How to Edit Photos for Instagram

Aug 12

Did you know that Instagram users will decide within 3 seconds of visiting your profile if they are going to follow you or not? Your feed is a key component of your profile, which means the layout and editing of your photos can have a major impact on a user's decision to follow you! Read on for a few of our top tips on how to edit photos for Instagram.

WHY IT MATTERS

One way to curate a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing grid is to edit your photos for Instagram consistently. This requires establishing a few presets (or filters) to overlay on top of all of your photos prior to posting. Will you opt for a bright and colorful feed? Dark and moody? Light and neutral? Find a few filters that match the “theme” or “vibe” you’re going for and stick to them!

Here’s why cohesive editing matters:

It makes the layout of your grid visually appealing, which can attract more followers.
It makes your posts and brand recognizable.
- A great example of this is the Mayfair Group! When one of their posts pops up on our newsfeed, we can tell it’s theirs right away without even having to peek at who posted it.
Consistent content builds trust with your audience as they know what they can expect from you.

If those benefits aren’t reason enough to consider investing time into your content, consider this: a picture is worth a thousand words. High-quality imagery communicates to your digital audience that your products and services are likely high quality too.

Now onto the editing tips...

OUR TOP EDITING TIPS

DON’T OVERDO IT

Heavy and overly saturated Instagram filters are OUT! 👏 Lately, most brands and influencers have been opting for softer and more natural filters.

Regardless of what “everyone else is doing” take some time to determine what best reflects your brand.

PICK A “THEME” AND STICK TO IT

Whether you prefer light & bright or dark & moody, pick a theme you like and stick to it! This will ensure a cohesive feed.

PREVIEW THE PHOTO ON YOUR GRID PRIOR TO POSTING

This will allow you to visualize how the photo will look in your feed before publishing. Take note of how it looks in comparison to the other photos around it. Is the editing too light? Too dark? Too colorful? Too dull? Adjust as needed! Some of our favorite apps that allow us to do this are Later, Planoly, and UNUM.

OUR TOP APPS TO EDIT PHOTOS FOR INSTAGRAM

Now that you know the importance of editing feed posts and our top tips, let’s get into HOW to actually edit photos for Instagram. Here are a few of our favorite apps:

Lightroom
- This application was rated a favorite among the homies at HMS! If you’ve seen some of your favorite creators selling presets, this is the app they were made for. We love this platform because the photo editing possibilities are endless!
Tezza
- Another fan favorite at HMS. Tezza comes with aesthetically pleasing presets and simple editing tools to adjust your photos exactly to your liking!
ColourTone
- Our copywriter Dominique’s personal favorite. Just like Tezza, this app comes with pre-made filters for you to easily toss on and beautify any photo or video.
VSCO
- This app is an OG. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use editing tool that does the job, consider this app your answer.