I’ve written quite a bit about the Instagram tools and tactics that can help businesses improve their posting strategy and grow their audience, from recommended apps to download, tips for growing engagement, to how to build a personal aesthetic on Instagram, and tips for small businesses to connect with customers.
But i often get asked about specific products, tools and accessories that can help improve your posts. If you’re looking for props and tech to help take your Instagram to the next level, here are some items to add to your toolkit.
Phone Add Ons
You don’t need a professional DSLR camera to take professional photos for Instagram, but a few strategic props can help you get the most out of your phone’s camera.
- If you already have a tripod, consider investing in a cheap tripod adapter for your phone. This will allow you to keep the phone steady for Boomerangs, take photos from a distance, and even take full-length selfies without an assistant.
- If you want a portable, flexible and dynamic phone-specific tripod, try a Gorilla tripod like this one, which lets you hold your phone steady in any environment. It bends, so you can use it on a flat surface like table, or attach it to a railing, doorknob or anything else it can wrap around.
- If you want to create the illusion of camera photography with your phone, there are countless kits with phone-attachable lenses for telephoto, macro, fisheye, and other effect.
Letter Boards For Quotes
If your strategy involves sharing inspiring, relatable quotes or lettered phrases, then you’ll want a creative way to render them, and letter boards are a great way to do that. These framed felt boards come with small plastic white letters you can arrange at will, and they’re incredibly photogenic. You can get them in a range of colors to match your logo colors or Instagram aesthetic, including the classic black or grey, and the soft millennial pink that’s been all the rage this year. If the felt isn’t bright enough for you, there are also Cinema backlit versions of these signs, with clear plastic letter cards to arrange in front of a lighted backdrop.
Backdrops For Product Shots
If you’re looking to create more flat-lay arrangements or bright product-shots, then you’ll need some quality backdrops. If you’re lucky enough to have a great table or counter, great. But if not, you can manufacture that environment with some creative backdrops. A large white poster board functions as a studio-quality white backdrop for flatlays and product shots, or you can opt for more creative patterned backdrops to match your style, like a marble backdrop. A multi-pack of patterned scrapbook paper works great for close-up shots where 12×12 inches will do, and you can also head to your local home improvement store to pick up some cheap laminate flooring samples in various wood grains or other patterns.
Other Must-Haves
There are plenty of other go-to accessories that seem to perform well for Instagram photos, depending on your niche and your strategy for posting. Here are a few bonus ideas.
- Many Instagram profiles celebrate new follower milestones with photos featuring gigantic gold number balloons. If you want to highlight your account’s growth and thank your followers in a fun way, these may be a nice photogenic way to do it.
- If you want to make edits to photos on the go, then be sur to grab a few of the top apps for editing photos. VSCO has a wide range of filters, and the FaceTune app offers a patching feature intended for cleaning up selfies, but very useful for removing smudges, rogue crumbs or a small stain in a product shot. While you can shoot a Boomerang within the Instagram app, you might also like to try the standalone Boomerang app to experiment.