Scrolling through various Instagram accounts for craft marketplace platforms, I noticed there was almost a ‘house style’ for images. This is despite photographs being selected by different platforms and originally uploaded by many different crafters. Neutral rules the day with plenty of white. Is this style just for the world of handmade, or, are some of the luxury brands presenting themselves in a similar manner?
Naturally, I looked at the Instagram accounts for Hermès, the world’s most famous brand of scarves, and Liberty, a store famous as purveyors of pattern and colour. And, it is easy to see – hardly any computer white and plenty, plenty of colour.
Now, how about an Instagram account promoting the work of specialist, artisan crafters. Displaying craftwork that is neither particularly homespun nor high-end, big brand luxury – I chose to look at the feed for the Craft Council.
Images chosen by the Craft Council do have more white than the luxury brands, but also considerably more colour than Etsy, DaWanda and Folksy pictures. I made a comparison with my own recent postings to Instagram and although I don’t stick rigidly to scarf photographs the overall feel of my account is most like the Craft Council.
Now I have attempted to put this insight to use. I have experimented adding and subtracting colour to one of my scarf photographs aiming to make the image more interesting.
Firstly, too much colour with no white in sight. Next near enough devoid of colour altogether. Then finally, a corny compromise – the colour pop!
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Agnes Ashe 
Gosh, as a non Instagram user, I had no idea about these marketing styles. Interesting how you have applied the lessons learnt to your own marketing of yourc scarves. Actually, I like the first one best. There’s not too much colour for me. Warm, inviting and natural.
You know, I don’t know whether looking at trends is really useful – in a way perhaps it’s just better being true to yourself. I am most comfortable being varied and colourful with the odd more toned down piece/photo every now and then. We all feel different on different days and crafters are real people and not ‘brands’!
Me too, I liked that one best! And I also do not use Instagram. I had better not start or I might lose even more hours in my day by the looks of it.
I have Instagram account and use it to share Bella’s photos. With clever tagging, Instagram can be a powerful platform to promote creative works and ideas. I’m thinking about opening another account for a purely business purpose in near future. Good things about Instagram is a collection of images speaks as your portfolio and audience feel closer to you and your creative philosophy. 😊
Oo I love to follow a few doggie accounts (I know it’s not totally professional, but it cheers me up) – what is Bella’s account?
Haha-! My account name is kaorilondon. See you there 👍🏻
I hadn’t noticed that phenomenon, except that on Etsy it’s kind of an assumption that the “best” images of a single item have lots of white space. However, that convention doesn’t apply to my paintings, because those fill the entire frame. I like your “color pop” solution!
Yes, I had noticed how the art searches on Etsy are far more colourful than a general product search. Personally I like the idea of filling the entire frame with colour, especially as all around each frame is computer white anyway.
Thanks, the colour pop was a bit of fun, glad you liked it.