Best Instagram Themes for Your Professional Profile

Rafaella Aguiar is the Marketing Manager at Kicksta.  She specializes in content, social media, and email marketing. You can find more daily marketing tips from her at ​​kicksta.co​​.

Creating a solid theme for your Instagram account is important, as it helps your profile look as nice as possible, encouraging people to follow your account and engage with your Instagram content. Here are some of the most effective Instagram themes to consider for your profile. 

Did you know that 15% of US consumers start their shopping searches on Instagram? More importantly over a third (35%) actually make purchases on this platform. 

So, while you need to put a lot of effort into each individual post, it’s also vital to create a cohesive Instagram feed theme. This will give visitors a good idea of what your brand is all about, and help you make a powerful first impression.

But let’s start from the beginning: what is an Instagram theme, anyway? ANd how to create a theme for Instagram that you can stick with for the long haul. 

Let’s dive in!

What Is An Instagram Theme?

Instagram themes refer to the visuals of your Instagram profile as a whole. There are dozens of different Instagram themes, from a simple black-and-white aesthetic to more complex themes. Brands will often include their brand colors as part of it. However, Instagram themes go beyond the color choices. 

Whatever your theme looks like, the key is consistency. In a good Instagram theme, all of your photos will look alike and in the same art direction. So, how to create a theme for Instagram. Here are 5 great tips.

Use consistent colors

Using recognizable colors is one of the most paramount rules of effective social media  branding. Most brands use their logo color as the primary color, pairing it with one or two other colors that make for effective social media color combinations. 

This might be easy enough with graphics, but how can you make photos look more consistent? A simple filter used across the board can make your posts look more unified. Visual effects such as duotone are also a great way to get a clean, cohesive look with your photos. Although, this is probably a task you might want to delegate to a professional designer. 

Utilize color blocking

Have you got a particularly colorful or playful brand identity? Is there no way you can avoid using a whole array of colors in your Instagram color theme? Then color blocking is a strategy you should consider!

This simply means utilizing blocks of solid (or one dominant) color, usually bright. This will give your Instagram profile a more crisp, professional look, which can help to inspire trust with potential customers. 

Plan your layout 

The most brilliant Instagram themes are usually a product of careful planning. Color blocking is just one instance where a visual feed planner might come in handy.

You might also want to launch a new product or announce a rebrand. This could be a great opportunity for a striking grid post which you will need to plan in advance. However, you can also use social media tools such as Later, Buffer, or Planoly to keep abreast of your Instagram themes at all times. 

Don’t risk disrupting your visual balance, just because you want to “spice things up”. Equally, make sure your content doesn’t look boring or recycled. 

Organize your highlights

Although Instagram themes usually refer to your feed alone, you still shouldn’t neglect your profile highlights. 

Although stories have a smaller reach than Instagram posts, when it comes to your business profile, you should always aim to have the most relevant information easily accessible. Naturally, this means a link to your website, as well as pinned posts (if appropriate and fitting to your Instagram color theme).

However, story highlights (along with a well-designed thumbnail that fits the overall theme) can be a fantastic way to group and share information most important to your users.

Choose a theme you want to stick to

A black and white Instagram color theme might seem really chic in the moment, but is this an aesthetic you’re willing to commit to? 

At the end of the day, the most important step in learning how to create an Instagram theme is dead simple: choose your theme carefully. Although your industry and competitors might provide some guidelines on popular Instagram themes, you should stick to your brand identity and unique selling point. 

For example, while most restaurants prefer a food Insta theme, the iconic Sketch restaurant in London usually shares stunning visuals of their mesmerizing interior design. Although they have a vast menu and possibly some of the best chefs in the world, design is the aspect this restaurant is truly famous for. So, it makes sense that their Instagram feed theme should reflect that. 

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15 Instagram theme ideas

Now that you know how to create one, let’s explore some brilliant Instagram themes that you can copy!

1. Black And White

One of the easiest Instagram themes to produce is a black-and-white theme. A black-and-white Instagram theme is completely made up of black and white photos. It’s ideal for photographers or for refined, high-end brands who want to communicate a feeling of elegance.

Alan Schaller, a London-based photographer, has mastered the art of the black-and-white Instagram theme. His Instagram page @alan_schaller is filled with beautiful photos in shades of black, gray, and white that grab the eye because of their simplicity.

2. Bright Colors

Using lots of bright colors in your Instagram theme can be a fun way to catch the eye. Incorporate your brand colors to increase your brand awareness. And don’t forget to mix up your posts so different colors are dispersed evenly across your feed.

The Instagram account of Partake Foods is filled with bright colors and Instagram fonts scattered across the page. Shades of orange, blue, purple, and pink are all integrated into the color scheme. It sounds like a lot—but Partake carefully balances out the different colors so each one is included enough. And the colorful feed balances well with Instagram’s white background.

3. Color Blocking Feed

In a color-blocking theme, the background of each photo you post is a bright color. For example, the Museum of Ice Cream posts photos with vibrant color backgrounds side by side. These blocks of color catch the eye and are a fun type of theme to use.

4. Minimalist Theme

A minimalist Instagram theme is simple and uncluttered. When you browse accounts that use this type of theme, you’ll see lots of white space and images with minimal subjects. This theme is often very similar to a black-and-white theme. It’s an elegant way to showcase your products and services, and makes it easy for people to take in your entire profile at a glance.

Fittingly, The Minimalist Wardrobe has a great example of a minimalist Instagram theme. This Instagram feed includes simple photos and basic black-and-white graphics. It’s straightforward and easy to take in.

