Instagrammable style spots - 9 things you can't ignore

Where to put Instagrammable style vignettes in your home or business

Whether you’re a blogger or small business, are you making the most of a huge marketing opportunity by creating some Instagrammable style spots in your space?

You’re missing out if you’re not planning how to get your space ready for sharing on social media.

What if you don’t know where to start?

Take the guesswork out of it, and start by creating an Instagrammable style spot.

What is an Instagrammable style spot?

A style spot is basically a vignette. That’s a tightly defined area in your space with some carefully arranged props.

You want your vignette to tell a story.

It’s like a mini-stage, where everything you add to it has a purpose.

Where to put your Instagrammable style spot

If you’re planning to add some photogenic vignettes to your home or business, you need to get the location right.

Here’s a list of 9 things you need to think about before you create your style spot.

Natural light
Standing back
Waiting area
Backdrop
Negative space
Verticality
Eye-level
Stopping shine
Testing it

I’ll go into each one of those things in more detail now. If you’re a skimmer, skip to the end and get your free style spot checklist, which sums it all up!

Deep dive: 9 essentials for an Instagrammable style spot

1 Natural light

Near a source of natural light works best.

Try outside, at a door or facade.

Or put your style spot indoors, near some windows or glass door.

It doesn’t have to be too bright. Just enough to take a photo without needing any flash or artificial light.

Flash can make any subject look harsh. Generally, it’s best avoided if possible.

natural light photography — Near a source of natural light works best

2 Stand back

Is there enough space for your visitors to stand back and take a photo?

If it’s too cramped, the photo opp won’t work.

You can test it out if you stand back and take some test photos. Always use your phone, rather than a fancy camera, for your test shots. That’ll give you a better idea of how your set-up works for most snappers.

blue wall with flowers Instagrammable — Stand back from your style spot to make sure you’ve enough space

3 Waiting area

Waiting areas are perfect places for a style spot. This should be your go-to area, if you’re got one.

Pick somewhere your visitors pause naturally. Then give them something to look at. Or sit in. Or stand in front of.

If you have a waiting area in your business, this is the obvious spot to start.

waiting area Instagrammable style spot — A waiting area is the perfect place for a business style spot

4 Backdrop

Check what’s going on with your walls and surfaces. Have you got room to install some kind of backdrop?

This is really effective, as it doesn’t take up any floor space. Perfect for commercial spaces, where every centimetre of floor space is valuable.

Think about installing a sign, flower wall, green wall, mural, graffiti or some other kind of artwork. A quote often works well – just check the position so that someone can get in front of it and be in the shot too.

neon sign green wall — A great backdrop is always photogenic

5 Negative space

You need to leave some empty space in your vignette where there’s nothing going on.

Too much clutter overwhelms our busy brains. That’s why our eyes favour cognitive ease above cognitive load.

Leaving some negative space means that your important visuals stand out.

Watch out for clutter and distractions and give the eyes a rest too.

negative space backdrop — Your eyes need rest too – don’t forget some negative space

6 Vertical

Does the space work vertically, in portrait rather than landscape?

This is important, as most social media apps use this ratio. Instagram relies heavily on square images, so it’s worth checking if squaring off an image works too.

tiled wall vertical style spot — Social media favours vertical (portrait style) image ratios

7 Eye-level

Can you add some drama at eye-level?

It’s the perfect place for a prop or backdrop, as anywhere between chest and eye level is easiest to photograph. That’s why marketers use eye-level displays in shops to showcase the products they’re pushing the hardest.

arrow in concrete — Anywhere between eye and chest level is easiest to photograph

8 Stop shine

Watch out for shiny reflections. Shiny surfaces are much harder to photograph than matt ones.

Test out mirrors, glass frames and shiny objects. If in doubt, choose matt over shine when you shop for props. Unnecessary glare and reflection can ruin a good pic.

concrete backdrop no shine photograph — Stop the shine and go for matt surfaces as your default

9 Test it

Grab your phone and take plenty of test shots of your style spot as you create it.

Check for brightness, clarity and impact.

Do this as you go along, rather than afterwards. It’s easiest to add one element at a time, then check again. This makes it easier for you to see if the style spot starts to look cluttered.