2 Dec, 2019
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Hey, remember when Myspace hit the internet and everyone jumped on board like they had a Groupon that was about to expire?
It was the first “big” social network and people couldn’t get enough of it. It was basically like a digital version of your high school locker. Your own corner of the internet to post pictures of your favorite bands and rank your eight favorite friends (and inevitably start drama, inspiring emo ballads the world over).
But aside from the social aspect, one of the best parts about the platform was the personalization. And one of the most important parts of that was your background, which could set the whole theme for your page, and often did.
Ready to have your mind blown?
By choosing stylized themes, fonts, songs, images, etc. for your page – you were kind of establishing a brand for yourself. You didn’t know back then that decking out your online profile and creating a brand would be preparing you for an achievable career today: the business owner.
These days, like a humble first gen Pokémon, Internet culture has evolved into its own ecosystem, with standards and best practices constantly being established for online industries.
The Internet is a big place, so those best practices mean different things for different people. For companies and influencers, one of those standards is establishing your brand. And on Instagram, there’s no better way to do that than with a cohesive feed.
Obviously offering killer content on a consistent basis is a major part of that. But setting an Instagram theme to coordinate all the pics in your feed is a super effective tool to instantly create an Instagram page full of eye-candy.
So if you’re ready to turn your Instagram account into the sweetest place on the Internet, let’s get started with info and tips for an Instagram theme makeover.
Glad you asked!
Like the Myspace backgrounds of yore, an Instagram theme basically sets the tone of your feed. It’s the color scheme, the layout, the editing style – the entire feel of your account.
A well-done Instagram theme can give your audience a snapshot of your entire aesthetic in one glance. And that first impression could very well be a primary factor in whether a visitor might decide to follow you or not. It can also shine some insight into your personality and give followers a sense of what they can expect from your content.
Plus, having a fitting Instagram theme is just good for branding.
Juliahengel is a mom blogger with over a million followers. Her content is all about her pregnancy and subsequent parenting journey. But check out her feed as a whole. Notice how every picture has a pinkish hue? And in many of her posts she’s just straight up wearing that same shade of pink.
She’s got nice, crisp, high quality images. And her content is full of super cute baby pics, fun and fashionable outfits, and a lavish lifestyle. What can we say about her feed other than it’s just #superadorbs? If Julia’s audience are young moms looking for a like minded influencer to follow, she hit the nail on the head.
Loveandlemons is rocking a cool Instagram theme, too. Okay, okay, we know you’re drooling over all that goodness, and that’s no accident. This scrumptious feed was clearly designed to get your taste buds all hot and bothered. But what you should really be focusing on is the Instagram theme she’s chosen.
Notice how despite different content in each pic, the general feel of all of them is the same? An aerial shot of deliberately arranged food and drinks; the use of bright, vivid colors; and a white or cool-toned background to all the pictures. This feed is clean, cohesive, and has a clear aesthetic thanks to its theme.
We’re all trying to feed the IG gods and get #blessed with good engagement and hopefully some account growth. Choosing a cool Instagram theme that fits your style a step in the right direction, but like your grandma’s favorite fancy curtains, even the best things can have drawbacks.
It’s hard enough creating an Instagram content marketing plan and sticking to a posting schedule. Especially on top of actually having to create the content itself and even potentially working a “day job” if you aren’t in full ‘business-owner’ swing yet. And we hear your collective groans at the thought of adding yet another task to your to-do list. Don’t worry – we got you!
We’ve scoured the depths of the Internet and countless IG accounts to find you some awesome Instagram theme ideas you’ll be able to apply to your account no matter what your niche is.
Give them a browse to see what type of Instagram theme speaks to you!
A little goes a long way. Your Instagram theme doesn’t have to be fancy art nouveau to be effective. In fact, some of the best Instagram themes are all about being chic and simple. So don’t feel like you need to come up with some super complicated gimmick.
There’s a lot you can do just by picking your favorite color and rolling with it. Plus, sometimes leveraging just one color is enough to hone in on a specific market.
Key takeaway: Choose one color to focus on.
There are lots of ways to do a white themed Instagram, but we love how Alexander Nest uses her all white home décor for content.
This theme is so pretty in pink we’re half expecting Molly Ringwald to pop up in one of the pics! But even if we don’t find her, we can’t get enough of Arisu Cookie’s pink fashion and accessories. Who knew you could turn a color into a lifestyle?
We’re living for the cool blue Instagram theme of Fursty’s feed. Notice how the subject matter changes, but each image still maintains that hypnotic hue.
Let’s just take a second to appreciate how Demolition Blonde has oh-so-cleverly branded herself. We LOVE how her caption describes her as the “Cherry On Top”, and then follows that up with a red themed Instagram feed. She uses a mix of red clothes, accessories, and locations to pull the whole look together.
