Ah, the great debate! Does having a theme help? If you're new to the topic (ahem, unlikely) then to fill you in, I'm talking about an online theme; your website, social media and overall general digital presence. So it's not all about Instagram, but this topic definitely applies the most other there. You may have a blog, a business or something else you're keen to be seen and if that's the case, you've probably asked yourself at some point - should I theme my content? Needless to say, I don't have all the answers, I'm not an all-knowing, all-seeing being and I'm not Gwen Stefani (still a low key girl crush). However, what I can do is argue both for and against developing a theme across your online channels - having experienced both sides of the coin...

As you'll be able to tell from my blog and social channels, I've developed my own theme over the past few months and it's one that's much more fresh and feminine than my previous style. It's far more in fitting with my personal taste and I enjoy creating content ten times more now than I've ever done before! So, to answer my own question, I believe that yes, having a theme does help. But more importantly, I'm interested in your views on the topic. Do you think having a theme helps? Can you think of any pros or cons? Let me know in the comments below!
Liked this post? You might also enjoy >> How To Realise Your Dreams
With love,
Gabrielle x

P R O S O F H A V I N G A T H E M E
COHESIVE PRESENCE
There's a lot to be said for having a cohesive presence online. Ultimately we see before we read, making first impressions count - and in a big way. By making your Instagram (or any other channel) aesthetically pleasing, you're making a visual impact and one that immediately tells the audience what you're all about. Your presence becomes more aesthetically pleasing
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RECOGNISABLE
You'll be more likely to come into mind for that specific style. By creating a niche, you carve out a clear path of what people can expect from you. Better yet? Viewers will relate certain content with you and even recognise your images on their feed before even clocking your username. This can lead to a love or hate situation; meaning those that like your content will love your content!
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A CLEAR DIRECTION
Having a theme in place can really help with regard to keeping focus and managing to avoid straying off track. By having set colours, topics and visual branding in place, we're less likely to find ourselves unintentionally in the woods and miles away from our end-goal vision
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BRANDING MATERIALS
The process of creating branding materials simplifies massively once you have a theme in place for your online digital presence. I'm talking about business cards, service cost sheets and media kits (depending entirely on what it is you're theming here: business, blog, service etc). The cohesive branding stretched out across your materials will also help with professionalism; both in how you're viewed and even more importantly, in how you feel about your business
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C O N S O F H A V I N G A T H E M E
RECOGNISABLE (UH, PART TWO)
Like I said, it can be a love or hate situation. For the very same reason why those who like your content may love your content, by having a consistent theme you also accept the possibility of those less keen on your content growing to truly dislike it. Potato, potahto.
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LIMITING YOUR AUDIENCE
In pretty much every element of life, having a niche will both open and close doors. You'll attract those of a similar mind to you; both socially and professionally. And in turn, you may lose the interest of those less keen on your chosen theme - again, socially and professionally
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LOCKED IN TO CONSISTENCY
For some creatives, this can be tough. There's a reason so many of us have flocked to creating content online; it allows total creative expression - and this applies to creative start-up businesses and freelances too! With this in mind, curbing a desire to do anything and everything can feel conflicting for some
Liked this post? You might also enjoy >> How To Realise Your Dreams
With love,
Gabrielle x
Such a fun jumpsuit on you, so nice for spring! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't really have a theme - as all I do to my photos is crop them, haha! I do try add a filter on Instagram but that's the extent of my creativity there. I don't have a lot of time to think about the photos, I snap a pic of my outfit as I go out for the day, so a theme would limit me too much as I only get a small amount of time to get photos, ha!
Hope that you are having a great weekend! Lots of family time here as we visit some relatives :)
Away From The Blue
I definitely think there are pros and cons to this. I love a theme but personally it is far too hard for me to keep up with it. It's always felt like a well hidden secret amongst some users. How they manage to curate such cohesiveness. At the same time it's brought out a lot of copycats too. Everyone wants that coveted balance of hues and inevitably everything starts to look the same. I'm not trying to hate, I have a lot of admiration for those who have curated such feeds because I know it is not easy.
