Using Colour to Create a Consistent Instagram Brand Presence
When it comes to branding, the ultimate goal for my Instagram feed - or any touchpoint of the Studio Bicyclette brand, really - is to create consistent imagery that is instantly recognizable, standing out in our followers’ feed regardless of whether or not our profile pic or name is associated with it. That brand recognition is invaluable.
When you go through your initial branding process, whether you’ve hired someone to do it for you or are taking it on yourself, you’ll likely walk away with both an brand inspiration board, as well as a brand board.
These should really help to define our visual strategy and gives you a sense of how to create content that’s quintessentially “you” - or your brand. I have both boards printed off and hung beside my desk for easy reference, but after a certain point, following your own style should becomes second nature, and you’ll have an innate sense of what works and what doesn’t.
While you develop an eye for that, however, I'm here to highlight one of the most important things to pay attention to in order to create a consistent Instagram brand presence: colour!
instagram + colour consistency = brand magic
When it comes to branding, colour is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to infuse a little “you” into your visuals, whether that’s a logo, a website, or - in this case - social media content.
Chances are your brand colours will be determined through the branding process, but if you haven’t gone through something this formal, take a bit of time to pull together an inspiration board and see what colours repeatedly show up and feel right for your brand.
For example, I have four brand colours for Studio Bicyclette that I use regularly, as well as lots of bright white and pops of graphic black to help offset the overall effect. It plays into the “pretty with an edge” style that has come to be associated with my brand, and keeps my graphics and visuals consistent at every touchpoint, as well as when scrolling through my Instagram feed.
using your brand colours to create consistency
Backgrounds are one place where my colours play an important role, allowing me to curate a nice mix of colours and achieve that balance between content. Creating your own custom coloured backdrops is easy (and cheap!), and they’re great to have on hand for styling branded Instagram content on the fly. I have one in each of my brand colours, as well as a marble surface and of course lots of white.
Props and subject matter also play into this, and once you’re aware of needing to create a consistent colour palette in your Instagram feed, you’ll start to notice yourself becoming tuned in to any opportunity to capture photos that include your brand colours, or pick up a prop that fits into your colour palette. This is good!
Another place where colour plays an important role is through lighting and your Instagram editing process. If your brand is all about bright, saturated colours and bright whites, keep that in mind when you’re taking or curating your photos, and also as you’re editing them. Tossing in an image that’s muted and moody is going to look out of place, and vice versa.
Take a few moments to identify a few colours that represent your brand, and start keeping your eyes out for backdrops, props and subject matter that will help you tell your story and create a consistent brand presence on Instagram.
Need a little inspiration? Here are a few of my favourite Instagram accounts that do colour exceptionally well.