5. Puzzle Theme

A puzzle Instagram theme incorporates several posts to create one big picture. Companies or celebrities often create a puzzle theme in advance of a product launch or big announcement. Puzzle themes pique the curiosity of your followers and get them engaged. While they take a little extra work and planning ahead, they make for an amazing visual when you look at your Instagram feed as a whole.

6. Borders Theme

Using borders around each of your photos can help your individual posts stand out — and make your entire feed look more cohesive at the same time.

In this example, each image Macamilk posts has a white border around it with colorful doodles. The doodles often connect from photo to photo, creating a puzzle theme in addition to the borders. It’s a unique and cool way to do Instagram marketing.

7. Same Filter Theme

With this one you should use the same filter (whether that’s a VSCO filter, Lightroom preset, or something else) on every photo you post. This way, all of your images coordinate and make a consistent theme, no matter how versatile the content is.

All of YouTuber Kiara Madisen’s Instagram photos look cohesive and attractive — likely because she uses the same filter on each one. This helps all of her images look alike even though the pictures were all taken in different places with different lighting.

8. No Filter Theme

Not a fan of filters? There’s no rule that says you have to use them. Throw out the filters and post whatever you want instead! While using the same filter on every photo can make your account look more cohesive, not using any filters is a way to help your account be more unique. The no-filter theme can be a good fit if you’re short on time to edit your Instagram photos.

Ontario-based business Rustic Urban Furniture doesn’t add filters to photos of its products, yet the company’s IG feed still looks cohesive because all the photos are of similar items.

9. Seasonal Themes

Adjusting your Instagram theme based on the season is a fun way to promote your products throughout the year. Keep an eye on the calendar for upcoming holidays. Then incorporate that holiday’s colors and other themes into your Instagram photos leading up to the holiday.

Insomnia Cookies gave its Instagram feed a makeover for Valentine’s Day: Lots of bright pinks, strong reds, and heart-shaped products appeared on the gram starting a month ahead of the holiday.

10. Geometric Theme

A geometric theme uses shapes to grab an Instagram user’s attention. Essentially, you create this theme by consistently posting photos that have eye-catching patterns and shapes. Over time, your Instagram grid will be filled with attractive patterns.

Here, naqsha.designs brings geometry to life, advertising hand-painted designs using a geometric theme.

11. Neon Theme

Gen Z’s bold aesthetic created a real comeback for neon colors. This is why this can make a perfect Instagram color theme for brands catering to a younger demographic.

You needn’t look further than these posts for the upcoming Barbie movie that became an overnight hit. This feed works really well to connect the storyline with its two target demographics: millennials nostalgic about their 90s barbies and younger generations for whom this is a fun retro look.

12. Pastel Theme

Just like dark themes, pastel tones are less straining for your eyes, and therefore more pleasing to look at. However, they also offer a lot of variety and can fit very well with any number of brand identities.

The first thing you think about with pastel tones are probably cakes and wedding-related Instagram accounts. However, there’s no reason why you should avoid pastel colors even in more “serious” industries and contexts, including finances.

Mint is a budget tracking app that utilizes a pastel Instagram color theme. The choice perfectly fits their brand logo (and company name). But it also fits their modern brand identity and target audience (you wouldn’t expect many boomers to use a budget tracking app).

14. Dark Theme

Did you know that over 81% of mobile users prefer dark mode? People prefer it because it helps to reduce eye strain, and prolong battery life. This is why some of the most brilliant Instagram themes utilize dark colors.

A dark theme may not always be appropriate, but if you find a way to use it right it can be both impactful and user friendly.

Remember that a dark theme doesn’t always equal black and white. Some color elements (especially neutral colors) can really enhance dark Instagram themes and make your profile appear more elegant.

14. Product-Focused Theme

If you follow any brands on Instagram, this is probably the theme you’re inadvertently familiar with. Whether it’s a cup of coffee, beauty products, or luxurious jewelry, this Instagram feed theme is all about highlighting a single product. 

One of the greatest challenges of this theme is making sure your Instagram doesn’t look monotonous. So, how can you achieve that?

Let’s take a look at Converse. This global brand is best known for their Chuck Taylor model that has persisted as a favorite of young people for decades now. Of course, the best way to showcase a shoe would be a plain product-shot, but you can see how this would quickly become dull as an Instagram profile theme.

Instead, although most of the posts feature precisely this iconic model, the photos are shot from various perspectives (e.g. the so-called flat lay theme involves top-down shots for a more dynamic element). The unifying element, of course, are the iconic Chuck Taylors, which gives this eclectic and fun feed a more polished look.

15. Lifestyle Theme

There are different themes for Instagram that fit this type, but the most popular are probably fitness and travel.

It can be pretty tricky to nail the Instagram color theme in this case, as the posts usually vary quite a bit. However, photography filters or using a similar background (for fitness profiles) can help create a more cohesive look.

This content creator profile called @luxurytravleandhotels features an array of stunning locations and lifestyle photos. Since the point of this profile is to feature different locations and hotels, it makes sense that the Instagram feed theme is not uniform. However, you’ll notice that the color scheme makes the overall feed look cohesive, with blue (and cold tones) being the dominant color in most pictures.

Need some help with your Instagram feed?

We hope this list of cool Instagram themes will help you curate your own professional feed. If you need further tips and guidance, check out this comprehensive guide to Instagram advertising and this list of Instagram business categories to make sure your profile is fully optimized. 

Decided what’s the best Instagram theme for your business, but don’t know how to create it yourself? Check out ManyPixels’ reliable social media design service. Get everything you need designed for a flat monthly rate!

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