Choosing Instagram profile pictures might seem like a small task to you. After all, it is a small picture. And how much does it really get noticed?
The truth is, your profile picture on Instagram is the first thing people notice on visiting your profile. It is how people recognize you in their Instagram feed, & it sets the stage for your branding.
If you want to make a great first impression on Instagram, it is crucial that you choose the right profile picture. With that being said, you need to carefully pick Instagram profile pictures as it will tell your audience who you are and what your brand is about.
So, how should you choose a profile picture to represent your brand on Instagram?
Read on to learn why it is important to pick the perfect Instagram profile picture, followed by tips for choosing the ideal one! Let's start!
- Show Your Face Or Logo
- Ensure Instagram Profile Picture Size
- Stay On Brand & Keep Focus On It
- Keep It Timeless
- Make Use Of Bold & Colorful Background
- Ensure Picture Aesthetics
Your Brand & Your Instagram Profile Picture
The entire purpose of creating a stunning Instagram page is to make your brand prominent and recognizable among your target audience. Your Instagram profile pictures are the one thing most users tend to identify with your brand on the platform. It's the first image that catches the eye of potential audience or followers and is, therefore, pivotal to your brand's overall image.
Image Source: Statusbrew Instagram
Why Instagram Profile Pictures Matter?
Your feed isn't the first thing users will notice upon visiting your profile. First, they will see your Instagram bio – particularly your Instagram profile pictures.
You have a few seconds to make a lasting impression when users visit your profile. Therefore, you should put every effort into curating your profile picture on Instagram such that it makes you stand out from the crowd and gets lots of likes and followers.
You need to carefully pick your Instagram profile pictures as it will tell your audience who you are and what your brand is about. But that's not the only reason to have a good Instagram profile picture.
Your Instagram profile pictures must grab attention for many reasons such as the ones listed below.
Image Source: Shake Shack Instagram
Gain More Followers
Making a good first impression is really important. While it absolutely matters in the real world, the same principle is also applied online. When a potential audience/follower visits your profile on Instagram, the first thing they notice is your Instagram profile pictures.
Your Instagram profile picture is what people see when they:
- Watch your Instagram Story
- Send you a direct message
- When you like a comment or leave a comment
In such a scenario, having one that is visually attractive will increase the chances of them hitting that Follow button. This can help you grow your account with more followers in the long run. And if you are a brand or running a business, your Instagram profile can help you reach more new customers.
Image Source: Starbucks Instagram
Make Your Account Look More Trustworthy
Unique and creative Instagram profile pictures leave a lasting impression as it urges your audience to click on your profile and see what your account is about.
However, if your profile picture doesn't appear professional, users will hesitate to trust your account.
Instagram is a visual platform, and therefore, your photo should look visually appealing to stand out from the rest.
Uplift Brand Awareness
Even if you are a start-up and new to Instagram, you should pick good Instagram profile pictures such that it looks professional.
Take this example from a beauty brand that started its operation in 2017, Krave Beauty. Today, they have around 270K followers on Instagram.
Image Source: Krave Beauty Instagram
Use a clean, minimalist profile picture on Instagram so that your audience will know exactly who you are. This minimal approach in the above example is a reflection of their brand's advocacy as Krave Beauty brand aims for a minimalistic approach to skincare.
Helps Grow Your Account
Your Instagram profile pictures play a huge role in branding. When you use one photo consistently as your profile image on several social platforms, your followers will start recognizing you and your brand.
They won't even find the need to read your Instagram username to know who you are. All they have to do is look at your profile photo.
Are you ready to make a lasting impression on Instagram with your profile picture? Follow the tips given below to choose the right one!
Image Source: Ben & Jerry’s Instagram
Ideas To Perfect Instagram Profile Pictures
Choosing a good Instagram profile picture requires attention to detail and a little bit of effort on your part. Here are some tips you should keep in mind when choosing a profile picture for Instagram:
1. Show Your Face Or Logo
It is always best to put yourself or your brand identity out there when trying to connect with your audience. Unless you are trying to market a brand, the ideal Instagram profile picture should be your own face.
