How to Make an Instagram Countdown With Pictures

By Ashley Poland

You can select photos within Instagram or select pictures saved to your phone.
i Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Instagram is free-form: you can model your countdown however you like. There are no countdown rules or terms you need to follow. If you're aiming for consistency, choose an element that ties your countdown photos together, even if they're not identical. When using Instagram, this might be as simple as using the same filter every day. The most important aspect of creating an Instagram countdown is to have fun. Maintaining a daily posting schedule can become tedious if you're not enjoying the process.

Step 1

Pick the countdown length. Doing a 90-day countdown to your cat's new haircut might be excessive, but a 30-day countdown until your baby is due can alleviate some of the tension of that last month.

Step 2

Choose a theme and an interesting visual representation of your event. For instance, the Seattle Seahawks counted down on Instagram with images of player's jersey numbers that corresponded with the number of days left until kickoff in 2013. If you're counting down to a trip, you could use images from interesting tourist spots at your destination.

Step 3

Add the numerical text to your photo post. The Instagram account "Catching Fire Countdown" uses a counter added to the same photo every day; the Assassin's Creed Instagram account uses images related to the series and adds the countdown in the description text. You might consider taking a picture of a handwritten countdown sign, or arranging everyday items into numbers.

Step 4

Update your countdown daily, unless you're doing a weekly or monthly countdown. A social media countdown maintains excitement about an event, even if its just an event in your life. If you drop off and forget a few days, the countdown loses vitality.

Step 5

Tag your posts if you want other users to find them. You can use generic tags, such as "#countdown," or a unique one for your event. The latter allows you to categorize your own posts and to see all your posts (and only your posts) on a single tag page.

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