The Best Instagram Filters And Other Awesome Tricks You Should Be Trying Now

Take a photo. Select a filter. Share. This is what we normally do in Instagram. However, as companies, brands and influencers, it’s important for us to stand out and be different from everybody else. Simply put, we have to be amazing! In this post, we are going to talk about the best Instagram filters and the many possibilities they offer, as well as other tips and tricks to add a creative twist to your posts and stories.

Classic Instagram Filters

Yes, we all know that the easiest and most comfortable thing to do on Instagram is to upload a photo and simply choose a filter from the default selection. However, all these filters (Valencia, Hefe, Gringhan, Moon, Hudson, Kings, Juno, Slumber, Cream, Nashville, Ludwig, Aden, Perpetua, Mayfair, Lark, Rise, X-Pro II, Sierra, Willow, Lo-Fi, Amaro, Inkwell, Hefe, and Clarendon) are already too commonly used and seen. Everybody who is on Instagram has used one or more of these filters in one of their photos. This lessens the novelty out of your posts you end up needing something more to catch the attention of your IG followers. Here’s where the surprise starts.

One neat trick to try is to try editing your photos on your mobile with your default image editing application. Do this before applying the default filters from Instagram.

For example, if you have an iPhone, your steps to edit the photo should be:

1. Take a snapshot or select an image from your gallery.
2. Click on “edit”.
3. Tap the “magic wand” on the upper right hand corner of your screen.
4. Lastly, apply the Instagram filter that best fits that photo.

This will optimize the lighting and remove the imperfections in the image automatically without you exerting much of an effort. After all, your Instagram followers expect nothing less than perfection.

And if you’re upping your IG game to get on the fast-track to becoming Instagram famous, you can also check out Simplygram (where you can sign up for a free trial of our Instagram growth service to help you find your way).

The Instagram Stories Filters

Sharing artsy and hilarious stories on a daily basis are much easier because of the preloaded filters on IG stories. And what’s the best thing about those filters? Some of them leave you looking so radiant and on fleek that your Instagram followers are left wondering, while asking the question, “How do they do it?” Putting on makeup and getting your game face on has never been easier! Suffering from a bad breakout today? One click is all it takes.

To be able to apply filters for stories, you will have to create a new Instagram story. Then, make sure that you click on the “happy face” on the lower right hand corner of your screen. There, you will see all the options available to you. Don’t forget that on special dates, custom filters also appear to give an extra festive twist to your story of the day. For instance, you will see a generous smattering of heart filters on Valentines day, green trees and Santa on Christmas, and so on.

Remember to focus the front-facing camera directly on your face for the filters to work best. You can apply these filters to any photo or video in your stories menu.

Instagram Apps With Really Creative Filters

If you are still looking for more, there are also many mobile apps  out in the market with a wide variety of filters that are sure to turn your photos into unique and eye-catching posts. Some of our favorites are:

• Fotor: This app offers numerous options to edit your photos. You can adjust pixelation, radiance, highlights or add HDR effects.
• PS Express: This is the mobile version of Photoshop for PCs. It gives you the ability to configure your own filters and it comes with a lot of added options that allow you to edit black and white photos, enhance portraits or highlight emerging colors. In addition, this application can also be used to eliminate “defects” and is great for cleaning up small details.
• Snapseed: Count on several basic and simple filters to give personality to your photos, plus a bunch of user-friendly white balance retouching tools and nifty image sharpening options.
• Facetune: If you want to create stories by making personalized facial touch ups, this app is certainly your best option! Soften the image, make your eyes bigger and your teeth whiter. There are countless possibilities!
• Lightroom:  This is the mobile version of the heavy duty Lightroom. Aside from getting tons of adjustment options, this is easily and practically one of the most sophisticated editing apps. The finish products are on a professional level and will leave you thinking the photo was taken by a legit photographer. It has several pre-installed profiles that are really subtle but with their own personality (natural, bright, high contrast, high contrast, vivid and matte). 
• VSCO: This app has become widely popular for its filter collections as well as all its retouching possibilities.
• Color story: It has really striking filters and effects. Unfortunately, only a few of them are free.
• Foodie: If you are a gastronomy blogger or you have a company related to food, we recommend you take a look at this app. It especially focuses on fun and easy ways to spice up your food photography.

Custom Instagram Filters For Brands

If you are part of a powerful brand or a huge global company, you can also do something extra to bring your creativity to the next level: Create your own filters and Instagram masks!

At the moment, there aren’t a lot of users who have done this as only big names and celebrities have access to this. Some of the biggest brands and public figures we know who already have their own filters are: NBA, Gucci, Adidas Originals, Disney, Kylie Cosmetics, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, BuzzFeed, Vogue, Kylie Jenner, Predator, Liza Koshy, and Maddieziegler.

When a user begins to follows any of these official accounts, they get the chance to use these brands’ filters on their Instagram stories. Isn’t it exciting? You get to grow your Instagram following by looking like a star!

Spark AR Studio is the company responsible for developing these custom filters. If you are interested in getting your filter made for you, you can send a request for them to include you in the Beta development phase.

The Importance Of Consistency Between Brand Image And Instagram Filters

Finally, it is important to note that to maintain consistency in your brand image, you must select a series of fixed filters for your publications that give homogeneity to everything.

For example, if you have a company where professionalism is something your customers really appreciate, it is definitely unwise to share stories with puppy filters or floral wreaths. You will need a filter that is as neutral and simple as possible. However, if your branding is dedicated to beauty and fashion, makeup and glitter filters are your best allies.

PRACTICAL EXERCISE:

Now, we want you to take action. Get started on organizing your filters and establishing that “brand coherence” for all your Instagram posts. Below is a practical exercise for you to try out! Are you ready?

• No one knows your followers better than you do. Think about what they value the most about you. How do you transmit it through your brand? For example: Creativity, joy and passion.
• Look for a filter for your Instagram photos that translates those values ​​and emotions that your IG followers appreciate so much. IMPORTANT NOTE! Do not settle for classic Instagram filters. Search among your favorite apps for a filter that really fits you. For example: The Fine Art filter from the Snapseed app
• Find the consistent set of filters that are most suitable for your Instagram stories. In this case, you can select a type of filter for each type of content you share. For example:  Golden Glitter, Neon Frame, Golden Hour and Subtle.

To sum it all up, Instagram filters are an excellent resource to make your photos and stories much more attractive and enticing to behold. But to really succeed as a company, brand or influencer, you cannot settle for using them like any user. You will always need more: you need to surprise, create unique images with visual coherence according to your brand image!

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