Instagram is a very fast-paced social media platform, that you have to create almost constant content for in order to stay visible. That being said, it can sometimes be hard for a cosplayer to think of ideas for what to post, since most of us don’t make new cosplays every week. So here are 12 different ideas for cosplay Instagram posts – I hope you find some or all of them helpful!
For each example photo, you can click on it to see the original Instagram post.
Cosplay vs Character
This is a super easy one to do! Essentially, find a nice, high-quality photo of the character you’re cosplaying, and post it alongside an image of your cosplay. It can be a split image, or two separate images in a scroll post. It’s a great way to show off your cosplay, especially if you were trying hard for accuracy. As an example, here’s my General Amaya cosplay, which is one that I tried pretty hard to make accurate – if more realistic.
WIP Photos
WIPs don’t always do well on Instagram, but, at least for me, they still gather some engagement! And it’s a great thing to post if you’re in the middle of a new cosplay. It can be a good idea to add a couple different WIP images, to encourage people to stay on the post longer to look through them. Plus, you can write a long-ish caption about your process! I personally love seeing people’s WIP images, and hearing about their build process.
First Cosplay vs Most Recent Cosplay
It can be a bit intimidating to post your very first cosplay for everyone to see, especially if it’s very old. But it can still be nice to see how much you’ve improved, and people mighta appreciate seeing your humble beginnings! Plus, you can talk about your cosplay journey in the caption.
Before & After
A before and after post can apply to a paint job, adding details or embroidery, a makeup look, photo edit, and more! Essentially showing the before and after for a significant cosplay effort. It can be good way to show people your process and WIPs, while showing the finished result as well.
It’s All In The Details
So many cosplays have intricate, amazing details that you might not see as well in a full body shot, and detail photos can be a great way to show those off! Do a collage of a couple different close-ups of your cosplay, for the parts you’re most proud of. The below details are from my original-design Wonder Woman cosplay.
Photoshoot BTS
Every good photoshoot has some bloopers or Behind The Scenes photos or videos, and posting them can be a fun idea. You can share your own hilarious photoshoot stories, and, in turn, as people to share their own in the comments.
Cosplans
This is a post idea that can especially be good near the new year, when everyone is thinking about their cosplay goals for the year. But you can post about your cosplay plans at any time of year, whenever you’re thinking of new projects to make. Do a couple images of your future cosplay plans, or even the supplies you might have started gathering for them.
Repost Older Cosplay Photos
Did you know you can repost cosplay photos? GASP, it’s true. You don’t always have to do 100% new cosplay photos, and reposting a photo that did well a few months ago might do well again. Plus, you get to share a photo you love for a second time. If you don’t want to repost the exact same photo, you can try cropping it differently, or doing a new photo edit. It’s a good Instagram post idea that I use often.
Cosplay Selfies
I love seeing people’s cosplay selfies! Whether normal selfies, or bathroom mirror selfies, I think they’re super fun. It shows the cosplay in a more casual, everyday setting, while still showing it off. I like to do two or do photos for these, as I’ve found that, a lot of the time, posts with multiple photos do better for me.
In and Out of Cosplay
This one is pretty self-explanatory – a picture of yourself in normal, everyday clothes, compared to a photo of yourself in your cosplay. This can especially be fun if it’s a cosplay or makeup look very different from what you usually wear.
‘Get You a Girl (or Guy) Who Can Do Both’
Two side-by-side photos of yourself in very different cosplays. Usually one that’s very fancy and elegant, compared to one that is more rugged or hard-core. Like a princess gown compared to a suit of armor. It’s a good way to show off multiple cosplays at once, reuse old photos, and show your range as a cosplayer.
Host a Giveaway
I like to do giveaways on my Instagram every once in a while, whether for a special occasion, a follower milestone, or just for fun! You can do giveaways for cosplay props or supplies, fandom-related merch, gift cards, and more. I like to do giveaways for digital products in my cosplay shop, since it doesn’t cost me anything, and I can still run a fun giveaway. As well as showing love to your current followers, it can also help you can new followers and fans as well.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it! 12 different Instagram post ideas for your cosplay Instagram page. Plus, most of these post ideas can work for other social platforms as well! I personally love to post cosplay selfies on my Twitter.
I hope you found these post ideas helpful, and that you have some new inspiration for your cosplay Instagram! Good luck navigating the algorithm!