Want to expand your Instagram following or just catch your followers’ attention? It all starts with a profile that attracts people’s attention. It keeps them browsing and motivates them to engage with your material. It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and your Instagram profile image is no exception!
Your profile photo is the first image that informs a new visitor what you and your brand are all about when looking at your feed. Your Instagram profile pic also makes you stand out in the Instagram feed.
While choosing an Instagram profile photo may appear to be an easy chore, it’s not. You want to make sure you nail the shot every time, to become the content creator you can be. There are many Dos and Don’ts in photo-related content, so here are the best tips.
Make Sure Your Profile Picture is Consistent with Your Brand
People are hard-wired to pay attention to faces but ignore logos. Use your face as your profile photo unless you’re a well-known brand or your company’s emblem is well-known. Avoid using something “cute” as a corporate avatar, especially if it has nothing to do with your brand. This aids in long-term brand awareness and ensures that everybody who visits your Instagram page is immediately familiarized with your logo and identity.
If your business is personal (photographers, influencers, or life coaches), you might want to use a headshot as your profile picture since you’re selling yourself as the product through your expertise. It’s important that you introduce yourself to your visitors. Your Instagram profile photo should match your branding on your website and other media channels to maintain consistency in your online presence.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
Consider Aesthetics and Background
Just because it’s a single photo doesn’t mean you can ignore the Instagram aesthetic you’ve worked so hard to achieve for your feed. Don’t be scared to experiment with your angles and placement to make your profile images look more professional and appealing. A modest head tilt or angle away from the camera conveys sincerity and approachability in most circumstances.
Choose an evergreen Instagram profile picture that can stand the test of time instead of a photo that is seasonal or tied to a one-time event. If your Instagram profile image concentrates on an event (like Christmas), a new follower might think you’re not very active on Instagram or that you didn’t care enough to update your profile picture. You’ll be able to use your Instagram profile image for longer if you use a neutral background.
Don’t Forget The Lighting
Your best bet is to position yourself near a window or in a brightly lit area outside, then face the light. Backlighting is a difficult skill to perfect. Spotlights and an intense flash often create harsh shadows. You can use flash exposure to “fill the light,” but it’s preferable not to use it as the primary source of light.
For professional-looking images, natural lighting is usually the best option. Take your pictures outside or in a sunny location of your house. Experiment with and without the flash to determine what looks best, but avoiding the flash typically results in more natural-looking photographs.
Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash
Choose the Right Outfit And Photo Size
Wear something that fits your brand’s aesthetic and colors, even if you’re not going to display much of it. Corporate consultants and public speakers should dress for the stage or to interact with the CEO, while more casual profiles can include personal touches. The size of your profile image should also be correct.
You should use a perfect square for all profile images. You don’t want to stray too far from this because Instagram will crop your profile photo into a circle on your page if you do. Your Instagram profile photo is quite small on a smartphone screen, and there’s no way to expand or zoom in.
Photo by Kim Becker on Unsplash
Lastly, Retouch And Edit
There’s nothing wrong with brightening a photo or adding a quick filter to make it look better. You can also do slight edits or retouching to improve the quality of your photo or edit out a blemish. However, you should avoid going crazy as this can make your image appear artificial. The key to successful retouching is to improve the image while maintaining its natural appearance. You want it to look like yourself!
To make your image look more professional, use an image editing tool to modify saturation, brightness, and contrast, or you can use a smile editor for extra confidence. If you’re going to use a filter, stick to one rather than stacking several on top of each other, which can make your photo look grainy and distorted. Any skilled photographer will tell you that a little tweaking improves every shot.
I hope these tips help you take and choose the perfect profile pic for your instagram!