Your hair is done, your dress is on and your best friends are waiting to start the night. It’s finally New Year’s Eve, and as you prepare to go celebrate, you snap a selfie with a caption that reads, “New Year, New Me” and post it to Instagram.
Sound familiar? If you’ve never taken a photo like this, you’ve definitely at least seen one (or 10). What you probably don’t consider as you choose your favorite filter is that uploading Instagram clichés like this will likely just make your followers scroll past your pic without paying it a second glance.
Want to showcase your spin on one of the most fun nights of the year without falling into the typical habits of your Instagram news feed? Her Campus is here to help. Here’s a guide on how to put a unique twist on the New Year’s Eve Instagram clichés that even the most social media-savvy users succumb to.
1.The Midnight Makeout
If there’s anything a college girl loves to hate, it’s seeing happy couples expressing their admiration for each other via social media. On New Year’s Eve in particular, it seems like your Instagram feed is overwhelmed with selfies of couples kissing at midnight. While it’s great that you’re engaging in this age-old NYE tradition, posting a picture of it can be irritating and invasive to your followers.
“Last New Year’s Eve I remember scrolling through my Instagram feed and seeing everyone’s midnight kiss,” says Amanda Lieberman, a junior at the University of Delaware. “I feel like that’s something that should be enjoyed between the two people and not really something all of their followers need to experience with them. It’s just too personal.”
The Fix:
You know that campus couple who always seems to be upbeat and laughing? Ever wonder why they’re so well known? Because instead of trying to show off their relationship, they just have fun together! If you and your beau are into each other, chances are there’s a more interesting way to show off your relationship than by putting your lip-lock on display.
“Last New Year’s Eve, I posted a picture on Instagram of me and my boyfriend wearing ridiculous hats and themed glasses while wrapped in obnoxiously sparkly decorations from around the house,” says Kim Davidson, a senior at Lehigh University. “At first I was afraid that people would think it was boring and typical, but I guess that my followers were happy to see a couple actually having fun on NYE instead of just another too-close-for-comfort type of picture. That was my most popular Instagram picture to date; it got over 100 likes!”
Like this couple, approach your picture with fun rather than flirtation by posing with props or decorations (and on New Year’s Eve, there’s sure to be plenty to choose from!) to not only give your followers a more comfortable viewing experience, but also one that they’ll genuinely like.
2.Bottles in the Air
While we know popping bottles can be a great part of a collegiette’s New Year’s Eve, posting blurry pictures with beer cans scattered in the background as you chug a bottle of Barefoot Bubbly is not only unoriginal, but it can also make you look sloppy. Remember, not only are your friends checking out your pics, but employers can see them too, so keep your social media clean!
The Fix:
If you want to make your alcohol the focus of your picture, make sure you’re doing so in a way that keeps your photos as classy as you are. Before uploading your pic to Instagram, try giving it an artistic edge by using a free editing app, like Photo Splash Pro, to draw attention to your celebratory drink in a way that’s classy and interesting.
3. Outfit Overdose
We know you look great on NYE, but there’s a way to show that off without telling your followers that you know it, too. On this night in particular, it seems that Instagram is overflowing with pictures of collegiette solo shots against a white wall in an attempt to show off their fabulous evening attire. While we’re sure all of your pictures are gorgeous, it’s important to show this in a way that doesn’t come across like you’re conceited.
The Fix:
Instagram is a great way to show off your artistic ability! In a room with a wall that has a unique design? Don’t think that posing with it takes away from the outfit in your photo – it actually enhances it!
Focusing on color is a great way to make a picture artistic, and by drawing a bit of attention toward something other than just yourself looking fab, your picture will be interesting to look at while still showing off your look for the night. Use the different editing tools the app has to offer and take a picture that relates your outfit to another part of your night, such as a color, design or structure. Remember to play with angles, filters and cropping to make your pic more interesting!
4.A Pic Stitch Recap of 2013
While New Year’s Eve is a great time to reflect on times both good and bad from the past year, posting all of that to Instagram takes away from what you’re enjoying about the night itself and is an unnecessary post for your followers who have likely already seen those pictures anyways!
“I don’t even bother looking at Instagram on New Year’s Eve because I know it’s just going to be filled with girls’ collages of the past year,” says Philip Neslund, a senior at the University of Delaware. “To be honest, if I want to see everything that every girl ever did in 2013, I’ll just go look for myself.”
The Fix:
With Transformation Tuesdays, Throwback Thursdays and Flashback Fridays already dominating Instagram, there’s no need to include a collage of your best memories of 2013 on NYE. If you really want to draw attention to a life-changing moment from the past year, select only one favorite photo memory. Instead of posting a picture of you and your friends laughing, go for one that’s unlike any other shot you have! Post it early on in the night so that when the celebrations start, your followers can see what you’re loving right now instead of what you were loving months ago.
5. The Clock Shot
Many collegiettes like to wish their followers a happy New Year by posting a picture of the clock just as it hits 12. Because your friends already know what time the New Year starts (duh), avoid this type of post and give them something entertaining to look at rather than an obvious update.
The Fix:
If you want to be behind the lens when the clock strikes 12, take pictures of the events around you in a way that incorporates all angles of the room you’re in as opposed to a solo shot or a picture of your clock. For a unique view of the first moments of your new year, try the panoramic feature on the iPhone 4S, 5 and 5S, or use the Pano app that automatically creates a panorama of up to 16 photos that you’ve taken. If you want to show your photos of the magical moment in a more artistic way, try Image Blender, an app that allows you to blend or layer multiple images into one.
6. Handwritten Resolutions
Want to post your NYE resolutions on social media? Stick to Twitter. Taking a picture of a written-out list of resolutions has become an all-too-common trend on Instagram during the New Year. Remember, Instagram is an app for your best photos, not your innermost thoughts.
The Fix
Rather than simply telling your followers your goals via a written list, show them through pictures as the year progresses! For example, If you’re starting a new goal of running, take a picture of the action or capture the view as you do it and post it to Instagram for a view your followers will enjoy seeing as opposed to reading.
New Year’s Eve is one of the most picture-worthy nights of the year, so why waste your picture-perfect moments on boring Instagram clichés? If you really want to embody the “New Year, New Me” mentality, mix things up a little bit with these creative and exciting Instagram ideas. And while you’re at it, make sure to tag @hercampus in your posts to share your night with HC!