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Recently I ran a little experiment where I invited you to comment on one of my Instagram posts and I’d personally audit your feed. And wow, the responses came flooding in. I spent hours diving into your profiles, DM’ing personalised tips, and along the way I started noticing some very strong patterns.
Today I want to share the top 5 things I learned from auditing your Instagram accounts.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Why aren’t my posts getting the traction I want?” or “Why does my feed look kind of messy even though I’m posting consistently?”… this blog’s for you.
1. Consistency Really Is King
The biggest mistake I saw again and again? Lack of consistency.
Some of you were rocking gorgeous brand colours… but then mixing in random fonts. Others had playful doodle graphics one day, then a sleek corporate-style post the next.
You can have any style you like, but the magic happens when you stick with it.
When your feed is consistent, people trust you.
They recognise you.
They feel like they “know” you before they even work with you.
And when it’s all over the place? That trust gets chipped away.
The fix: Decide on your fonts, colours, and overall style… then repeat, repeat, repeat.
2. Fonts Tell Your Brand Story
Fonts aren’t just letters, they’re voice, tone, and personality.
What I found in a lot of feeds was way too many fonts in play, or fonts that just didn’t match the vibe of the business. Think of fonts like outfits: if one day you’re wearing sequins and the next you’re in a corporate blazer, your audience won’t know which version of you to expect.
The fix: Pick 2–3 fonts max and use them everywhere. That way your posts always feel cohesive and aligned with your brand personality.
3. Size (and Shape!) Matters
This one might surprise you: post size makes a HUGE difference.
I saw lots of square graphics and even landscape posts floating around. They looked nice… but on Instagram, they just don’t work. A landscape post gets swallowed up in the feed.
People scroll right past it.
The fix: Portrait posts (1080×1350 or 1080×1440) are your best friend. They take up more screen space, stop the scroll, and look far neater inside your grid.
4. Hierarchy = Readability + Impact
Some of you had beautiful, thoughtful captions… but the design itself didn’t give the words a chance to shine.
Here’s the thing: if all your text looks the same size, nothing stands out. Your audience has no idea where to look first, so they don’t bother reading.
Hierarchy is what makes your content dynamic. It’s the difference between someone stopping to read, or scrolling straight past.
The fix: Don’t be afraid to go bold on those keywords. Bigger. Clearer. Punchier. Then let the supporting text sit smaller underneath.
5. Branding Needs to Show Up, Not Hide in the Background
The last big mistake I saw? Not enough branding.
A lot of you were sharing great Reels, fun photos, or quick tips… but I couldn’t always tell what you do or who you help. And if I couldn’t tell, your potential clients definitely couldn’t either.
The fix: Sprinkle in branding like seasoning.
Use your fonts and colours on Reels, weave your brand palette into photos, add in branded templates for testimonials or services. Even something as simple as wearing your brand colour in a video makes a difference.
That’s how people start to recognise you, remember you, and trust you.
Wrap Up
So there you have it, the 5 most common mistakes I spotted while auditing your Instagram feeds.
None of these fixes are complicated. They don’t require you to spend 10 hours in Canva or reinvent your whole brand. But making these shifts will completely change how professional and trustworthy your Instagram feels.
Need more help with design?
Get your free ticket to the Design Masterclass 👉 www.whitedeer.com.au/designmasterclass
WORK WITH JACQUI:
// DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb
// The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub
// Design Studio: If you’re after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio
