INSTAGRAM 101 - PART 6/18

 

Is Instagram Guides For You: How To Choose The Right Kind of Post?

The abundance of features that Instagram has to offer raises one big question: which type of post and which feature is the best? And, while they are all unique and interesting features, ultimately, there is so simple an answer; it completely depends. This section will run you through the different kinds of posts that you can create on Instagram, and the benefits of each. You should also be considering how you can integrate these post types into a seamless brand, and which post type will be best for your content.

Feed post

Feed posts remain the most important feature of Instagram. Creating a post on your feed was the first Instagram feature. You can add multiple pictures in one post now--which is an element that has really revolutionized Storytelling. Rather than having to post ten separate images (assuming you decided they were all worth sharing!), you can add them into one post. This allows for cleaner feeds and more detailed posts. It should all be high quality and reflect your brand, products or business.

Using hashtags in your post descriptions and creating engaging captions is a great way to interact with your audience. Audiences love to send posts to their friends and family, so making sure your post is clear, and easy to share is a great feature.

Make sure your grid, that is, the overview that people see you once they click on your profile, looks good and consistent. This means using similar filters and colors in order to create a cohesive theme. This is a small thing that adds to the professionalism of your brand; they should also match and look similar to your Reels, IGTVs, and Guides. This is how you ensure that your brand gains recognition. Having all your post types looking consistent from an aesthetic, as well as a content perspective is the best way to create a real brand that maximizes the potential for gaining a positive brand reputation and building a solid audience.

It is important to introduce a side note here; Instagram Guides need to use pre-existing posts. You cannot include content (other than text) that has not first been posted on Instagram as another kind of post. This means that feed posts and Guides are inherently connected, as one requires the other.

Feed posts are essential to Guides. When planning your content, you will need to plan the required feed posts in order to be able to later create Guides. Thus, Guides add a new level of depth to content creation.