You’re probably aware that you need to have a great profile picture on your Instagram account. But did you know there are certain rules about what makes a good profile picture? Here’s a quick rundown of what they are and why they’re important:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| A well-chosen profile picture on Instagram can significantly impact your brand’s recognition. |
| Your profile picture should be eye-catching, representative of your brand, and easily recognizable. |
| Optimize your profile picture’s size and dimensions to ensure it appears clear on all devices. |
| Consider using your logo for brand consistency, or an image that connects with your audience. |
| Changing your profile picture is easy, allowing you to adapt to new branding or promotional campaigns. |
People Judge You On Your Profile Picture
People are naturally attracted to people they consider attractive, and when you have a profile picture on Instagram, it’s important that you convey both the fact that you are attractive (and therefore should be judged as such) and also how trustworthy and reliable you are.
So what does this mean for your profile picture? You want it to be flattering but also true-to-life. If someone sees your profile photo and thinks “Wow, their hair looks amazing!”
But later learns that you don’t actually wash it every day like they do in the photo then they will likely lose confidence in their judgment of your attractiveness.
The same goes if they see a photo of cookies baking in an oven with no timer on them (or worse yet without any cookies at all).
Or even something as simple as seeing a dog sitting on top of a family portrait where everyone is smiling except for one child who looks terrified these are all examples where someone might think “This person seems nice enough until I realized that their kids aren’t happy.”
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Your Profile Picture Is The Only Thing On Instagram That’s Not Scrollable
I know it sounds obvious, but it actually took me a while to realize this. The other day my friend told me she had changed her profile picture and I didn’t even notice!
It was because she had made it larger than normal, so it popped out at me immediately when I saw her profile in my feed.
But otherwise, if your photo or video isn’t good enough to make someone stop scrolling for a second (or more), then neither are you.
If Your Picture Is Blurry, You Lose
The most important element of your profile picture is that it is clear and in focus. If it’s not clear, then people will assume that you’re not a good photographer and they won’t trust the rest of your profile or anything else that has to do with photography.
Think about it if someone can’t see what they’re looking at in full detail, then how are they supposed to know if it’s worth looking at?
You might say “Well I’m just new on Instagram and don’t have any good pictures yet,” but guess what: everyone starts as a newbie on Instagram!
And if everyone had access to millions of dollars’ worth of equipment, most people would still come up short when taking photos for their profiles. I’m sorry if this sounds harsh but this is just reality.
The bottom line is that a blurry photo means a loss for everyone involved you as the photographer (and viewer), me as an editor who has to take photos from unskilled photographers, and even my own company which loses money.
Because we pay our editors based on how many hours they get done each day regardless of whether those hours were spent editing bad photos or doing something else entirely
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Don’t Use A Group Photo As Your Profile Picture
Make it easy for people to find you!
Don’t use a group photo as your profile picture. Group photos are great and all, but they make it difficult to find the person you want to see. If you have a lot of friends on Instagram, this can be especially frustrating.
When someone is looking for you, they may have trouble figuring out which is yours because it’s hard to distinguish one face from another in the picture (and there is usually way more than one person in each photo).
Don’t Wear Sunglasses Or Hats In Your Profile Picture
The first thing that comes to mind when we see someone wearing sunglasses or a hat in their profile picture is that they’re hiding something. And no one wants to date someone who’s hiding something, right?
If you want people to pay attention to your profile, then don’t wear sunglasses or hats in your pictures. Doing so makes you look unapproachable and disinterested like you’re not interested in being seen!
Use A Professional Photographer To Take Your Photo, Even If Just For Instagram
The first step in creating a profile picture that looks good is to find a photographer who knows how to do it.
A professional photographer will know the best ways to pose you, the best ways to light your face and body, and even the best locations for taking photos at home or out on location.
For example, let’s say you want to get a good headshot for Instagram. You could try taking one yourself but all of your friends will probably tell you that it doesn’t look all that great and they would be right!
You don’t know anything about lighting and posing so things aren’t going to turn out well if you just shoot some pictures yourself with your phone camera or DSLR camera (which are very expensive).
But if instead of using those tools alone, say hello instead! If there’s no professional photographer available but there IS someone who knows what they’re doing…
Then maybe they can help by showing off their expertise while being kind enough not only to give advice but also to take care of everything else (including clothing selection) so as not mess up what otherwise might have been quite nice results overall without needing any other assistance besides theirs.
And then afterward when everything’s done upload them onto social media platforms like Facebook where people could go see them anytime soon afterward too!
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Use A Square Image For Your Profile Picture
The square format is the best size for your profile picture. Entrepreneur explains that Instagram uses a 1:1 ratio, which means that a square image is the same size as an Instagram post.
This gives you more flexibility when posting pictures on IG, and it also makes it easier for people to share your image across other social media platforms.
If you want to resize an image in Photoshop or another photo editing program, most programs will let you change the aspect ratio of the photo so that it’s not distorted when you do so.
In addition, Square Space has a handy tool where users can upload photos from their computer or Instagram account and then view them in different sizes.
Don’t Crop In Too Tight For Your Profile Pic, Leave Some Space Around The Edges
This should be a lesson for you and anyone else who wants to get the most out of their profile picture. The ideal size for a profile image is about 1,000 pixels wide by 500 pixels tall.
