I admit I thought Instagram was stupid the first time I saw it. But with its 500 million users and pervasive presence in pop culture, I was clearly wrong about Instagram.
Actually, I just heard my nieces say, “It didn’t happen if you didn’t ‘Gram it.” It’s a big, big deal, and especially for people in my generation (Millennials) and Gen Z.
Instagram led the charge for visual storytelling and marketing in the online space. Now we’re vying to share stunning, professional-quality photos on Instagram to gain more followers, more likes, and generally feel important.
In the last year, people have thrown around the term “Instagrammable.” First used to refer to certain vacation destinations, now it’s used to describe anything that has the undefinable “it” factor worthy of an Insta post.
Instagrammability matters in our visual-obsessed online culture. In fact, people are now buying products, experiences, and even vacations based on how Instagrammable they are.
Although I was an Instagram pariah, I’ve seen the light. Instagram has the power to transform businesses.
Instagramma-wha?
But if we’re going to chat about Instagrammability, we need to have a working definition first.
We can’t all seem to agree on what it means exactly to be Instagrammable, all Instagrammable things have these features in common:
- Well lit
- Quirky or unexpected
- Visually pleasing
- Dramatic
Even then, I know these descriptions are a little vague and even subjective. We might not be able to agree on what Instagrammable is by definition, but we know that it freakin’ works for growing brands.
Impact of Instagram-friendly spaces
When Instagram users see something stunning, they have to take a photo. And not only will they take that photo, but they will likely use your hashtags, tag your business, and share your information with their followers.
Not only will you get more foot traffic from other curious Instagrammers but you’ll also see an increase in sales as a result.
Instagram is essentially a free way to get earned media from interested users and local influencers. In a world where agency and marketing budgets are always limited, you can’t afford not to promote yourself on Instagram.
How to be more Instagrammable
If you want to appeal to younger demographics (and you should, since we have a lot of buying power), you need Instagrammable spaces for both yourself and your clients.
Here are a few ways you can design Instagrammable spaces that bring in more curious ‘Grammers.
Decorative walls
A decorative wall is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to create an Instagrammable space. Bonus: it doesn’t take up a lot of room.
Think of a decorative wall as a backdrop for people to take photos on-location.
I saw a great example of this at an ice cream shop here in San Antonio. They have bright, bold flowers on a wall behind the counter. If you want to take a pic of your ice cream (which they encourage you to do), you have this cool background to do so.
It was a simple addition that enhanced the locations Instagrammability times a thousand.
Murals
If you have more of a budget, you can make a big, stunning statement with a full mural. It can either be serious and beautiful, like the one below, or more irreverent.
Planet K does a really good job at creating interesting, bizarre, and mildly NSFW murals to get people’s attention.
You do need to hire a professional artist or at least someone who knows how to paint to do this. However, it’s an impressive and space-saving option to attract Instagram users to your location.
P.S. Bold color choices and modern graphic design will get you far here.
Create a wonderland
Have you ever gotten lost wandering the aisles of IKEA? It’s like you forget you’re in a store altogether, and instead transported to a magical, Scandinavian fairy tale.
That’s no accident. IKEA intentionally designed their stores to make you wander, and to feel a little playful. In other words, they built you a wonderland. Wonderlands encourage us to explore, feel happiness and delight, and to spend more time in a location (cough cough buy more stuff cough cough).
As an agency, you want people to find you innovative and creative. Why not get a little jazzy with how you use your space?
Create an experiential wonderland in your location.
Artistic collective Meow Wolf is a pro at this if you need a little inspiration.
Play into nostalgia
Have you heard of the Museum of Ice Cream? If you haven’t, you need to go grab your ticket right now, because they alone can school you in the art of becoming Instagrammable.
80s and 90s nostalgia is huge right now. Why? Because my generation is all grown up, missing the good ol’ days, and we finally have cash to burn.
Nostalgia helps people become instantly comforted and happy. When you connect your brand to blissful memories, you’re helping people get more comfortable with you. It’s also fun!
Themed areas
I know most of these suggestions sound like they’re for retail spaces, or for people who sell products. But that’s not necessarily true.
As a B2B business, you can also invest in Instagrammable spaces.
San Antonio company Rackspace does this incredibly well. I went there for a business meeting several years ago and shared many pics of their space.
They converted an old mall into their company HQ. They created themed areas to instill a sense of playfulness and creativity, not unlike the photos you might see of Google HQ.
Rackspace has a two-story slide and they even theme their meeting rooms. (I got to sit in an Alice in Wonderland room and was beside myself with joy).
Even if you can’t implement the other ideas here, I’m willing to bet you can jazz up your conference rooms to be more visually appealing for visitors.
The bottom line
You don’t have to spend a million dollars to design an Instagram-ready space. It requires a little creativity and a small budget to create something that’s truly stunning for your visitors to share. Whether you’re a B2B agency or a mom and pop ice cream shop, Instagrammable space can grow your brand organically—and fast.