In the ever-evolving landscape of Instagram, standing out demands more than regular posts. It requires strategy. As a seasoned social media influencer and expert in digital communication, I'm excited to share insights into creating Instagram content that engages, educates, and captivates.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, solopreneur, small business owner, or aspiring influencer, these nine tips for posting on Instagram are designed to elevate your game.
1. Craft Engaging Captions
Your caption is the gateway to your content. Keeping it under 150 characters is good practice on a platform where attention spans are short. Start with the most impactful part of your message. This approach caters to the Instagram algorithm and user behavior, ensuring your key message is delivered effectively. Incorporate a tone that resonates with your brand identity – inspirational, informative, entertaining, whatever aligns with your brand's voice. Remember, your caption should complement the visual creative while adding value to the viewer's experience.
2. Use Effective Calls to Action
A call to action transforms your followers from passive viewers into active participants. Whether directing them to your website, encouraging sign-ups, or promoting sales, a call to action should be clear and compelling. It's not just about driving traffic; it's about creating an interactive experience. Experiment with different types of calls to action – from direct requests like "Swipe up for more" to engaging inquiries like "What do you think?" – to understand what resonates best with your audience. To see which method gets the most engagement, use the insights tab on your profile on Instagram's business tools, and remember, you need a business account to access insights. From analysis of those insights, you can optimize your next posts.
3. Strategic Use of Hashtags
Hashtags are one of the pillars of discoverability on Instagram. They categorize your content, making it accessible to a broader audience, which is key for growth. People follow hashtags they are interested in, and using them makes your content eligible to show up on their feed for something they are already interested in, which maximizes the chances they will be interested in your post. Use a mix of popular and niche hashtags to balance reach and relevance. The limit of 30 hashtags on posts and 10 on stories is an opportunity to maximize exposure, but using them with relevance is essential. Make sure what you're tagging aligns with the post's content or with what your business is about overall.
Research hashtags relevant to your content and audience. The way to do that is to search for a post topic in the Instagram search bar and click the "tags" option; you'll then see tags, related tag ideas, and the associated numbers of posts with that tag.
Tip: It's also a good idea to follow tags related to your niche, engage with those posts for exposure, and engage with potential followers interested in what you do. There will be a whole post on Hashtag optimization shortly. Watch this space.
4. Create a Mini Studio
Visual consistency is key on Instagram. Setting up a mini studio with controlled lighting and a neutral background can drastically improve the quality of your content. This doesn't require a significant investment – good natural light, a plain wall, and a few aesthetic props can be sufficient. A consistent setup enhances the visual appeal and creates a recognizable brand aesthetic, making your posts instantly identifiable to your followers. If you don't have a product to sell, decide on an aesthetic look or theme for your content that aligns with your brand and keep the look consistent, including background, overall feel, and content. Consider your color palette and business vibe; align it with your logo colors, for example, or your website theming. There will be a whole post on branding soon.
5. Rule of Thirds in Photography
The rule of thirds is a fundamental principle in social media photography that aids in creating balanced and engaging content. You create nine equal segments by dividing your image into two horizontal and two vertical lines; on an iPhone, you can use the camera grid to do this for you; check your camera settings.
Placing the key elements of your photo at the intersections or along these lines, including text you've added as an overlay, can make your images stand out. Followers naturally set their eyes on the intersecting points, and putting the critical aspects of your image on them ensures that followers can see you're trying to show them in your content without making them use their eyes to search on an image. You don't want to ask followers to work for it. See the video below for a further explanation of the rule of thirds.
6. The Diagonal Rule for an Aesthetic Feed
Your Instagram grid is a reflection of your brand. The diagonal rule – ensuring every third photo differs in style and composition – introduces variety to your feed. This strategy keeps your profile visually exciting and engaging and stops it from looking repetitive. It encourages followers to explore your feed further, increasing the likelihood of engagement and new followers. Tools like Later or Planoly can help you plan and visualize your feed's layout. Personally, I review my previous three photos and make sure that the next one is not too similar in color, pose, product, or proportion before posting, which saves me the time of using a third-party app and, of course, saves on subscription fees to those apps. If you are a visual person, it's easy enough to assess it yourself.
7. Sound-Off Friendly Content
In an era where mobile browsing is predominant, many users scroll through Instagram with the sound off for privacy when commuting, at work, or where sound disturbs others or is inappropriate. Think about your own use of sound when on Instagram; personally, I scroll with the sound muted, and if I see something I like, then I may use the sound to get the full effect of the reel post or video.
Therefore, making your content accessible in a sound-off environment is crucial. This includes adding captions or text overlays to your videos, ensuring your message is delivered irrespective of sound. Apps like Clipomatic or MixCaptions can make this process effortless.
Instagram has an in-app option to add captions when creating content, which is easy enough to use and edit. When its technology gets a word wrong, it is easy to change and correct. I tend to do as much as I can with the Instagram app itself to reduce time spent going between apps, which, in my experience, tends to complicate things further and dilute my concentration. This caption-adding approach increases accessibility and also caters to the broadest audience.
8. Mobile-First Content Creation
With most Instagram users accessing the platform via mobile, creating content with a mobile-first approach is essential. This means considering how your content appears on smaller screens. Opt for portrait orientation for Stories and Reels, and keep your visuals clear and compelling even on the smallest screens. Remember, the goal is to create content that is not only visually appealing but also easily consumable on the go.
I will create a whole post on aspect ratio, but for now, note these ratios and employ them during your content creation.
For Stories and IG Live: 9:16 screen ratio.
For Instagram feed posts: 1:1 ratio
As an alternative for feed/videos, a 4:5 ratio also works.
9. Visual Storytelling with Complementary Captions
Every post on Instagram is an opportunity to tell a story. Your visuals should capture the essence of your message, while your captions provide context and depth. Each part of the post brings something different to the table. This combination is powerful in creating an emotional connection with your audience.
9 Killer Tips For Posting on Instagram Concluded
Creating standout Instagram content is an evolving art. Stay updated with the latest platform updates, experiment with new formats early, and stay authentic to your brand or personal voice. Engage with your community, respond to comments quickly, and remember, social media is about building relationships. Here's to creating content that captures attention and makes connections.
Maybe you don't want to do your own Instagram posts, check out this post to learn how outsourcing your social media can benefit your small business and help with your growth.
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