Not long after its launch in 2010, Instagram rose to the most popular photo-sharing social media platform on the planet.
It offers a variety of different layouts you can use to create unique collage-style designs you can share with other users.
However, if you want to get the most out of your Instagram posts, we recommend staying away from split collage designs, especially if you’re just starting out with your business.
Why shouldn’t you use split collage designs? We’ll give you six reasons.
Reasons To Avoid Split Collage Design On Instagram
1. Most Of Your Posts Won’t Make Sense
Let’s say that you take an image you want to post and you use the 9 by 9 grid to divide it into smaller images. Once you cut the image into multiple images, the main message can easily get lost in the collage.
Since your visitors can only see one cutout at a time, they will have to wait until the right image pops out to figure out what the post is about.
In other words, you’ll have no control over which photos pop out first, so your posts will only be effective one out of three times.
Some grid images will generate more likes and impressions, but others will slip through unnoticed.
This can negatively impact your Instagram campaigns, especially if you’re running on a tighter budget. What you want to do is to post one image at a time.
That way, you will ensure that everyone knows what the post is about immediately. They’ll have all the context they need to see it, understand it and engage with it.
2. You’ll Lose Quality
Using an Instagram pre-defined photo grid on your posts can harm image quality. Whenever you upload an image and use a grid, Instagram will resave each small photo piece.
Once you download each piece, the app will upload them back one by one.
While that might not seem like a huge problem, the process of photo conversion will undoubtedly have a negative impact on photo quality. If you still want to use some kind of grid layout, you should create it within Photoshop instead.
That way, you can divide the image how you want to without losing any quality in the process. Instagram’s native collage feature can turn a high-resolution image into a mess, especially if the photo is full of small details.
3. You’ll Confuse Existing Customers
If you already have a prominent presence on the platform, your existing followers will keep a close eye on every post you release. They will review the post and possibly buy something from your latest offer.
It took effort and hard work to get people to follow your page, so the last thing you want to do is overpopulate their newsfeeds with images that don’t make any sense, right?
With a grid layout, the only way users can see the full picture is to open the post in your full feed. Most users won’t take the time to do that while they’re scrolling, even if they love your brand.
So, if you keep spamming their newsfeeds, you might confuse them and possibly even make them unfollow your page.
This Miami web design company uses the latest tricks to attract more customers, and they know that the grid layout is not the best approach. If you want help with your strategy, consider contacting them!
4. You’ll See A Drop In Engagement
The chances are that you use Instagram as a platform to engage people and promote products. It’s the ideal platform for lead generation, as it allows users to share posts and thoughts about your offer.
However, a split image post will not only split one photo into smaller images, but it will also split the comment section.
Instead of keeping your visitors talking about your products, they will talk more about the images rather than the point. Some of them won’t understand what the post is about, so they won’t leave likes or comments that could keep your post growing.
Users will also be less likely to share your post with friends, which will damage your engagement rates substantially.
5. Your Followers Will Be Missing Context
What good is a small part of a post if a user can’t figure out the bigger picture?
When you consider the fact that most people scroll through their newsfeeds rather than open every post or checkout specific profiles, the majority of users will be confused if you use a split collage approach.
In other words, if your posts are too hard to understand right away, most new people won’t follow your page.
What’s even worse, some of your followers might drop out as well because they will feel that your posts are confusing or invaluable.
6. Every New Post Will Require More Time
You probably already know that Instagram uses the Grid style image arrangement to showcase all of the photos on your page.
The grid is pushed by one spot every time you upload a new picture. That makes sense with 1×1 photos, but if you upload a 3×3 grid photo, the last set of images will drop out of alignment.
The best way to battle this issue is to upload one photo between every 3×3 grid to ensure that the grids stay together.
You will have to go through more steps to keep everything looking cohesive, and just one mistake can ruin everything.
Final Words
While you might be compelled to use Instagram’s grid features to showcase your products, you should avoid using this approach.
The option often feels like it doesn’t make sense, as it has a negative effect on customers and can ruin your ROI.
It’s not a bad idea to get in touch with a creative digital media agency and ask for some expert advice before moving forward.
You want to make sure that you cover all of the angles, or you might be risking all of your hard work so far.
Jonathon Spire
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