If you’ve been at it for a while with your Instagram strategy and are feeling that its time to change things up a bit with what you post, don’t worry.
It happens to the best of us.
While this does mean that you may go through a sudden change in direction, it doesn’t mean you have to delete all of your previous content. You can change your theme without destroying your current aesthetic and more importantly, without freaking out your followers.
Here’s how.
Change your theme every 9 photos.
This is so that your audience gets used to the change. This can be a slight change, either simply by changing as little as the filter you use or a bigger more drastic change, such as posting entirely different content. But the general rule of thumb is to leave no less than 9 posts of the same effect to make for a smooth transition of introducing a new theme. After a while, your viewers will only see the top 9 images when they go to your account anyway so it’s ok to change things up every now and then.
Use a bridge photo.
This is a photo that connects your old content to your new content and typically has a combination of either the colors, themes, or ideas you want to use in your new feed. A bridge photo does precisely what the name suggests and connects the two themes either side of it… and is a great way to take your audience gently with you, to the new you.
Theme dividers
Instead of going for the gradual change in filter or colour theme, some people like to place a row of 3 white squares between the old posts and the new posts, and while we will never tell you what to do or what not to do, (because this is your platform for your expression) we also don’t want you to alienate your followers or lose any. So while you can do that, make sure that it adds value by potentially maximising on the theme dividing posts by using the empty space beneath the post to tell your followers what you’re up to, which brings us to the next point…
Tell your followers.
Nothing makes people feel more valued and appreciated than clear communication, so it may be a good idea to involve your followers in the transition. Just like calling out an elephant in the room, let them know what you’re doing and where you’re going, and invite them to come with you. Ask what they think. You’d be surprised by how many people you will inspire to engage with your new posts, and your new content by simply being transparent. Plus it will let them know that you value their input, and their opinion, building brand loyalty and authenticity which we’re all about.
Plann it.
Naturally, it is a very good idea to plan out your content, especially if you’re thinking of doing something as drastic as a theme change. You want to plan it all out in your post scheduling app, ie: Plann, to see what it will look like and to make sure your audience will like it. The beauty of doing this is that you can continue to tweak it, rearrange posts and perfect your layout until you’re happy with the design and trust that you can take your audience with you into the promised land that is your new Instagram theme.
With all these tips and tricks, you’ll have people saying “Wow I barely recognized you”, in the nicest possible way, real soon.
We hope that’s helped you to transition your Instagram theme from the old to the new. If it has, pop your Instagram handle in the comments section below and we will definitely take a look and give you a shout out!
Happy Plann’ing!
