Learning how to style Instagram photos can help solidify your brand on social media, while also making sure your products and services shine! With these 5 tips, you can make sure your Instagram feed is aesthetic and engaging.
There are plenty of ways to take a better Instagram photo and to receive more likes on that photo, but today I’m going to share five very simple tips that will guarantee more traction and double-taps on your photo. Learn how to style Instagram photos:
1. Shoot photos on a clean background
Think about what background you’re using for the photo before you snap — don’t be afraid to move things around! A simple whiteboard is the perfect blank canvas if you’re trying to highlight a product or style a vignette. You can also use a piece of colored paper, wooden floorboards in your home, or clear off a space on your dining table — get creative while sticking to your brand aesthetic.


You can pick up a white foam core board at your local craft store (I get mine at the Dollar Store) to use as a background if you don’t have a white table or surface. If you’re out and about, the same rule applies–find a clean background to shoot on.
I’ll often move my coffee and donut over to a different surface or background in a cafe to get a better photo. You may think this is a little extreme, but if you’re using Instagram as a tool to grow your business you have to be intentional about every photo you post on your feed.
2. Prioritize quality photos
Have you ever carefully taken the perfect shot, crafted your post, uploaded it, and then…realized that your photo quality is low? When you are establishing yourself as a professional in your business, you want to make sure that your Instagram posts represent the excellence of your work. The problem is that Instagram often reduces the quality of your images during upload.
To avoid this, upload a high-quality, compressed JPEG file (max resolution: 1080 x 1350px) directly from your mobile or tablet.
3. Add flowers!
This is a not-so-secret trick of mine (and many others) and might be the easiest. Any photo you post with a flower will get more likes than the same photo without flowers — trust me on this! People love pretty, so feed them what will make them happy!

4. Use natural light in your photos
When you are considering how to style Instagram photos, light is a crucial factor. After all, if your followers can’t really see what they are looking at, your photos will lose their impact. But you might not have the money for expensive artificial light sources.
The good news is that natural light, which uses the light from the sun, is completely free and looks great! Whether you’re shooting in your home or nature, you can take advantage of the beauty of natural lighting.

5. Create an eye-catching layout with blank space
As followers quickly scroll through their Instagram feed, they are bombarded with hundreds of images and your goal is to publish a photo so captivating that they’ll have a desire to pause, look at it, like it, and hopefully click over to your profile for more.
To make your image stand out from the hundreds, you need to create an eye-catching layout. The easiest way to do this is to add blank space to your image — it can be at the top, on the sides, or at the bottom.
Take a look at the difference between utilizing white space to create a more eye-catching layout with the same items.

So go ahead and give it a shot! Spending a little extra time learning how to style Instagram photos can go a long way, especially if you have to post similar items or products repeatedly.
It will give your Instagram posts a fresh and creative look. I think you’ll also be surprised to see how many things you have around your house that you can use to help style a picture.
Growing and cultivating an aesthetically-pleasing Instagram account helps you bring more eyes to the services you provide. Use HoneyBook’s small business management platform to help you manage every facet of your business.
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