ReplyDeleteSxx
daringcoco.com
I LOVE this look on you!
ReplyDeletex Lisa | lisaautumn.com
I like to think I don't have a strict theme but I totally do. Im so anal about it too! I must admit I do enjoy an account with a theme :)
ReplyDeleteErin || MakeErinOver
First up, I love what you're doing on Insta! Your theme's or feed's (which ever you like to call it) aesthetic is truly beautiful in inspiring so keep it up :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that having a consistent theme/feed is important. I really struggled with finding a theme but then I accidentally created one. I wanted to concentrate on all; fashion, lifestyle and travel because I have a lot to say about all, and nice photos on all.
So I created a theme where each 3 subjects have their own "paragraphs". I'm really proud of it, and I haven't seen anyone else doing it, so succé :D xx
Teresa Maria | Outlandish Blog
As you say, it's a really tricky one! While I do love a good theme, it simply isn't something that works for my lifestyle. I think having to be so particular about the style of the photos I upload would ruin the experience for me personally so I try to steer clear although I totally understand the appeal and I do admire the amount of effort fellow bloggers like yourself go to!
ReplyDeleteMusings & More
SUCH an interesting read! I don't have a consistent theme on my blog and Instagram. But that's mainly because I edit my pictures on my phone since my laptop is breaking down and can't open any edit programmes anymore- and then I'm too lazy to send them back to my laptop. :)
ReplyDeletexo Noor
www.nonstopnoor.com
This is such a tricky one! I don't really have a "theme" but that's simply because my life is essentially shades of cream and white haha!
ReplyDeleteI do adore your aesthetic though - but perhaps that's the shades of cream and white with splashes pink! xx
xx Bry Jaimea | bryjaimea.com
And I have to say that I absolutely love all of the newly added feminine touches to your blog and social media, Gabrielle! I have always enjoyed your content and it is even prettier now. I actually can always recognize your images, which is a good thing in my book (it is certainly part of the branding). As for my page, I try to stay true to my aesthetic 100%. Keep my style, while also injecting little pieces of me here and there. As a subscriber, I love recognizing other people's pages, but it is also important to have some kind of variety (otherwise it gets boring seeing repetitive photos all the time - be it the same bathroom shelf or good old marble flatlay or what not!) xx
ReplyDeleteNaya
www.nayatilly.com
I think it helps, but as someone with absolutely zero design skills I struggle with developing mine.
ReplyDeleteAnne|Linda, Libra, Loca
Great outfit my dear- I like your Instagram account. About the "theme" of the account sometimes it's difficult to have only . On my account it is little chaos but it's me.
ReplyDeleteCool! Wish I can be more active in IG. Have a lovely week, babe! xoxo
ReplyDeleteIt really does have it's pros and cons doesn't it! I think the sort of theme I have (and I think this applies to you too) is recognisable but doesn't limit me too much so I don't get frustrated with it, which is the best of both really!
ReplyDeleteAmy xx
callmeamy.co.uk
having a theme is really nice and it absolutely helps! i like your theme so much! i haven't developed one for myself yet but i need to do this in the future!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.clairetalksbeauty.com/
I love your theme and aesthetics, it looks amazing! I decided to go natural for my personal theme - no excessive color tweaking, editing each and every photo individually and luckily for me it's looking pretty cohesive, much better than I had anticipated! :D I'm so glad that you talk about these things because it helps many with their own aesthetics. ;)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.couture-case.com/
If there is one Instagram feed I enjoy scrolling through, it's yours and it's down to your theme. So yes I agree that having a theme makes your content inviting. I have tried to create a unique character on my grid too but I don't think I pull it off so well like you do yours!
ReplyDeleteMadeline
www.madelinewilsonojo.com
I think a theme can be really pretty and great when it comes to being consistent and know what sort of content you wanna produce. It can however be a bit dull and predictable as you also know what's up next. But if you have a really pretty theme, it's a positive thing for sure! Xx
ReplyDeletewww.thefashionfolks.com
I love theme profiles on Instagram, and yours is totally amazing! <3 Beautiful post and location, I'm in love with your photos as always :)
ReplyDeleteMERI WILD BLOG
so nice photos dear :)
ReplyDeleteDo you want to follow each other?
