Instagram Branding Tips from Real Entrepreneurs

Instagram is a place for different brands from all around the world, looking for a place to grow and engage with audiences along with marketing their products and services. With the rapidly evolving world of social media, Instagram has become a competitive place for brands to attract customers. For all these reasons, Instagram Branding has become a priority.  With a Strong Instagram Branding strategy, your brand can reach new potentials never met before. 

Let’s learn from the brands that have used Instagram Branding. 

Stick to a clear brand on Instagram

According to Jessica Alderson, CEO & co-founder of So Syncd, sticking to a clear brand on Instagram plays a major part in branding. So Syncd is a dating app that matches compatible personality types. Here is Jessica’s Instagram branding story below:

Our brand is known for being inclusive and authentic. We stick to a clear brand on Instagram because we want a seamless user experience across all of our channels. We believe that having a consistent brand plays a major part in this. We have social media templates that our Social Media Manager uses for both grid posts and Instagram stories. We also have set brand assets and colors that we use for certain elements. For example, we have specific colors that we use for writing and some that are used for backgrounds. When we have content that doesn’t fit with our typical aesthetic, we post it within a brand asset that is very much in line with our branding. For example, within an image of a phone or a box in front of a background in one of our brand colors. 

Make sure every post falls into your category

According to Elizabeth Thomson, a Recipe Creator & Food Photographer of I Heart Vegetables, making sure every post falls into their category helped to grow reach and influence. Take a look at Elizabeth’s branding insight below:

My brand is known for easy, healthy recipes. I make sure that every post I share falls into that category. I’ve been blogging for over a decade so my followers know what to expect from me. My goal is for people to see that eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Whenever I can, I share the full recipe in my Instagram posts because I want to make it simple for people to give my recipes a try. It’s really helped me grow my reach and influence and it’s been a huge asset to my blog!

Create exciting visual posts

According to Jon Torres, a digital marketing consultant and founder of Jon Torres, creating exciting visual posts improved their visibility. Here is Jon’s Instagram Branding tip below:

Picture this. 500 million Instagram users view Stories every day. Over half of IG users are 34 years old or younger. These stats tell us Instagram is a great platform to engage younger audiences and find out what they value. So we create exciting visual posts that ride on the back of a trend to improve our visibility in this demographic. We make them as short, approachable, and consistent as possible. And if we need help to improve reach, we’ve consulted a relevant influencer to get engaging Instagram post ideas. It also helps to connect Instagram with other Facebook family apps to boost cross-platform visibility, especially when interested in remarketing.

Be stylistically consistent with your captions, photos, and videos

According to Sam Harper, Co-Founder of Hippy Feet, being consistent with captions, photos, and videos are essential to Instagram Branding. Hippy Feet is a sock company on a mission to help homeless youth. Since 2016, they have been able to provide transitional employment opportunities to over 150 young people ages 16-24 who are experiencing homelessness. Here is Sam’s Instagram Branding story below:

Hippy Feet is known for its 70s inspired aesthetic and our social mission. On Instagram, this translates into a retro, nostalgic portrayal of our products and clearly communicating the impact of supporting our brand.

Strong branding on Instagram starts offline. You need to know how to talk to your customers and then be stylistically consistent with your captions and photos/videos just as you would in a sales pitch or other marketing materials. Using consistent colors, editing, and fonts are all essential to a cohesive brand experience on social media.

Stay consistent by never sacrificing quality

According to Enina Bicaku, a content marketing specialist at Looka, staying consistent by never sacrificing quality keeps their followers inspired and engaged. Take a look at Enina’s Instagram Branding tip below:

Our brand is known for professional-level design at your fingertips. We have the best-in-class logo maker and our designs and standards are reflected on our Instagram page.

We only use professional mockups of our logos and use expert designs from other designers to keep our followers inspired and engaged. We stay consistent by never sacrificing quality and always using the same aesthetic.

Create a Shout Out series on Instagram

According to Daniel Hess, a filmmaker/writer and Founder of To Tony Productions, giving a shoutout on his channel creates a consistent stream of content on his page. Here is Daniel’s Instagram Branding tip below:

For me, branding is about creating a community so on both my personal and company Instagram accounts I am always trying to bring filmmakers and writers together. The best way I have been able to create this hub is through my Film Shout Out of the Day series on Instagram where I find cool films/filmmakers and take a moment to give them a shout-out on my channel. This way it creates a home for filmmakers trying to market themselves and also a constant stream of content on the page.

