One of the top questions I get via instagram is “How do you get a cohesive instagram aesthetic?” First off, thanks to  those of you that think its cohesive, because I think it’s kinda of cray cray. Funny how we are always our worst critic, right? To be honest though, having a cohesive instagram aesthetic is something that I strive for every single time I upload a photo. My feed definitely did not happen by accident. I believe that in having a cohesive aesthetic you build a stronger brand. People will know what you are about and what to expect from you the second they stumble upon their page. They will either love it or hate it, but the key is to attract your target audience.
It took me a lot of different changes, trial and error to figure out what worked for me and I’m always tweaking things here and there. It’s always evolving (depending on what is inspiring me at the moment or if I’m slightly tweaking something), but I always like to keep it with a similar vibe. Today I wanted to talk to you guys about how I came to find my own personal aesthetic for my Instagram and how I continue to have it all flow in a cohesive manner.

Here’s a few things I did along the way to curate my own instagram aesthetic:

Figure out what you really like and what you want to show to the world. Inspiration is everywhere. The trick is to not replicate a feed you admire. That feed already exists. Instead try and figure out what it is that you like about that feed (or as close to pinpointing it as you can) and what would you do to make it more uniquely you. What makes you go “ooh” and what makes it stand out to you? Do you like the colors? Do you like the composition or the photos? Do you like the content itself? Is it always shot the same way? Is there a theme that you can’t get enough of? Also, what would you change about it?
I remember picking about 5-6 people I really loved and felt inspired by. Every single page and personality was so unique and they all had their own strengths. I decided to create my own aesthetic that would resonate well with my brand by figuring out why I loved these other pages so much. Once I figured out why I felt so inspired by the feeds I loved, I then tweaked all the information into something that spoke and resonated even more with my brand. I think I’m making this sound more complicated than it is. If you love someones feed because it is clean, minimal and always flat-lays, maybe take clean minimal photos, but always add a color that you absolutely love and subjects that speak to you and your personality. Maybe create your own editing style that is unique to you and only you. Word of advice : try and be different. Create something that can not be easily replicated unless you are you.
Whats your story?  When someone first comes to your feed, what do you want them to feel, see, think? All your photos should somehow portray that vision. Someone might follow you simply because they like how creative, beautiful, carefree, minimal, talented, over the top etc you are. I want people to know immediately that I am fashion and lifestyle based so every single one of my photos shows that off. I don’t post a lot of things that wouldn’t make sense.  Do you want it to be a picture perfect minimal aesthetic diary of your food you eat every day? Is this your journey to loosing weight and having a happy healthy life? Do you want it to be strictly close up shots of the amazing details of your outfits? Maybe it’s a mix of food, outfits, flat-lays, all giving an inside bts into your life? Whatever it is, make sure you know what you are trying to put out there. Don’t just post something blindly because you think it’s pretty. Stick to your story.
Know your demographics. Make sure you know who you are targeting with your photos. Who are you trying to reach? What do these people do for a living? How old are they? What are their hobbies? Before you post a photo, make sure it might be something these people will be happy to see. You want to assume your followers are following you because of something you are always giving them. Business advice for the boss babe female, pretty minimal photos of your makeup for the beauty mavens, beautiful backdrops of traveling, nostalgic moments that look like they belong in a freepeople catalog? Who is your audience and what do they want from you?
I sat down one day and looked at my analytics. My demographic tends to be 17-35 year olds, 80% woman, mostly from Latin America and US. I know for a fact that posting a photo of a boxing match will not do so hot (obviously). I also know that posting really expensive clothing head to toe won’t do well because most woman from 17-35 do not have the means to pay for that kind of clothes. I also asked myself if I was ok with these demographics. If you are not ok with your demographic you might want to start making some changes so you can start attracting who you want to be following you.
Check your stats. Find out which are your most liked photos, your most commented photos and your least liked and commented ones. This will tell you what is working for you and what isn’t. I remember sitting down, looking at my top photos and figuring out what it was about them that they all had in common. After a while, they started to have a bit of a pattern. I make sure that all my photos have something that corresponds to these patterns. Of course, that doesn’t stop me from posting something if I really like it or think that the audience might like seeing me posed with a cute outfit on. It’s just always good to have in the back of your mind every time you post. Instagram now has analytics if you are a business account or if you are not you can always use Iconosquare App (my fave). 
Post Quality photos. DUH. I mean.. Duh. If you aren’t going to be posting top notch quality photos, you are just making yourself fade into the background of all the amazing Instagram feeds out there. Make sure your pics aren’t pixelated, make sure the lighting is right,  the cropping isn’t horrible…etc etc. Posting quality photos also goes hand in hand with sticking to your brand and your feed. If your photo is completely shot in different light and different colors than you normally shoot chances are it  might throw off your whole feed.
Use apps that help you plan your content. Having a great curated feed takes a lot of effort, including planning what photos you will be posting next. I like to use the app UNAM which lets me move my photos around and choose what photo will go next. This helps me keep my feed consistent and see if my pic will really fit my overall feel.
Have a mood board.  If you really want to be extra, once you finally figure out what your content will look like, try and create a moodboard to remind you of what you are striving for every time you post. It doesn’t have to be some crazy DIY scrap-booking project by any means. I simply took a screenshot of my favorite section of my Instagram feed and now always refer to that screenshot when posting anything new to my feed. This is how I make sure I am still in line with what I love.
My Instagram mood board looks like this:
Last of all… Make sure your feed makes you happy. 
If your Instagram Aesthetic is making you frustrated and annoyed you might just be aiming the wrong way. Make sure you adjust things to your liking and what makes you happy in the end. After all, you started this venture because it made you happy and inspired you right? This is why it’s so important to figure out what you like about other feeds first. Don’t let that creativity die and turn into a chore of keeping up with your theme if you hate it. Also, Sometimes taking a little break helps keep the mind sane. Just a little reminder!
If you have any extra tips or comments you would like to share please comment in the comment section below!
xx F