Not only does this add a personal touch to your account, but it also makes your account look more credible. This is true, for solo workers, like freelancers and Instagram influencers. Putting up a picture of your face can help you gain your audience's trust.
For brands and business accounts, it is best to use your logo. Your brand is defined by its logo, which is why it should be the center of attention when someone visits your profile.
Image Source: Chubbies Instagram
2. Ensure Instagram Profile Picture Size
Your profile picture should be of the right size and format.
The perfect Instagram profile picture size is 110 x 110 pixels (yes, that's a perfect square). But, Instagram will crop your profile picture into a circle on your feed.
And for this reason, you should utilize the space well. That means your logo or headshot should be front and center. In doing so, you should keep the focus on your brand.
See how National Geographic utilized the space by placing its iconic yellow rectangle logo at the center. So even if users don't read their Instagram username, they will know for sure whose account it is.
Image Source: National Geographic Instagram
If you yourself are your brand, you should keep the focus on yourself, just like Julia McCoy, a content strategy coach and digital creator.
She uses a grey backdrop and draws her eyes to her side profile. In doing so, her audience will immediately know that her account is all about her – her activities, her strategies and much more.
Image Source: Julia McCoy Instagram
3. Stay On Brand & Keep Focus On It
Are you running a business on Instagram, such as selling products & services? If so, then consider using your logo as your Instagram profile pictures.
This will boost your brand recognition as when a user clicks on your account, they will be familiar with your logo and branding.
The popular fruit-based beverages brand Tropicana, which uses Instagram to broaden its reach, used its name for its Instagram profile picture. To take their branding further, they even used the same font in their photo as the one used on their products.
Image Source: Tropicana Instagram
But what if your logo is too long? In such a case, use an abbreviated version of your brand and your brand initials on your profile photo.
But what if you are a solopreneur and a service provider such as influencers or photographers? Consider using a headshot as your profile picture on Instagram. You will introduce yourself to your audience right off the bat in doing so!
Look at Dain Walker's profile. He's a brand strategist and entrepreneur. The background colour in his profile picture sets the tone for his account. This is a prelude to his bright and colorful feed.
Image Source: Dain Walker Instagram
It's also essential that your Instagram profile pictures should focus on your brand!
Remember, your profile image appears very small, especially when viewed on a phone screen. Hence, your logo or headshot image should be the focus of the frame. Try to have your logo fill the circle.
Use the entire space to feature your logo in your Instagram profile pictures. Using your business name's initial in your profile image should be easy to adjust like Google's clear and concise profile image.
Not only did they use a white background but also a simple yet clear font to grab the viewer's attention on their brand.
Image Source: Google Instagram
5. Keep It Timeless
You should choose Instagram profile pictures that will withstand all seasons.
For instance, if your profile picture features a beautiful Christmas tree and some users visit your account in the middle of summer and notice your profile image, they might think you are not active on the platform.
For this reason, you should consider choosing a timeless image or one that is not attached to an event or season. You can use such profile pictures on Instagram for a long time.
This consistency will lead to easy brand recognition as your followers will associate your profile image with your account. So, when they scroll through their feed or view your Stories, they will easily recognize you! Try to shoot your profile image the same way as the rest of your feed to display consistency and harmony.
Image Source: Dain Walker Instagram
A picture taken during an event or season can be a good temporary choice. But, it will look extremely unprofessional to have that same image up even after the season or event has been completed. It will discourage your audience from following your profile.
Hence, it's a good idea to use Instagram profile pictures that doesn't look outdated and can be used for extended periods. Headshots or your brand logo with neutral backgrounds fall under this category.
6. Make Use Of Bold & Colorful Background
You have plenty of competition with over a billion active users on the platform. Said that, you need to continuously find ways to stand out.
