If a picture is worth a thousand words, your Instagram feed can write the story of your brand. Take it from trendsetting interior designer Moll Anderson, a New York Times best-selling author, Emmy-winning television personality and social media maven. Her Instagram account brings followers on an inspiring journey through her life and designs, one double-tap-worthy pic at a time.
During her Dallas Design Week appearance, Moll touched on social media tips—and we couldn’t resist going back to the source for more brand-building gold. Read on to learn how to take your designer Insta-game to the next level, straight from the star herself.
Keep It Real & Relevant
As a designer, Instagram is your photo album to the world. It’s important to post relevant design content, but people also appreciate seeing the real person behind the brand. Organically posting moments from my life allows my feed to blend my personal and business worlds naturally. I never want my account to feel like I am always selling.
Engage Your Audience
One of my favorite things to do on Instagram is to read comments and see how people are reacting to my posts. By engaging with your followers’ comments, your true self shines through. I believe the interactions help my followers feel closer to me—and vice versa—because they know their questions will be answered and their comments are appreciated.
Be Authentic
When I meet people, I want them to feel that the person they have met and the @mollanderson account are one and the same. It’s important that my community knows that I practice what I preach!
Post Daily (Except When You Don’t)
Social media is such an amazing tool, allowing the world to connect through imagery and content. I believe daily posts keep your followers engaged, without oversaturating their feeds. At the same time, sometimes you need to just enjoy your dinner and set social media aside.
Plan Ahead
I like to plan at least a day ahead for an Instagram post, and then use Instagram stories to capture fun and spontaneous moments as they occur.
Learn To ♥ Hashtags
They can be a pain sometimes, but hashtags provide a simple way for people to search Instagram for topics and join conversations. Make your life simpler by creating a list of your most commonly used hashtags and keep it at your fingertips.
Grow Followers Organically
Trying to raise your numbers shouldn’t take over your life. Don’t get competitive, and resist the temptation to purchase followers. Remember that social media continues to change all the time, so go with the flow and do not live and breathe by it.
Don’t miss Moll’s new book, Change Your Home, Change Your Life with Color: What’s Your Color Story?, available via mollanderson.com.
Design Photography for Instagram In 5 Easy Steps
The go-to for top designers when it comes to capturing captivating images, photographer Stephen Karlisch shares simple tips for snapping perfect social pics of your designs.
- For shooting a full room, think low and level. Keep overhead lights off and accents lights on their lowest dimmer setting (or turn them off).
- For detail shots, go tight and vertical. Tightly cropped detail images get better results.
- The best crop for Instagram is a 4 x 5 proportion. Stay consistent with angles and crops.
- Every image will need some editing. I like to brighten, straighten and add a little contrast and saturation—but don’t go crazy!
- Group images with a color element and if you can, place objects in shots to pull in that color. Your grid should have a meaningful pattern.