Optimize Your Instagram Profile!
5 Quick Steps to Seriously Optimize Your Instagram Profile
With a few small tweaks, you can optimize your Instagram profile as soon as today and build a strong brand presence that tells your ideal couples Hey, my brand is the best fit for you!
These are the 5 essentials you need for an Instagram profile that shares your message and your work with a purpose:
1 Add a Personable Profile Picture on Instagram
A great way to add some instant personality to your Instagram account is through your profile picture. It’s usually the first photo anyone viewing your profile for the first time sees. Yes, even before your grid!
I recommend using a professional headshot rather than your logo because your ideal couples want to connect with the person behind the brand. You’ll see your Instagram following and engagement increase when you confidently show the pretty face behind your brilliant work.
These professional headshots make excellent Instagram profile pictures:
Photo of you in your element – This can be at your desk, at a coffee shop, on the couch with your cute pup, anything that’s in your natural habitat.
Photo of you smiling, looking directly at the camera – These headshots instantly connect you with your audience because you’re making eye contact, even though it’s only through the screen.
Photo of you with a fun prop – Are you known for your love of indoor plants, coffee, or confetti? Add some zest into your photo with a fun prop that’s unique to you.
2 Craft a Clear and Concise Instagram Profile Description
When your ideal client lands on your Instagram profile, the first place they’ll look for more information about you is your profile description. You only have 150 characters in your profile bio to make an impact so use them wisely!
Stumped on what to put in your profile description? Writing about yourself can be so difficult. These thought starters help me whenever I’m creating my bio:
🔹What do I offer my clients?
🔹What couples and brides am I trying to attract? Who is my ideal audience?
🔹What makes my services (or products) different? What kind of experience do I create?
🔹What inspired me to start my brand?
🔹What words do people use to describe me AND my brand?
3 Be Mindful of Your Instagram Bio-Link
The obvious link to include in your Instagram profile is your website link, right? Well, not quite.
See, it’s actually better to have a link to a specific page on your website. The more specific, the better it will perform.
Be sure to shorten the link with a tool like bit.ly and customize it so it clearly states what the link is for. You’ll also be able to track how many exact clicks you receive through the shortened link.
🔹Not sure what you should offer? Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
🔹email course / email sequence like I do with Instagram Secrets
🔹printable download
🔹service or product giveaway
🔹ebook of your experiences or expertise
🔹highlight a specific service or product you offer
🔹anything!
After choosing what you’ll offer, you’ll explain what it is and why people should click the link by putting a short blurb in your Instagram bio. This is called your CTA or “call-to-action”. Make your CTA so strong and descriptive that visitors immediately click the link in your bio.
4 Create Engaging Instagram Captions
How many times have you been excited to post a photo on Instagram but then thought I have no idea what to write as the caption? I remember those days…
With a few small tweaks, you can optimize your Instagram profile as soon as today and build a strong brand presence that tells your ideal couples Hey, my brand is the best fit for you!
These are the 5 essentials you need for an Instagram profile that shares your message and your work with a purpose:
1 Add a Personable Profile Picture on Instagram
A great way to add some instant personality to your Instagram account is through your profile picture. It’s usually the first photo anyone viewing your profile for the first time sees. Yes, even before your grid!
I recommend using a professional headshot rather than your logo because your ideal couples want to connect with the person behind the brand. You’ll see your Instagram following and engagement increase when you confidently show the pretty face behind your brilliant work.
These professional headshots make excellent Instagram profile pictures:
Photo of you in your element – This can be at your desk, at a coffee shop, on the couch with your cute pup, anything that’s in your natural habitat.
Photo of you smiling, looking directly at the camera – These headshots instantly connect you with your audience because you’re making eye contact, even though it’s only through the screen.
Photo of you with a fun prop – Are you known for your love of indoor plants, coffee, or confetti? Add some zest into your photo with a fun prop that’s unique to you.
2 Craft a Clear and Concise Instagram Profile Description
When your ideal client lands on your Instagram profile, the first place they’ll look for more information about you is your profile description. You only have 150 characters in your profile bio to make an impact so use them wisely!
Stumped on what to put in your profile description? Writing about yourself can be so difficult. These thought starters help me whenever I’m creating my bio:
🔹What do I offer my clients?
🔹What couples and brides am I trying to attract? Who is my ideal audience?
🔹What makes my services (or products) different? What kind of experience do I create?
🔹What inspired me to start my brand?
🔹What words do people use to describe me AND my brand?
3 Be Mindful of Your Instagram Bio-Link
The obvious link to include in your Instagram profile is your website link, right? Well, not quite.
See, it’s actually better to have a link to a specific page on your website. The more specific, the better it will perform.
Be sure to shorten the link with a tool like bit.ly and customize it so it clearly states what the link is for. You’ll also be able to track how many exact clicks you receive through the shortened link.
🔹Not sure what you should offer? Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
🔹email course / email sequence like I do with Instagram Secrets
🔹printable download
🔹service or product giveaway
🔹ebook of your experiences or expertise
🔹highlight a specific service or product you offer
🔹anything!
After choosing what you’ll offer, you’ll explain what it is and why people should click the link by putting a short blurb in your Instagram bio. This is called your CTA or “call-to-action”. Make your CTA so strong and descriptive that visitors immediately click the link in your bio.
