Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from scrolling through your feed and instead endlessly scroll through someone’s individual Instagram page.
Welcome to The Grid.
Every Instagram post lined up in neat rows of three suddenly becomes part of a larger picture. A glimpse into a user’s psyche… or at least content strategy.
And Instagram power users know how to use this perspective to their advantage, with artfully planned posts that together create a gorgeous Instagram grid layout.
If you haven’t thought about what the sum of your own squares is, now is the time. Here’s everything you need to know about building a remarkable Instagram network to increase your followers and engagement.
Why is your Instagram grid layout important?
The first time someone follows you or goes to your profile to check out your content, your chart is an opportunity to showcase your mood or brand.
The grid provides a bird’s-eye view of a user’s post history. This is your first impression of their work: an at-a-glance introduction to their personal or professional brand.
Creating a pretty picture for individual users may not matter – sure, color-coding your posts can be a fun personal challenge, but if you’re on the ‘gram’ just to connect with friends, not to build an audience, branding is most likely not. very important.
But for brands, creatives or influencers, consistency and style are key… especially if your account is focused on aesthetics or lifestyle.
After all, your grid is a quick and easy way to get your message across. Also, anyone who views your profile is considering following you. This is your chance to show off exactly what you have to offer.
Are you avant-garde or trending? Will your content soothe or bring drama? Is your brand consistent or chaotic? One look at the grid and (sorry, sorry) they’ll get the picture.
7 Creative ways to design an Instagram grid layout
Great grids start with a vision, so we’ve scoured Instagram to find some of the most elegant styles to inspire your own looks.
Stick to a color combination
This is probably the most common grid style – not that I’m calling anyone lazy (don’t make me!), but it really doesn’t come easy.
Choose a color palette (pinks and grays?) or a specific tone (high contrast neons?) to make it stand out in every photo. Viewed together, your gallery will look like a matching set, even if the content of your images changes. Home and lifestyle influencer
@the.orange.home only has photos with a bright, white background with earth tone accents. This is a a certain feeling.
If your home or office isn’t decorated like an Insta-ready background, an easy way to make sure your photos all speak the same visual language is to use the same filter for each photo to help create a consistent tone.
Is this a variation of the theme? Using a standard filter or color palette, but also working with a “highlight” color in several posts or applying a filter. Maybe your post is mostly dreamy, sepia-toned boho fantasy, but every few lines we see a vibrant pop of forest green. Wow! you are playing with fire!
Create a checkerboard effect
By changing the style of the photo you post, you will easily create a checkerboard look in your grid. Try replacing text quotes with photos or mixing close-ups with landscape photos. Going back and forth with two different colors can also work.
Some cute info for you: here, parenting resource @solidstarts cycles through photos of babies snacking and how-to graphics.
Important tip: If you’re using text-based posts, keep the background color or fonts consistent to make the pattern really clear. Check and match.
(Need a little help with graphic design? There are tons of great tools and templates for creating standout images.)
line by line design
Think outside the box… and, um, inside the queue. Combining images in each row by theme or color can make a powerful impact.
For example, PR firm @ninepointagency goes with a different background color for each palette in their grid.
The trick, of course, is that you have to send three images at a time, otherwise the alignment will be broken.
If you’re brave enough to experiment with panoramic images for one of your lines (a triple photo adding one long, horizontal image), you dare, many users post the same caption for each one for clarity. three parts of a whole, as photographer @gregorygiepel does in his architectural shots.
Create vertical column
Dividing the grid with squares that create a vertical, central image is a great way to bring together graphic branding and photography on your profile.
Vancouver’s @communitybreathwork uses both a vertically and horizontally linked image in this part of their grid – but the images can still technically stand alone. (Or… lounging alone?)
Turn your grid into a rainbow
You need both patience and a great sense of color to achieve this look. The goal is to post regularly in one saturated color… and then slowly move to the next shade in the rainbow with your next rows of posts.
You’ll have to swipe yourself to really get the full effect of drag queen @ilonaverley’s rainbow ‘gram grid, but here’s a screenshot of her transition from green to yellow.
embrace the limit
Creating a consistent look can be as simple as applying a border to all your images.
Stylist @her.styling uses white square borders on all of her images, but you can create a signature look with any color range. The free Whitagram app is an option to quickly apply this edit with all kinds of different tonal borders and backgrounds.
Turn your posts into a puzzle
This layout is a tough one to pull off on a day-to-day basis, but for a big announcement or campaign, or to start a new account, a puzzle grid definitely packs a punch.
A puzzle grid creates a large, interconnected image from all the squares. Individually, these posts probably seem like nonsense. But taken together, it is a work of art.
Give commercial photographer @nelsonmouellic a round of applause for this visual achievement, okay?
5 tips for planning a gorgeous Instagram grid layout
Of course, none of these stylish grilles come about by accident. You have to grind for that grill! There are some things to keep in mind when planning the big picture.
1. Preview first
Before posting: map.
You can emulate it in photo editing software or use Moyens I/O’s app integration, which lets you preview your layout before it’s published. Currently only for personal accounts, but business account functionality will be available soon.
Create an Instagram grid layout of up to nine images and then schedule them so that they go up in exactly the right order via the Moyens I/O dashboard.
2. Keep it consistent
Creating a great Instagram grid means sticking to a plan. A photo in the wrong color, wrong filter, or wrong order can ruin your entire look.
Imagine if luxury goods company @shopcadine added a picture of #kitchen failure to their collection of muted, earthy-toned, handpicked photos. Instant chaos!
3. Make sure it fits your brand
After all, the purpose of a grid isn’t just to impress your friends with your commitment to using a particular Lightroom preset filter. Creating a unified view for your brand.
So if you’re a recruiting firm for senior executives like @mrinetwork, for example, having a fun rainbow grid might not quite fit the professional and serious style you’re looking for. If it’s a monochrome, text-based post thread…
4. Take advantage of image editing tools
If you haven’t figured it out yet: Instagram is a visual medium… and it’s hard to put together a great painting unless it’s individual pictures. also they are wonderful.
Fortunately, there are tons of great photo editing tools out there and expert advice around every corner… for example, our guides to taking great Instagram photos and keeping up with the latest Instagram trends.
5. Plan your posts ahead of time
Keep your gorgeous grid active and up-to-date with the help of a timing tool that lets you drop just the right filtered image (or all three) at just the right time. Moyens I/O’s control panel, for example, makes it easy to have your best photos ready when you want them. Turn on that grid!
Of course, creating a great grid is just one way to draw attention to the ‘gram’. For more marketing tips and tricks to take your account to the next level, check out our ultimate guide to Instagram marketing here.
Grow your Instagram presence using Moyens I/O. You can schedule and publish posts and Stories directly to Instagram, engage your audience, measure performance, and run all your other social media profiles, all from a single dashboard. Try it for free today.
