspirational quotes, designs, websites, patterns, mood boards etc. There is no specific pattern I follow here, I just try not to post to similar content types right next to each other.

Speaking of mixing your content up, I’ve designed a Social Media grid planner for you to help you mix up your content and figure out what type of content should go where, what time (according to your stats) it should be posted and for what amount it will be boosted + the audience it will be boosted to. All you have to do is sign up at the end of the post, and the download link will appear below the form.

Please keep in mind that these tips are by no means RULES, these are just the guidelines I have noticed myself following and thought I’d share them with you. If you have any other tips or guidelines you follow please leave a comment.