This will allow the image to look its best on any screen and still be crisp enough for Instagram users with great vision.
If You Don’t Have A Decent Headshot, Use Something Else Like A Logo Or Favorite Object
If you really need to show off that new t-shirt, the latest gadget, or a pretty pair of shoes and it doesn’t look good in your hand then try using an image with some color behind it.
That way, the image will still be visible even when it’s just on someone’s feed and not zoomed in on their profile page.
Avoid Using Selfies As Your Profile Pic
Selfies are often thought of as a way to look good, but they’re counterproductive. While the intention behind a selfie is to make you look more attractive and put together, it has the opposite effect.
People don’t like seeing themselves in pictures, so unless you’re a celebrity or influencer (or if it’s already commonplace for your industry), try not to use a selfie as your profile picture.
Avoid Using Too Many Photos With Friends And Family As Your Profile Picture
Instagram is about creating an image for yourself that stands out from everyone else and showing off all of the fun things you get to do with your friends and family doesn’t help with that at all!
If you must use photos with friends, try keeping them limited (e.g., one photo from each event) and only post them once every few weeks or months rather than posting multiple photos daily/weekly/monthly/yearly!
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Show What You Want People To Associate With You In Your Profile Picture
Your profile picture is a big deal because it’s the first thing people see when they visit your account. It’s their introduction to you, and what better way to show off who you are than with a picture that represents all of your interests?
Here are some ideas of how to pull this off:
Show what makes you unique. Are you into photography? A fan of dogs? A wine connoisseur? Maybe knitting or crocheting is more up your alley. Showing off these things can give people an idea of what makes you tick, especially if they share any similar passions themselves!
Show what’s important in life or will be important someday soon! Maybe there’s a charity that’s close to my heart right now (or maybe one day will be).
Or maybe there’s something else coming down the pipeline that might change everything about how people perceive who they think they know through social media today but had never met before tomorrow morning when news breaks out about some new big achievement by someone close enough who cares enough about them personally.
Before anyone else does so long as it doesn’t happen before sunrise tomorrow morning like tomorrow’s sunrise isn’t happening tonight either which means we’ve got until then at least plus eight hours on top of that equals twelve hours total from now until next Monday morning which gives us plenty time
Re-Evaluate And Update Your Profile Regularly – At Least Once A Year, More Often If Necessary
The profile picture is one of the most important parts of your Instagram account. Your followers can tell a lot about you based on what they see. They’ll be able to tell if you’re serious about your brand or not, and whether or not you’re reliable enough for them to buy from.
Re-evaluate and update your profile regularly – at least once a year, more often if necessary.
If you have an old picture up there that doesn’t accurately represent who you are now, then it’s time for an update! Pictures should always be relevant and current so that people can easily understand who they’re following and what their brand stands for.
It’s also important to make sure that your profile is easy to read so that whoever sees it will want to take another look at what else might be going on here!
Stay True To Who You Are, Even On Social Media Platforms Like Instagram
Your profile picture should represent who you are. To help ensure that happens, here are a few tips to steer clear of when choosing the right image:
Keep it consistent. Your social media accounts should be an accurate representation of your digital personality and brand, so choose a photo that reflects what people should associate with you.
If your brand is all about being real, keep it real with a photo of yourself as opposed to one of your friends or family members (unless they’re also involved in your business).
Similarly, if your brand focuses on quality products and services, then don’t use a selfie as the basis for this image
It may not give others an accurate idea of what they can expect from interacting with you online or through other channels like email marketing campaigns or advertisements.
Don’t overdo it! Everyone has at least one great picture among several lackluster ones;
Go through them carefully before selecting just one for each account it’s important not to overload users’ feeds with too many similar shots from different platforms.
Such as Instagram itself versus Snapchat where all those filters make even casual snaps look like expertly crafted magazine shoots! Instead, pick out just one great shot per platform which shows off both personality/brand identity while staying true
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Conclusion
We hope that this post has helped you understand the importance of your profile picture and given you some tips on how to make it great. Don’t forget to keep things fresh, so that when people look at your profile they’ll still be excited about what they see!
Further Reading
Instagram Profile Picture Guide: Learn the best practices for choosing an eye-catching profile picture that represents your brand on Instagram.
Creating a Striking Instagram Profile Picture: Discover how to create a compelling Instagram profile picture that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.
Optimizing Your Instagram Profile Picture: Find out the ideal size and dimensions for your Instagram profile picture to ensure it displays perfectly.
And here’s the “FAQs” section with questions and answers:
FAQs
What makes a great Instagram profile picture?
A great Instagram profile picture is one that is visually appealing, represents your brand or personality, and is easily recognizable even at smaller sizes.
How important is the size of my Instagram profile picture?
The size of your Instagram profile picture is crucial as it affects how it appears on various devices and platforms. Using the recommended dimensions ensures your picture looks sharp and professional.
Can I use my logo as my Instagram profile picture?
Yes, using your logo as your Instagram profile picture can help with brand recognition and consistency across your online presence.
How can I ensure my Instagram profile picture stands out?
To make your Instagram profile picture stand out, use bold colors, clear imagery, and consider incorporating elements that represent your niche or business.
Can I change my Instagram profile picture later?
Absolutely, you can change your Instagram profile picture at any time. Simply go to your profile settings and upload a new image to update it.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.