On my website, I also do film reviews in my spare time which cycles back into the social media pages as well. This is all in the service of others and bringing a sense of family/community to everything To Tony Productions.

Be truthful and authentic

According to Karisa Karmali, Founder of Self-Love and Fitness™, being truthful and authentic reflects your brand. She is an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, ISSA Certified Online Fitness Coach, and NASM Certified Nutrition Coach. Here is Karissa’s Instagram Branding tip below:

I choose to create content that inspires people to level up athletically and that appeals to people who want to up their fitness game. I don’t want to be known for trends or quick-fix diets, I want my brand to be known for science-backed research and consistently educating others. While I understand many fitness/nutrition brands promote detox teas and scams, I like to be truthful and authentic, even if it may not be popular – this is what caring about quality and quality client experience is about and our social media should reflect our brand values at the end of the day.

Share content that is relevant to your niche in a visually pleasing grid

According to Janice Wald, Blogger at Mostly Blogging, sharing content that is relevant to your niche in a visually pleasing grid helps her brand to stay consistent. Janice was awarded Best Internet Marketer by the Infinity Blog Association. Here is Janice’s Instagram Branding tip below:

My brand is known for business, blogging, and marketing tips. I share inspirational quotes relevant to those topics on Instagram. My brand is evident in my name Mostly Blogging. Here you see my name on Instagram is Janice Wald Blogging, so when people search blogging, my brand comes up. I make sure my brand stays consistent on Instagram by continuing to share inspirational quotes relevant to my niche in a visually pleasing grid.

Try not to be too promotional with brand colors

According to Yee Trinh, Co-founder of SavvySME, trying not to be too promotional with brand colors helps their Instagram branding. SavvySME is an all-in-one platform for Small and Medium-sized enterprises. Take a look at Yee’s insight below:

Our branding is known for its business colors and the quote mark that identifies every small business matters, every SME has the struggle to share. And we are here to help.

We use blue and white in most of our images and try not to be too promotional with brand colors. In every grid list, you’ll find blue and white colors.

Use a Content Calendar

According to Karin Conroy, Founder & Creative Director of Conroy Creative Counsel, using a content calendar helps them to remain consistent on Instagram. Conroy Creative Counsel is an online marketing agency serving the legal industry. Here is Karin’s Instagram Branding tip below:

We remain consistent on Instagram by developing a strategy, including brand graphics, and a content calendar to ensure that we have a plan and are able to execute on the plan.

Use user-submitted photos that feature your brand

According to Joel Runyon, founder of IMPOSSIBLE®, using user-submitted photos that feature their brand helps them to maintain their brand. IMPOSSIBLE is known for inspiring people to do impossible things. They feature athletes and people doing impossible things on their impossible list – from racing to base jumping to fighting to more. Here is Joel’s Instagram Branding tip below:

In terms of maintaining brand consistency, we primarily use user-submitted photos that feature our brand merchandise in the frame. This works well to promote the real-world connection and authenticity that is part of our brand.

Know your target audience’s need

According to Angelina Mahany, CEO, and Founder of Angie’s Showroom, knowing their target audience’s needs helps them to stay consistent on Instagram. Here is Angelina’s Instagram Branding story below:

My Brand represents luxury, comfort, choice, and confidence. That is what comes with my Handmade customized lingerie. I know my target audience is majorly women from all backgrounds and geographical locations. I ensure my content is relevant to them. I have gone as far as turning my page into a shop. This means when they are shopping for content and they see something they love, they can go ahead and place their order instantly. I ensure I update them on different materials, designs, or colors of lingerie whenever I create one. I stay on topic to ensure my audience knows what to expect when they visit next. As I said, it is not about me… It’s about my audience. They deserve it all.

Feature what you do and each team member

According to Sarah-Leah Thompson, Director of Marketing and Operations at Digital Ink, featuring each team member and what they do helps to maintain brand consistency. Digital Ink is a website design and development/creative services agency. Here is Sarah-Leah’s Instagram Branding story below:

If you were to visit our website (linked above), you would find that the landing page tells the story of our founder and Creative Director (Jason Unger and Jason Forrest), who have known each other since they were young kids.

Our brand’s tagline is What’s Your Story? because we view the building of a website as the telling of a story. When it comes to representing our brand on Instagram, my goal is to dive deeper into the story of each team member, in order to put faces to our brand.

You can see at the top of our Instagram account Highlights featuring each team member, as well as insights into Our Story, What We Do, and Our Work. This content is also featured on our website in more detail.

