If years ago Instagram was just another website for people to share their news and recent pictures at, today it can also serve as a major platform for designers and photographers to promote themselves and their work. Being such a popular resource, it is only natural that Instagram has its own trends. As a photographer or someone who is working in a related field, it is your job to learn about those trends and follow them. However, they change so rapidly that over the course of a few months a trend can quickly become an anti one. So, if you want to avoid making a mistake in the form of an anti-trend on Instagram, this article is just for you.
“Follow me”
“Follow me” pictures were a massive hit back in the day, started by Murad Osmann long ago. Ever since, millions of people have tried to copy his idea of taking pictures. In fact, this pose became so popular that over the years it turned into a real anti-trend and people started avoiding it. Nevertheless, if you intend to make own photography website as a travel blogger and photographer, this might be a nice picture to add to your portfolio.
Collages
Back in the day, people were trying to fit a few pictures in one because they did not have any other option. Now, Instagram has a feature of adding up to ten pictures or short videos to one post. However, some people still are trying to post collages. If you are afraid that people do not swipe pictures and don’t see the rest of the photos you unload, simply create a few separate posts.
Say “no” to heavy editing
Overly photoshopped pictures are no longer a hit, a natural look is what is trending right now. So do not cover your skin’s imperfections, leave those body curves where they belong. Extra flashes, hearts and stars painted on the picture are usually also look old-fashioned. Simple bright, sharp and honest pictures will add more sincerity to your pictures and eventually raise your blog’s popularity. Isn’t that what every Instagram blogger is hoping for?
Food pictures
It became a massive stereotype over the years that Instagram is only good for posting pictures of what you eat. With time, this service proved its users wrong but the joke about ‘posting food pics’ is still out there. Sure, there are some accounts who specialize in culinary art but let’s leave it to them. No one is interested in what you ate last evening. After all, you can post it in your stories, but better not in your posts.
Long captions
Very often, you can see pictures in the feed with completely irrelevant captions that include motivational quotes of some sort. Lately, people started paying less attention to this kind of posts, rather paying attention to unique beautiful pictures. So, try to keep it short and simple. Better, focus on the image and make it colorful and catchy.
Irrelevant hashtags
Some people on Instagram are ready to do anything to get noticed. This often means using a bunch of irrelevant hashtags. Just keep in mind that it is not only super irritating but can also be a reason for the ban. Try to find a few relevant hashtags and use them, your audience will find you either way.
Staged pictures
Everyone is appreciating ‘pictures of the moment’ these days. Staged poses and fake smiles are so in the past. Be sincere with your pictures and post only those that seem to be so. Do not use any weird effects, like ‘fish eye’, it is really one of the biggest anti-trends nowadays. The more alive your content seems, the more appreciation you will receive from your audience.
Final thoughts
Keeping a popular profile on Instagram is no easy job but, hopefully, with such tips as the ones above, you will be able to avoid making mistakes. The biggest rule of being in trend now is being sincere and ‘alive’, try to keep up with that.