Instagram Photos, Are They a Science or an Art?

Instagram, the free photo and video sharing app with over one billion users worldwide.  

With so many organisations and your everyday folk documenting their journeys and ‘doing it for the Gram’, if you’re not already an active member of the community then you might want to reconsider. 

From a projected flat growth of 1.5 %, to some serious spikes due to Covid-19, time spent on Instagram is now estimated to grow by 14% this year.  That’s an additional three minutes per day, per user. 

So, how do you get the new perpetual scrollers to stop in their tracks? 

First off, you need to have a basic understanding of how we view things.  A study by MIT found it only takes thirteen milliseconds to identify an image. Instagram is therefore the perfect platform for our unconscious minds to hungrily digest vast amounts of information due to the nature of its feed. For there to be a shift to focusing on images using a conscious mind we have to provide stimuli that is focused on sensory perception and/or is cognitive in nature. 

Sensory perceptions are stimulated by things that we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.  Cognitive influences are stimulated by goals, memories, and emotions.  These two can work hand in hand to hold an audience’s attention. Take Where’s Wally, for instance.  The first thing we always see is a uniform pattern in the form of a tent or similar, now we’re interested… then we look for Wally, and when we find him we’re left satisfied and eager to turn the page for another fix. 

Design and psychology have an important role to play. 

The right combination of design and psychology can give you the dividends that you’re looking for; attention is the new digital currency.  Colours, lighting, and composition influence emotions, memories, and goals.  The way that we harmonise colours in our images can have a significant impact on our memory, and if an image looks like it is positively talking to you then you momentarily offer it your undivided attention.  Similarly, using disharmonious colours to completely contrast with a focal point also grabs attention. 

We must remember that meaningful causes and stories are still key. 

It is not necessarily the colours you choose that are important, but rather their combination and frequency of repetition. However, not everything has to be squeaky clean and polished to perfection all of the time; social networks change and evolve, often rapidly.  It’s cliché but you have to be authentic, and Instagram is currently embracing more raw, organic, and natural images on its platform than ever before. Being true to your brand has never been more important. 

So, what makes a good Instagram photo? 

A good photo on Instagram is a photo that is deemed attention worthy by your audience.  Ultimately, it has to be something that your audience wants to see. 

Researching your target audiences’ interests to understand what they are already looking at and what they are primed to notice is a great place to start.  To capture and sincerely reflect the emotion of the photographer brings an image to life, but to capture and successfully express the prevailing emotions in society keeps its heart beating. 

Whether you’re using a red ocean or a blue ocean strategy (more on this next time), the photos you choose to use must stand out in a long series of images.  A photo that ‘pops’ with clever and colourful composition is guaranteed to get a like but an image cannot survive on design features alone.  A memorable image is one that also strikes an emotional and personal chord.  

 Written by Keeley Sawdon-Molloy