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Do’s And Dont’s Of Having An Envy Worthy Instagram

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October 6, 2010: a historic day that has yet to grace history books. On that very day,  Instagram was born, and changed the lives of egomaniacs everywhere. But like all good things, there are people that ruin it for the rest of us. They’re the people that post blurry concert pictures, or like, daily selfies.  The absolute worst.

Do you want an Instagram people avidly stalk, accidentally like, then unlike pictures from weeks ago?! Of course you do. How about comments like “I want to be you” or “😍”?! Who wouldn’t?

Do: Edit.

Unless your photo is being taken by a DSLR camera in a perfectly lit studio, chances are you need to throw a filter on it. Get all of the apps, and find out which ones you like. All of them. Try to avoid watermarks. You can definitely find an app to avoid having “Frametastic” plastered at the bottom of the photo. I personally like PicFrame, Picfx, Afterlight, and Facetune.

Don’t let people shame you into thinking you can’t use Facetune. Facetune away. Detail those eyes! Blur your trouble areas! If celebs get photoshopping privileges, than surely you do too. Just be weary of over-editing it into a blurry, warped version of yourself.

Don’t: Post Everything.

The key to having a memorable gram is only posting kick-ass pictures. Make every photo back to back fire. When people go back to stalk your page (which they will), you want them to remember all those trendy outfits (which you probably bought at Forever 21), and Pinterest inspired hair-do’s. You can paint yourself out to be a Kardashian when in reality you probably spend most of your time in last night’s make up.

Do: Have A Cohesive Look.

Think of your Instagram as a brand. Before you post a photo, ask yourself: does this go with my brand? Some good examples of this are Katey McFarlan and KJP‘s Instagram. Both are perfect and make my life feel inadequate, but they both have different “feels” that go with their ~brand~.

Do: Have A Personality.

Look, anyone can post a cutesy inspirational quote they found on Pinterest or an #ootd. What’s gonna make you stand out is personality. Whether it’s funny, inspirational, or just the poop emoji, put your own twist on it. People are more inclined to hit like if they get a laugh, or feel connected. Here’s a perfect example.

 

Dress for the job you want: 50s housewife with people who will clean her room for her.

A photo posted by Veronica Ruckh (@veronicaruckh) on


Soooo much better than “ready for a great day! #ootd.”

Don’t: Stick To Artificial Lighting.

NATURAL LIGHTING WILL MAKE YOUR PHOTO LOOK HEAVENLY. Find it, use it, love it. It makes all the difference. Fluorescent lighting is not your friend, avoid it as much as possible.

Do: Have Some Variety.

Switch it up from the same five photos in a row of you and your friends’ “candids.” Oh, the places you can Instagram! You can even get super crazy and Instagram photos of things. This is especially helpful when you haven’t washed your hair in a week, and feel like ‘gramming. Find your natural light, strategically place your object, and get a good aerial shot. This is advanced stuff here, and you’ll probably end up with 100 varying shots of a bagel.

Do: Stay Inspired.

Follow bloggers, people, and celebrities whose style you like. Reference back to them and ~get inspired.~ Do it for the gram.

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Rachel Page

Rachel enjoys spending her time thinking about Britney Spears, whining about being single, and thinking about Britney Spears. She doesn't take to criticism well, so be nice or so she will cry herself to sleep! Email: [email protected]

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