If your brand is about being fun, lively, and energetic, an Instagram theme using multiple colors might be right for you. You can go clean and sleek or pigmented and punky to get this theme to match your style!
Key takeaway: Be bold, but deliberate with your colors. There’s a thin line between fun & colorful, and a pinata crime scene.
Minimalist Style nails it with this chic, classic look. It’s sleek, modern, and clean theme that frankly, could work with any style.
Can’t narrow it down to a couple specific colors? Why not try a rainbow theme? Check out the way makeup artist Hannar Rzgar creates a gradient from one color to the next with a rainbow themed Instagram feed.
If you like a lot of color but don’t want to feel restricted to a specific pattern, go for the color block Instagram theme. There’s no one way to do it, which is why we love this theme. The key is just to make sure each background of you photo features a bold color, like Splendid Rags.
Sometimes, a few particular colors just go really well together. Got a pair of colors that’s just oh-so-you? Incorporate them both, like the peach and minty hues Hot Pink Pineapples’ Instagram feed boasts.
And then other times, you just need to let loose! Who are we to stop you from living your best unicorn fairytale life? Sometimes lots of colors can clash, but if you make sure you’ve got random pops of color with equally vibrant hues like Sophlog’s colorful Instagram feed, you’re gold! Or yellow. Or purple. Or green. Or…
Your Instagram theme options don’t have to be limited to just color. You can also customize the layout of your images to create a pattern in your feed.
Key takeaway: Focus on how the layout of your feed fits together as a whole.
When we talk about feeds we generally picture them with a series of separate images that tell followers about a brand. But you can actually arrange your pics so that they fit together like a puzzle to form one large picture, just like Paper and a Plan’s puzzle themed Instagram.
We don’t see this one often, but when we do it quickly becomes a favorite. It’s a great option for brands, but it’s good for personal accounts, too. And it leaves a lot of room to work in color schemes, content type, or both – like how Katie Mander uses it for her consulting business.
If you really want to disrupt the status quo of Instagram feed themes, you may need to think outside the box. Try circles instead of the usual squares, like the Pierce Twins.
The tile or checkered Instagram theme is great if you have different types of content for the that you need broken up. Think mixing up quotes and images the way Cerebral Mist does.
This one can be a bit of a mixed bag. Basically it’s putting a portion of a puzzle into your larger feed. This is a cool Instagram theme if you want to dip your feet into trying a feed without needing to commit to the whole thing. We love how IamTeko uses it for just that.
You know how some folks really like a certain season? Like that one person on your newsfeed who starts talking about pumpkin spice the second July ends? Well this one’s for them…and anyone who has a favorite season, really.
Key takeaway: Focus on your favorite season’s aesthetics.
If only we could enjoy the most wonderful time of the year, all year. Fortunately for us all, the Earth continues to rotate. So think about adopting a wintery Instagram theme like Alexandra Taylor, to transform your account into a winter wonderland in the off season.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to beat the winter doldrums, then a fresh, springy Instagram theme might be just what the doctor ordered. Living The Aus Dream seems to be all about fresh springy weather, and we know her subscribers are living for her.
If you’re fortunate enough to live in a climate with warm weather year-round, choosing a summer Instagram theme could be a good option. ByBrittanyN shares pictures of her LA wanderings when she’s not traveling to another paradise.
#pumpkinspice
If you’re not married to the idea of using the same type of image, then it’s cool to stick with a style of displaying your content and leave it at that. You’ll still get to have a uniform theme to your Instagram feed, but with more wiggle room for your content.
Key takeaway: Consider the overall uniformity of your feed rather than necessarily focusing on individual images.
Use borders as your Instagram feed theme for a consistent decorative touch. Or, like TeamWoodNote, you can use a white one to give the illusion of a more open feed.
If you like the idea of a color scheme but don’t want to add finding locations and choosing accessories to your pics, then using a filter might be up your alley. Katerina & Yinon use a romantic, dusky filter to give their Instagram theme a cohesive feel.
A neat way to add some uniformity while still leaving your photo options pretty open is to go with a pattern theme. Check out how Wall Traveled uses wall patterns and images as backdrops to her pictures.
Choosing a rectangle Instagram theme is a great way to break up content with white space and break out from the crowd. The only drawback is that it uses up more space than the standard square pics. But it’s a really cool look and offers a minimalist feel – what Aurora Design seems to be going for.
Hey, cutie! When you’re craving an adorable cheek smush but your great aunt isn’t around to deliver, your followers can have your back. Choose one of these Instagram themes if you like to rock the cutie patootie lifestyle 24/7.
Key takeaway: Focus on light or bright colors, softness, and traditional “Cute” tropes.
