Instagram is more and more becoming the traveler’s app of choice. My feed is full of travel and photography inspiration and if you love to travel as much as me, no doubt yours will be the same. I love following travel Instagrammers who keep me dreaming of foreign lands and exotic flavours while I’m back home. Here are some of my best tips for how to step up your Instagram game so that next time you’re away, you too can inspire others, grow your following and make everyone at home a little bit jealous ?

How to Step Up Your Travel Instagram Game

Consistency is Key

You may notice that some of your favourite Instagram accounts all have a consistent theme. When a new photo of theirs pops up on your feed, you immediately know it’s theirs and this is one of the things that keeps you engaged and coming back for more! Perhaps it’s a colour theme, a trend in the subject of the photo, or even just the filter used. These things all make an account look more attractive, which in turn will make more people press the follow button!

A post shared by Andrea (@_andreanicolaou) on

Master the Flat Lay

Flat lays are everywhere on Instagram but there are definitely good ones and not-so-good ones. Mastering the perfect flat lay which is both visually appealing and full of interesting things is tricky… and it might take you a few goes to get it just right. Shoot from above, with consistent light throughout the photo, fill the photo with interesting things that match the rest of your feed and get shooting.

Improve your Travel Photography

Instagram is all about photos, so one thing you can do to improve the overall feel of your feed is to improve your travel photography. I wrote some tips about that here. The great thing about Instagram is that you don’t even need a chunky camera to make things look great, often an iPhone can give just as good results!

Next stop: Sri Lanka ?? #visitsrilanka #srilanka #olympusinspired

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Follow Amazing Accounts for Insta-piration 

The Insta-world is full of amazing inspirational accounts. Often I get new bucket list ideas and dream destinations from pictures I see on Instagram. It really is now one of the best sources for travel inspiration. One of the best things you can do to improve your own feed is to follow other people and engage with them. Think about the kinds of things they are shooting, the way they are editing and the captions they are writing to accompany the image. This will all give you ideas for next time you go away, and you’ll quickly see your feed improve!

Check out this post for our favourite female Instagrammers and this post for our favourite travel photographers on the app.

Sunrise in the Ubud rice fields. #ourplanetdaily

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Don’t be afraid of a selfie

Instagram is not only about a great photo, it’s about engaging with the person behind the camera and getting to know them and their lifestyle. Selfies can be great ways to help your followers get to know you better. Then they can put a face to the person behind the camera, and they are more likely to get a sense of travelling along with you. And you don’t always have to wear cute outfits and have perfect hair, just be yourself and it will shine through.

Learn about filters- but don’t go OTT

That insta-aesthetic is filter crazy. These days, everyone is using VSCO or another editing app to add a boost to their pictures and create a consistent feed. Filters make photos have a slight film look, and they can also add vibrancy and energy to an otherwise flat photo. It’s important not to rely on filters too much, get the shot right in the beginning and simply use a filter to add a boost to it. VSCO is my favourite Instagram editing app but there are loads of others out there too!

Keep it simple

Simplicity often works really well on Instagram. Colours, light and shadows make a simple picture pop and a simple subject draws the follower into your feed. It also helps to add space to your feed. In between the busy city shots, try to add simple sunsets or wall details to your feed. And if in doubt, pineapples, poolsides and gorgeous sunsets always seem to work well!

Sun, sand and a pineapple in hand @comohotels? WWW.THE-ADVENTURESOFUS.COM Photo by @the_adventuresofus ? #TheAdventuresofUs

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And don’t be afraid to stand out

While keeping it simple can work really well, it’s those mind-blowing stand-out shots that are really going to attract the attention of a follower and keep them engaged. As you improve your travel photography, these shots are going to come much easier.

Use Captions to Tell A Story

Captions can be a great way to keep a follower engaged in your journey. With each picture, you can give a little more information about the events behind the picture and perhaps even ask a few questions to generate comments. If you do this continuously throughout a trip, you’ll really see your engagement skyrocket and it can become a great little diary for you too!

Look like you’re having fun… because you are!

While Instagram is important and all, what’s even more important is actually making sure you’re having a great holiday and not spending all your time trying to get the perfect shot. I love seeing pictures on Instagram of people actually having fun. It makes me much more interested in the destination if I know I can get great photos AND have a great time.

Just hangin with my new friends ?? #nastsasiainperu

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Continue your aesthetic while you’re home

We’re not all professional Instagrammers, and so most of the time we are back at home and not in some blue sky exotic location. So how do you keep your feed interesting? Latergrams are a great way to keep the sunshine going, as is continuing your aesthetic while you’re home. Look for the things that make your home beautiful, and keep that same consistency as when you were traveling.

 

Do you use Instagram to document your travels? Let us know your tips and tricks and link us to your feed below! We’d love to see where you’ve been travelling!

How to Step Up Your Travel Instagram Game

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