Maintaining consistent fonts, colors, and layout styles also helps maintain brand consistency across various platforms. Most of our Instagram posts have black, teal, and ivory color schemes, with consistent font styles as well.

We do allow there to be some branding flexibility when it comes to posting on Instagram since the tone of the platform is more informal than LinkedIn for example.

Come up with a media plan each month

According to Chloe Sisson, Outreach Coordinator at PR Agency Zen Media, coming up with a media plan each month helps them to stay consistent on Instagram. Chloe also just started her own blog and has been creating a digital brand. Here is Chloe’s Instagram Branding story below:

Zen Media is known for helping companies achieve virality. We work to give your company moments to connect and talk about your brand. We use social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to grow our online traffic and bring in new clients. We ensure that branding stays consistent by coming up with a media plan each month. This allows us to have all the content we’ll need when we need it, so there’s no scrambling for material when posting day comes!

As far as my personal brand, I have tried to create an online space where I am real and genuine. Nothing is overly posed or staged. I like to post my real life, not an image of what I wish my life was like. I encourage people to make the mundane magical, which really just means romanticizing your life and appreciating the little things. I am now more conscious about taking pictures when I do something fun or posting the little aspects of my life that I would’ve never posted. I use a Lightroom preset to make my Instagram feed cohesive.

Stay consistent with brand aesthetics, voice, and imagery

According to Katie Love, Founder & CEO of Love Social Media, staying consistent with their brand aesthetics, voice and imagery help their Instagram Branding. Katie is an expert social media strategist and the founder of Love Social Media. She has helped numerous businesses turn followers into real leads and sales. Katie started her career working for TV stations across the country and was a reporter with NBC News for 6 years. She covered high-profile murder cases, natural disasters, and presidential elections.

As a news reporter, she learned to tell stories and now uses her ability to share information in an engaging way with her clients. Love Social Media was recently named The Top 10 Social Media Agencies to Watch in 2021 by Yahoo Finance. She has worked with top names including Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl brand, 305 Fitness, and Dance Moms star Christi Lukasiak’s brand, Adulting 101. Here is Katie’s Instagram Branding tip below:

Love Social Media is known for being unapologetically girly and quick-witted with a dose of female empowerment and fun. We add that ray of sunshine to your Instagram feed no matter the season. We stay consistent with our brand aesthetics, voice, and imagery. If you see a post pop up on your phone, you will instantly know it’s the Love Social Media brand.

Use the core base of your brand colors

According to Samantha Tollworthy, Founder of Teddy Locks, they keep their followers engaged through colors. Samantha Tollworthy is a marine biologist, wildlife TV producer, and now founder of sustainable sock company Teddy Locks. They have recycled more than 10,000 plastic bottles into socks, saved 1,500lbs of waste from landfills, and been featured in Bloomberg and Good Morning America in November. Here is Samantha’s Instagram Branding story below:

The number one thing for Teddy Locks is to keep our followers engaged, encouraged about topics that elsewhere are doused in doom and gloom, and eager to be a part of a social movement for good.

The primary way we keep our sustainability – and socks – fresh, and identifiable is through color. With a core base of 4 brand colors, that are used with complementary colors, we know that our followers can identify our posts in the stream of media they are served.

As a sock company, it is challenging to use UGC because of the difficulties in photographing feet – especially your own. Instead, to keep our community involved we save UGC and the personal elements of the brand for stories while keeping the feed posts educational and inspirational.

Our followers know where to go to learn and shop, and where to click to have fun and be involved.

Branding consistency is arguably the hardest part about maintaining a social presence, but it only has power and worth if your followers are interested in the first place.

Make your message clear

According to Allison Walsh, Founder & CEO of Allison Walsh Consulting, being clear on their messaging makes it easier for their potential followers to hit follow. Here is Allison’s Instagram Branding story below:

Allison Walsh Consulting’s brand is female empowerment, training, and leveling up in life. Allison works daily to inspire and educate women who are ready to take that next step but need guidance and motivation. Beyond aesthetics, it’s important that messaging is clear. If you try to talk to everyone, you’ll talk to no one. Sticking within your content pillars not only makes it easier to create content, but it also makes it easier for potential followers to hit follow and it helps retain those you have because they know the value that you’ll deliver or the content you’ll share is what they’re looking for.

Conclusion

With all these branding tips by real entrepreneurs on Instagram we’re sure you’ll find some inspiration to get you going. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them on social media (e.g. IG or Twitter) and thank them for their contribution. If you enjoyed this article do us a favor and share it with a friend. Because… sharing is caring. Thanks for reading!