Lifestyle blogging doesn’t always have to be fancy kitchen backsplashes and elaborate vacations. Sometimes things are just cute, and that’s ok. We love how OhayouKitten let’s her playful personality reflect in her Instagram feed. What can we say? We’re tickled pink.
Just because we grow up doesn’t mean we need to stop having fun. So there’s no reason you can’t have a super sleek, and super whimsical lifestyle IG account. That’s exactly what A Whimsy Wonderland does for their theirs and we can’t get enough of it. The pair rocks cute outfits in fun settings to serve up one of the cutest Instagram themes we’ve seen.
For businesses with mascots that could be considered cute, Instagram can really be a playground. Managing a cute themed Instagram account is the perfect opportunity to have some fun with your followers and rock out on engagement. Don’t believe us? We’ll let Hello Kitty’s adorable Instagram feed speak for itself.
Well come on, who can resist a baby face? If you’re a parenting blogger, your followers want to see pics of you and your adorable little loves making your way in the world. And we gotta be honest – it doesn’t take much work to make a baby cute. So sit back and post pics of your family, and your cute Instagram theme will take care of itself, just like AllThingsVictoria.
So far a lot of the Instagram themes we’ve talked about have been pretty robust, but we know that’s not everyone’s style. If you’ve got a breezier, toned down personality but you still want a fresh, fun theme – these next few suggestions are for you.
Key takeaway: Focus on clean, muted colors.
If you’re torn between wanting color but concerned about over doing it, pastels are a great compromise. You could go with one color or mix and match a few at will and the end result would be pretty regardless. Check out how Meyoco uses a specific pastel color palette to create a really cool and uniquely themed Instagram feed.
Because we’ve spent so much time beating color over the top of your head, we want to make it clear that you can create really light, professional looking Instagram themes using neutrals, too. Just check out how gorg Rebecka Wahl’s neutral Instagram feed is.
Ok, so what if you want a cohesive feel to your Instagram theme, but you don’t necessarily want to commit to narrowing your colors or content? Why not go for a fresh, airy feed that allows you to post whatever type of pics you want, AND still offers a put together look. Don’t you love how fun and fresh Nina Tekwani’s feed is?
Finally, there’s a light Instagram theme that kinda compromises with the others from this section so far. We love going with light and airy colors that sort of walk the line between pastel and neon. Escape Into Color does a good job finding that balance.
Got some ideas brewing? Good. But don’t keep those puppies locked away in your head – it’s time to share your vision with the world.
The first thing you need to do is figure out which theme you want to adopt. And don’t worry – you can definitely change things up going forward if you decide to go in a different direction. Just remember that there’s no way to reset an entire feed.
That means you’ll either have to jump from one theme to the next, or delete and reupload your content using the new theme. So just make sure you’re confident trying out whichever one you decide to go with.
If you want, you can even use the Preview app to check out what your Instagram theme feed will look like before it goes live.
Related: Our Favorite Instagram Tools
Once you’ve chosen a theme, you’ll need to create some sort of content calendar to plan out your content.
Although highly recommended, you could go rogue and skip the content planning if your theme is a filter, border, or you’re just gonna go ham with colors or patterns. If you choose one of the more intricate Instagram themes though, like the puzzle, tile, or specific color scheme then you’ll definitely need to plan those out ahead of time for the theme to work.
If this is the case, take some time to brainstorm a few content ideas. That includes how many pictures you need to get through the month (or however far your content calendar stretches); any specific accessories, clothes, or props you’ll need, and the order in which photos should be posted if your theme is a pattern.
At this point it’s time to get going on your cool Instagram theme, make like Cupid, and start collecting those hearts, baby!
BUT… you should know that it’s really easy to flop on a themed Instagram account if you don’t stay on top of planning and posting. When the theme of your account relies on precise posting and sticking to specific colors, one missed post can throw off the whole look.
So again, we’re gonna really suggest you make a content calendar to manage your posting schedule. Additionally, it’s also a good idea to schedule your posts ahead of time so you don’t forget, and to make sure that everything is arranged the way it’s supposed to be.
You can use Later, Hootsuite, or any other batching and scheduling platform.
BUT, the scheduling platforms aren’t foolproof. You’ll still need to set aside some time to plan and create your content. And you then need to set aside time to schedule your posts regularly. This is an important step, too, because it can be easy to forget to keep up with your planning and scheduling when your posts have been on autopilot.
If you’re interested in setting up a cool theme for your Instagram account but you’re not confident in your design skills, it’s not even a problem.
There’s plenty of apps that can help you create awesome content and set up a theme for your account. Many of them plug and play. Here are a few to get you started:
And that’s it!
You know everything you need to get started on a rockin Instagram theme that works with your brand – personal or business. * sob * They grow up so fast.
So let us know what you come up with! Tag us on IG to show off your brand new Instagram theme.
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