Kisses :)
https://bubasworld.blogspot.com/
You look beautiful Gabrielle! Up to this day, I'm still not totally sure what route I want to head down in terms of my IG theme. I literally agree with all the points on your post, which is why it's tricky to decide on one over the other. I'd say, whatever expresses you the most is the route to go, which will be different for everyone. Aesthetics are very very important, especially as a content creator. It's a super fun part of the process! But personality is what takes everything to the next level <3
ReplyDeleteKriselle x
Beautiful post Victoria, so meaningful and something that I have personally been working on for myself this year. Couldn't agree more on how it truly is incredibly important to live in the moment. To be present. The way I see it is that life is best lived in the present, not the past or the future, to just be in the 'now' <3
Kriselle x
http://kriselle.co.uk/
I definitely want to work on establishing a set theme for my blog and other social media accounts - this post is inspiring me to try to commit to it! The overall aesthetic of your blog is so beautiful, I love all of the photos! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeletemelissakacar.blogspot.com
It's been a while...I love the new theme over here. Your Insta is cute too! and congrates on 10K!!! I do believe a theme can help and can pull all your socials together. Your definitely right in saying people are either going to love or hate it. It is nice to find and discover like minded people and fresh ideas. Have a great week Gabrielle: ) xo
ReplyDeleteNatoya
www.juanitalikes.com
Awwwh your photos! They are so gorgeous, I'm loving the girly feel and flushes of pink and how you edit them too, especially the collage kind of format :D really great points! I think, only maybe adhere to a theme if it makes you feel in your element and excites you - I think that's the key - to create more gorgeous content! I get so excited by themes and keeping to a theme, it can feel like a challenge but I love creating a little colour palette to adhere to and trying to find pretty hues that will fit in with it and trying to create a whole ambience with the colours in my photos :D xx
ReplyDeleteelizabeth ♡ ”Ice Cream” whispers Clara
Such an interesting post! I always read about why you should have cohesive theme across ALL of your social media so it presents a strong personal brand but I've never read about why you shouldn't. You have a really great point about it. I definitely get kind of bored when I see the same people posting the same types of photos in the same colours all the time so I keep my social media accounts' branding separate from each other. I never really thought about it besides myself not liking everything to be the same/stagnant all of the time. I just thought, I don't like it so maybe other people wouldn't either? haha And I guess after reading this, it's probably true for a lot of people. I know some people like those kinds of brands because they know what to expect from them but I definitely agree that it kind of sticks you into a niche. Not necessarily a bad thing but it can hinder your own growth. Pretty feeds are nice and all but I prefer authenticity over aesthetics :0 Did I just type that out?! haha thanks for another great read, my love!
ReplyDeleteSHANNON VALLE
life + style blog
I basically agree with everything you wrote, and I do think it's one of those things that'll make people either love your content more or totally switch off, depending on what they're looking for and in to at the time. For me I think themes are beautiful, like I love your theme; it suits you perfectly as well! For myself however I cannot think of a specific theme for my Insta if my life depended on it, haha
ReplyDeleteJulia // The Sunday Mode
I remember when I didn't have one a couple of years ago and was afraid to commit because it can be tricky when certain locations, clothing etc. don't suit the theme, so you need to keep within what works, but over the years I've managed to make a theme which I love, and allows me to use colour how I want too, without standing out too much. I do like themes as I am very much about aesthetics and I find no edit photos to look a bit messy sometimes, or if you have 3 similar together, I get stressed lol.
ReplyDeleteRaindrops of Sapphire
I am not sure if is so good have a theme. But is interesting your post
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting topic, and I actually read an article recently about how the new generation (makes me feel so old when I type this) of Instagrammers don't like the cohesive theme and prefer more candid, random photos. Personally I see benefits to both sides and prefer having a theme myself, but in the end we should just create content that makes us happy :)
ReplyDelete♥︎ Geeky Posh
I think haveing a theme definitely helps. It gets you recognizable among huge group of other Instagram and Social Media users. By the way, your photos are gorgeous and really catching attention ♥
ReplyDeletexoxo,
https://ysiakova.blogspot.com
I love how you broke this theme down, showing both the cons and the prons of having a theme. Basically, I do agree with you in these points, everything has its prons and cons. I feel like I don't have a theme with my blog, and definitely not with my Instagram (which I don't even use often). Maybe my art has a theme, but generally speaking my post don't. I love the elegance of having a theme and a defined aesthetic but I'm just too chaotic in my visual preferences.
