How To Create A Cohesive Instagram Grid (and Why It Matters)

If you’re wondering whether having a cohesive Instagram feed ACTUALLY matters when it comes to the success of your business online – and, if so, where to begin – this blog post is about to break it down for you.

A strong brand is made up of many things, depending who you ask – but irrefutably, it’s consistent.

In messaging, in visuals, in voice, in behaviour.

The idea of “GRID GOALS” has a bit of a vapid reputation, but there IS a lot of truth to support the power of creating a cohesive vibe for your Instagram presence.

Why?

Let’s take a moment to discuss consistency.

When something in your life has been consistent, what feelings does that evoke?

Deep connection
Memorable impact
THE TRUST THAT IT WILL KEEP SHOWING UP FOR YOU

Mhmmm.

Consistency in your branding is a reminder to your audience that they can trust what you’re about — that you’ll keep showing up for them, to help them fulfill their goals, needs, wants, and serve their interests, in a way that they can anticipate and find comfort in.

Consistency builds trust.

Trust builds community.

Community builds longevity.

Longevity means success you can count on.

So, let’s circle back to that Instagram grid…

Even if you haven’t yet invested in a brand identity or any formal brand design, you can start building trust with your audience right now by showing up online with consistency.

If Instagram is the way your audience is first interacting with you, it becomes your business card, your storefront, and your first coffee chat, all wrapped into one.

Your feed is the standard to which they will hold you as you keep showing up for them.

If your grid looks like a scattered collection of random fonts, colours, using a different filter for every photo you post, trying new Canva templates on for size every week – what are you telling your audience about you?

You’re showing them that they should not count on what comes next. And where’s the trust in that?

Buttttt, if that hits home, don’t panic.

Creating a cohesive Instagram presence is actually *super* easy, with a few simple tools in hand.

These three things will instantly change how your audience responds to you, enhance the level of trust they have in what you’re offering, and elevate the way your brand presents online.

Stop second-guessing what comes next, and start posting from a place of intention, storytelling, and confidence.

01 // Commit to a Preset.

If you’ve been ‘gramming long enough you’ll notice some drool-worthy pages just have that SOMETHING that instantly transports you – sunny and tropical, warm and romantic, clean and sophisticated – it’s not magic, it’s a preset.

A “preset,” (what some may also call a “filter”) refers to a pre-made group of photo-editing settings (usually for Adobe Lightroom), that you can download to your phone or computer.

Different presets will evoke different feelings from your audience, and tell a different story about your brand.

So, what story do you want to tell?

Answer that, find a preset that delivers, and then all you need to do is hit APPLY, and you’re good to go.

02 // Determine your color palette.

Amazing news: Canva actually has a tool that allows you to select a color palette directly FROM a picture! So, if you’ve found a preset you love using, bring one of your edited beauties into any Canva design and under the colour section, you’ll see “Photo Colors” you can choose from.

Ahhh, technology! It has your back, we swear.

This will come into play when you’re incorporating graphic design, highlight covers, or even staging photo sessions for your content.

Pro tip: save those hex codes in case you ever need them in another app or design situation!

03 // Pick a font pairing for heck’s sake.

If graphic design is an element of your online presence, regardless of whether you’re creating quickie graphics on your iPhone or going all the way with desktop design, we PROMISE this will make you look 10000% more legit. Promise, promise, promise.

We wrote all about how to create branded designs on Canva, here.

So, to answer your question:

“Does having a cohesive Instagram feed really matter?”

If you want your audience to approach your brand with:

An instant sense of trust
A clear visual understanding of your story
More confidence + intention with every post you create

Yesssss – yes it does.

Our Film Preset Collection is now liiiiiive, and we can’t wait to see you use them to create a more cohesive online presence that tells your brand story.

Cheers,

The Appleyards