Instagram these days is all about your ‘aesthetic’. Well, what is an ‘aesthetic’ you ask? Good question! You’ve likely heard this social media buzzword just about everywhere across the internet, and likely in everyday conversation even.
What is ~aesthetic~ exactly? And how can you use your aesthetic to step up your Instagram game?
You’ve come to the right place! The Instagram aesthetic is associated with the look, feel, and creative direction of your Insta feed. It’s a culminated representation of who you are, and a creative outlet to brand yourself in!
To cultivate a certain aesthetic, you’ll want to avoid using random photos and focus on your brand of uniformity. You’ll look at selecting specific fonts, colors, filters, and captions to provide a sense of streamlined artistic direction.
Whether you’re looking to reconstruct your personal Insta feed, or you’re looking to revamp your company's creative outlet, you’ll need to step up your aesthetic and revitalize your stake in the Instagram game.
- Know Your Brand
You’ll want to have a clear understanding of who you are, what your brand is, and how to best convey your brand by way of your aesthetic. Instagram is home to several aesthetics, and each aesthetic has an individual content creator behind them! While many Instagrammers might focus on the same subject matter as you, you’ll want to decide how to separate yourself from the bunch. Think about what makes you, you.
Perhaps you’re a lifestyle guru and you’re posting your everyday adventures. You could be a food guru who likes to tantalize the world with your melted cheese concoctions? The options don’t end there, either. There are fashion accounts, nature explorers, fitness gurus, company accounts with promotions, ads, infographics and models, like those over at unrulyagency.com, or even artists- the list truly goes on and on.
Understanding how you want to structure yourself on Instagram is a pivotal first step in understanding how to step up your Instagram game. Once you know what type of feed you’re looking to cultivate, you’ll be well on your way to a beautiful, streamlined aesthetic.
- All About Color Palettes
Instagram is all about the color schemes! The most successful accounts on Instagram pick a color palette and utilize it in some capacity when concentrating on their next post. Think of the common colors that surround your everyday. Do you wear a lot of denim? See a lot of blue skies? Perhaps shades of blue should be your specific palette!
Think of the last time you went to someone's Insta feed. You’ll have noticed that all of the posts, while maybe of a different subject matter, all look delightfully pleasing to the eyes. That’s because that specific creator chose a color palette that complemented their adventures, creating a beautiful uniformity to unite their feed. That’s one of the main components of this Instagram esthetic, and a surefire way to ramp up your Instagram following.
- Filtered Consistency
Now that you’ve chosen a color palette, you’ll want to choose your favorite Instagram filters! Pick one or two that excite you and complement your color palette well. You be the judge here, it’s all about what’s pleasing to you and your eye. The followers will flock to your individuality and artistic merit!
The more consistency you equip in your filter game, the more uniform your aesthetic will be. Not only will one individual post look flawless, but each Instagram post will also work even better side by side, creating a visual feast of color and concept!
- Angle Angel
The human eye is quite adept at understanding what makes a good angle, so trust your gut here. Take your avocado toast, for example. You’d want an overhead shot, as it might not look so delectable from the side.
Understanding the rule of thirds will help you understand what makes a good angle ‘good’. In a nutshell, the rule of the thirds is all about balancing your image. It divides your photo into a 3x3 grid and aligns the subject along this 3x3 grid to create outstanding, symbiotic balance. Keeping to this structure is going to help you get that perfect shot, and establish yourself as an Instagram genius.
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- Blinded By Light
Understanding lighting is a key principle in taking a great photo. You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s really important to understand, especially when you want to take your Instagram to the next level!
Avoid using your flash if you want to play off more natural light. Natural light will create a buttery rich photo that exudes radiance, brightness, energy! Don’t be discouraged from using flash, especially at nighttime. You can create some fantastic shots using flash, so play around and see what kind of unique shots you can come up with!
Keep things uniform here. If you want to bask in only flash, commit to using just flash.
Conclusion
The Instagram aesthetic is associated with the look, feel, and creative direction of your Insta feed. It’s a culminated representation of who you are, and a creative outlet to brand yourself in. To step your Instagram game, you’ll need to step up your aesthetic! To cultivate your certain aesthetic and up your Insta game, you'll want to avoid using a random approach and focus on your brand of uniformity and consistency.
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Bottom line: Growing on Instagram in 2024 comes down to consistent Reels, genuine engagement with your audience, smart use of hashtags and SEO-friendly captions, strategic collaborations, and tracking analytics to double down on what works. Small, consistent improvements beat sporadic bursts of effort every time.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I post on Instagram to see growth?
Aim for at least 3 to 5 times per week, mixing Reels, carousels, and Stories. Consistency matters more than volume, so choose a schedule you can maintain long term.
Do hashtags still matter for Instagram growth?
Yes, but focus on a mix of niche and broader hashtags rather than the most popular ones alone. Pair them with strong, keyword-rich captions since Instagram now treats captions as searchable content.
What type of content performs best on Instagram right now?
Short-form video, especially Reels, continues to get the widest reach. Behind-the-scenes clips, quick tips, and relatable stories tend to drive the most engagement and shares.
How important are collaborations and influencer partnerships?
Very important, since they expose your brand to a new, relevant audience quickly. Even small collaborations with micro-influencers in your niche can meaningfully boost visibility and trust.
Related Instagram guides are collected in all the Instagram help articles.