ReplyDeleteYou look fantastic in this all white styling. SO beautiful!
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/
Such gorgeous photos! Love the new blog layout x
ReplyDeleteAdventures in May | Miss Nev
Very interesting! I agree that having a theme has its pros and cons. It allows you to produce more cohesive pieces but may become redundant. However, you can always change it. I love your jumpsuit btw... more like your style.
ReplyDeletexo, Maria
https://www.miamiamine.com/
You made some great points for both the pros and the cons! I personally think having a theme does help, since it allows people to recognize your content and it sets you apart from everyone else. But I also think it's okay to change your theme over time! This way you still have the creative freedom to create what you want. And all of your photos are beautiful!
ReplyDeletex Kara | http://karascloset.net
How fabulous is this jumpsuit Gabrielle! You look smashing! You're right that there are definitely pros and cons to this and all your points are valid. I was a late adopter to Instagram and still find it hard to be motivated to post regularly because I like living life more. I tried to adhere to a theme but as a photographer I just don't like being relegated to a box to I just kind of do my own thing. I mean as long as I'm putting up quality images I don't think it should matter. Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteYes having a theme across all channels or what is more commonly referred to as "branding" is important. But yes it can narrow your niche, but that can be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteAllie of
www.allienyc.com
This is such a good read. I'm actually having an internal debate about having a cohesive theme or letting my spontaneity flow. One of the reasons why I left the blogging world and IG 3 years ago, was because of authenticity. And here I am again 3 years later, pondering about doing the things I dislike all those years ago. But authenticity aside, I think it's important because audience will know what content to expect in your niche, but then again, it will limit you. haha idk
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love your jumpsuit and you look gorgeous as always.
Only Yesterday
I definitely need to follow these tips, I haven't posted on Instagram for ages and ages! Thanks for the ideas!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day :)
Rosanna x
Rose's Rooftop
I couldn't agree more with your pros and cons! Consistent themes do look aesthetically pleasing and I can't get enough of them but I do struggle with having one as they can limit creativity.
ReplyDeleteI do love your new theme, so beautiful and very feminine! the new web design is fantastic xx
Much Love,
Elegant Duchess xx
https://www.elegantduchess.com/
An interesting post Gabrielle and yes I do feel it's important to have a theme, like a visual mood-board, reminds me of doing fashion styling and imaging at University all those many years ago and being taught to make everything flow.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and your instagram is always very pretty, like you!
I'll message you soon :)
Laura xo
www.shehearts.net
You look so pretty! I think having a theme helps and makes your page look aesthetically pleasing :)
ReplyDeletexx- Nina
http://www.stylingwithnina.com/2019/05/tiered-floral-dress.html
All these points are very relevant! I know that I really like Instagram themes, it feels much more curated - and like there's been a lot more thought put into the content rather than just posting the first picture on the camera roll. But I like when things switch up, so I love when creators change their themes once in a while, according to the seasons but also to their travels! Right now I'm posting my pictures from my trip to the US, and the look of my Instagram is very different then the one I had with my London pictures. It's all about being consistent, I think! :)
ReplyDeleteJulia x
Last Post: How To Get Out of a Slump | https://juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.com/2019/05/how-to-get-out-of-slump.html
This is such an interesting topic - loved reading your point of view!! Also loving that white jumpsuit, you look amazing!!
ReplyDeletexx,
-Lauren
https://vandifair.com
Great heels!!
ReplyDeleteMy blog: Street Style City
Always love your blogposts babe !! Plus that jumpsuit looks so great on you :)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.pardonmyobsession.com/2019/05/paris-from-above.html