4 Create Engaging Instagram Captions
How many times have you been excited to post a photo on Instagram but then thought I have no idea what to write as the caption? I remember those days…
Luckily, I now have a bank of ideas I can pull from whenever that question starts to creep in so I’m always making as much of an impact with my captions as I am with my Instagram photos.
Quick ideas for Instagram captions that convert:
🔹an industry tip that shows your expertise
🔹a personality-infused client testimonial
🔹behind-the-scenes story from a brand photo shoot or project
🔹an inside look into your client process and/or creative process
🔹a fun, approachable story about what it was like to work with a recent client
🔹a vulnerable, authentic story that shows the heart behind your brand
🔹the core values and purpose behind your brand
🔹psst… you can find more Instagram caption ideas in Instagram Secrets, my free email course!
➖“Tweet: There’s only one thing your ideal clients want to hear about on Instagram. They want to hear your brand story as told by YOU.”➖
5 Post High-Quality Instagram Photos
Okay, so this tip may seem like a no-brainer but this post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning it.
Now if you’re telling yourself I don’t have a fancy DSLR camera so I can’t take photos for Instagram, I’m happy to tell you it’s simply not true. Hell, I even post photos from my iPhone alongside photos I take professionally for my wedding and boudoir photography clients.
➖It’s not a question of buying the best tools; it’s about using the tools you have in the right way. (Tweet this!)➖
Here are a few quick tips to help you take better photos with the camera on your iPhone:
Turn off your flash. Natural light is always optimal for shooting photos, no matter what kind of camera you have. Eliminate harsh shadowed backgrounds and red-eye by turning off your flash.
Turn on the grid feature on your Camera app. Simply go to Settings > Photos & Camera > Toggle the Grid setting “on” by swiping to the right. This will help you take advantage of the “rule of thirds” principle.
Focus on elements in your shot. You can do this by clicking the screen where the element is sitting so it sharpens the element.
Use editing apps. But don’t overdo it with a dozen different filters. Choose one that fits your aesthetic and use it for all of your photos. I highly recommend VSCO for this.
➖“Remember, you don’t have to be a professional photographer to make an impact on Instagram.(Tweet it!)”➖
You do, however, need to have an eye for what photos look best together. You can do this by planning out your grid ahead of time and making sure all elements of your brand are visible from square to square.
Want to learn how to attract a flood of dream clients directly from Instagram?
Psst… I’m sharing all of my Instagram Secrets including how to market yourself as a service provider, outrageous myths about Instagram you need to avoid, and the biggest reasons your Instagram profile isn’t converting and quick tips on how to change that. Oh, and a LOT more too.
I consider this my best free offering yet but it’s only available this month (!!) so start learning and growing today:
Quick ideas for Instagram captions that convert:
🔹an industry tip that shows your expertise
🔹a personality-infused client testimonial
🔹behind-the-scenes story from a brand photo shoot or project
🔹an inside look into your client process and/or creative process
🔹a fun, approachable story about what it was like to work with a recent client
🔹a vulnerable, authentic story that shows the heart behind your brand
🔹the core values and purpose behind your brand
🔹psst… you can find more Instagram caption ideas in Instagram Secrets, my free email course!
➖“Tweet: There’s only one thing your ideal clients want to hear about on Instagram. They want to hear your brand story as told by YOU.”➖
5 Post High-Quality Instagram Photos
Okay, so this tip may seem like a no-brainer but this post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning it.
Now if you’re telling yourself I don’t have a fancy DSLR camera so I can’t take photos for Instagram, I’m happy to tell you it’s simply not true. Hell, I even post photos from my iPhone alongside photos I take professionally for my wedding and boudoir photography clients.
➖It’s not a question of buying the best tools; it’s about using the tools you have in the right way. (Tweet this!)➖
Here are a few quick tips to help you take better photos with the camera on your iPhone:
Turn off your flash. Natural light is always optimal for shooting photos, no matter what kind of camera you have. Eliminate harsh shadowed backgrounds and red-eye by turning off your flash.
Turn on the grid feature on your Camera app. Simply go to Settings > Photos & Camera > Toggle the Grid setting “on” by swiping to the right. This will help you take advantage of the “rule of thirds” principle.
Focus on elements in your shot. You can do this by clicking the screen where the element is sitting so it sharpens the element.
Use editing apps. But don’t overdo it with a dozen different filters. Choose one that fits your aesthetic and use it for all of your photos. I highly recommend VSCO for this.
➖“Remember, you don’t have to be a professional photographer to make an impact on Instagram.(Tweet it!)”➖
You do, however, need to have an eye for what photos look best together. You can do this by planning out your grid ahead of time and making sure all elements of your brand are visible from square to square.
Want to learn how to attract a flood of dream clients directly from Instagram?
Psst… I’m sharing all of my Instagram Secrets including how to market yourself as a service provider, outrageous myths about Instagram you need to avoid, and the biggest reasons your Instagram profile isn’t converting and quick tips on how to change that. Oh, and a LOT more too.
I consider this my best free offering yet but it’s only available this month (!!) so start learning and growing today:
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