One strategy would be to use bold and colorful backgrounds in your Instagram profile pictures. An eye-catching color scheme easily grabs people's attention. But, it shouldn't take the focus away from your brand!
Ensure that you choose a background that compliments your profile picture on Instagram. A blurred or muted background is also suitable as you don't want any clutter or excess lighting taking the attention away from your face or logo.
Using a lot of vibrant colors is not recommended either. It would be far better to use just one color that fits your profile's theme. Making use of the same theme across all of your social accounts is a key part of branding on digital mediums.
See how a Marketing Expert, Rachel's profile photos feature bright and bold background colors with her headshot at the center.
Image Source: Rachel Instagram
In fact, her Instagram profile picture beautifully matches with her colorful feed. Even her Instagram highlights have bright and colorful backgrounds that display consistency in theme.
On the other hand, you can even use dark colors as background to accentuate the focal point of your profile image, just like Marsha Collier.
Image Source: Marsha Collier Instagram
You can even try to experiment with different backgrounds or textures. However, you should also keep the focus on your brand aesthetic.
7. Ensure Picture Aesthetics
Instagram is all about aesthetics. The most popular profiles on Instagram have at least one thing in common: they all look appealing aesthetically.
Therefore, you should pay close attention to details such as the color palette while choosing your Instagram profile pictures. Even filters can make a huge difference in your profile's overall look and feel, so be sure to use them wisely while you change your profile picture on Instagram.
Have you chosen a good Instagram profile picture for your page? The next section will take you through the steps to change Instagram profile picture.
Image Source: Postmates Instagram
How To Change Profile Picture On Instagram?
Changing your Instagram profile picture can often feel like you are solidifying your new persona in this digital age. Given that your profile image is the first impression you make on your audience, there are plenty of reasons you might want to change your profile picture on Instagram.
Image Source: The Honest Company Instagram
Whatever be your reason for changing your Instagram icon, figuring out how to change profile picture on Instagram might feel more perplexing than deciding on the right one. If you have been struggling to put your new best foot forward, here's a step-by-step guide on how to change profile picture on Instagram from both mobile and desktop.
How To Change Profile Picture On Instagram From Mobile?
If you want to change Instagram profile picture from the app to give your account a new look and feel, follow the below steps:
Step 1: Go to your profile & tap "Edit Profile" -> "Change Profile Photo."
Step 2: From the menu, tap "New Profile Photo" to change the Instagram profile picture from the one saved on your phone.
Step 3: Select the picture you want to use from your phone's gallery, edit your photo if you want to, & tap the right-arrow icon at the top-right corner of the edit screen.
You will see your new profile picture on your profile page when Instagram takes you there.
In step 3, you can tap "Import from Facebook" if you want to add a photo from your Facebook profile. You can use the "Remove Profile Photo" option in the same step if you simply want to delete the current profile icon.
How To Change Your Instagram Profile Picture On Desktop?
You can change Instagram profile picture on a Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chromebook computer from the Instagram website using the below steps:
Step 1: Select your profile icon
Step 2: From the menu, select "Settings" -> "Edit Profile."
Step 3: Click "Change Profile Photo" under your Instagram username.
Step 4: Select "Upload Photo" & select the picture from your system.
Instagram will add your newly selected picture instantly to your profile.
In Conclusion
Creating an engaging Instagram profile isn't that hard if you are consistent and authentic with your content. But, if you want people to remember your brand, you should focus on building your brand correctly. It starts with customizing and optimizing your profile the right way.
Keep your Instagram profile picture size in mind, and move on from there. You can create an eye-catching and creative display picture for Instagram using the tips illustrated in this blog. Along with this, you also have to take care of content, hashtags, and engagement on Instagram, among other things.
If you need help with managing your actions on Instagram, Statusbrew can help you with it. Statusbrew allows you to bulk schedule Instagram posts, schedule an Instagram Story, schedule first comment, schedule a carousel post and a video all within Statusbrew's environment.
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