7 Things You Should Always Do on Instagram, According to It Girls

When it comes to social media, no one knows better how to win than celebrities—and when it comes to Instagram, no one knows better than It girls. They regularly utilize the platform not only to show off their fabulous lives but also to generate income, connect with fans, and further prove that they do indeed rule the world.

So when it comes to what to do (and not to do) on Instagram, we turn to them. Keep scrolling for seven things you should always do on Instagram, according to It girls!

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Smile with your mouth open.
(Image credit: Blake Lively)

"Tip: open your mouth when you smile—like you're having the time of your life," Lively shared on her Instagram.

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Make sure you crop it right.
(Image credit: Lauren Conrad)

One of Lauren Conrad's central Instagram tenets is to get the perfect crop. "Instagrams don’t always have to be square," she writes on her site. "While I prefer most of mine to be squared off, I do think some photos can look much better when they are horizontal or vertical. There are many apps out there to help you size a horizontal image appropriately for Instagram while keeping the background clean. Try using Whitagram or Afterlight."

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Take food shots only in daylight.
(Image credit: Chrissy Teigen)

As we learned late last year, Chrissy Teigen is seriously anti–bad food photos. 

"My big pet peeve with people posting food—and I love it when people post food—but my number one thing is when you're posting at a restaurant and it's dark like a date night, food never looks good. Flash looks horrible, no flash looks horrible," Teigen advises. "It's important to only do food photos during daylight."

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Know when to Instagram and when to Snapchat.
(Image credit: Eva Chen)

Veritable Instagram queen Eva Chen says it's important to know the difference. And what does it come down to? Lighting.

"If the lighting is good, it's Instagram. If it's not, use Snapchat," Chen has said. Noted.

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Keep it simple.
(Image credit: Kendal Jenner)

Kendall Jenner's approach to Instagram is a more minimalistic one. She advises to just keep it as simple as possible. Start from the building blocks of any good photo: lighting and angles. 

"We actually like to keep it really simple. It's all about knowing your light and angles," Jenner told StyleList

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Never post more than three times from one event.
(Image credit: Kim Kardashian)

If Kim Kardashian decrees it, then it must be so. The reality star insists that posting more than three photos from one event is in poor taste, as it clogs up your followers' feeds. Stick to three or fewer, and you're in the social media clear.

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Only use natural light.
(Image credit: Aimee Song)

Song of Style blogger Aimee Song takes the whole lighting thing one step further, by encouraging that Instagram users try to only ever use natural light in their photos. "Natural lighting is always best," the blogger says. 

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You must know how to self-edit.
(Image credit: Taylor Swift)

Taylor Swift's top Instagram rule is a little more metaphysical than the other ladies'. She thinks it's most important to know when not to post.

"What gets tricky is when something great happens and you didn't capture it, then you feel this sense of loss," Swift wrote for Glamour. "That sense of loss and anxiety that you didn't get to your phone fast enough then completely overtakes the magic of the moment that just took place. So lately, I've learned to really live my life, and not worry so much about documenting every split second of it. The most magical, exquisite, spontaneous things happen when there is no time to grab your phone."

What do YOU think are the most important rules for Instagram? Tell us in the comments below!

Meghan Blalock
Managing Editor

Hailing from the heart of the South and cutting her teeth on the mean streets of New York, Meghan has six years of experience covering fashion, style, celebrities, culture, and human behavior. A longtime devotee of rap music, tacos, and generally perfect weather, she is excited to put down roots in Los Angeles. Her top three style staples are a good pair of cutoff shorts, virtually any kind of colorful digi-print, and a solid set of shades.