Instagram has a tonne of features now which is very exciting if you work in social media and very overwhelming if you’re a small business owner!
In this post we’re giving you 3 ideas for each of their 5 main features to help you understand what they’re great for and inspire you to give them a go, if you haven’t already.
Feed / grid.
Your feed posts and grid are like your shop window. When people discover you in hashtags feeds or through Stories shares, its your feed post they’re seeing. When they land on your profile, your grid is one of the first things they’re presented with.
Bring your A-game to your feed posts and think about how they can be evergreen (always relevant) so, no matter when someone’s scrolling them, it’s all still awesome content. Some things I love to share and always recommend including in your feed post planning are:
- Intro posts to build the know, like, trust factor and just introduce yourself to new followers. Tell them a little more about you than is in your bio. Share a fun fact!
- Tips posts allow you to give some quick wins to your audience and are great for shareable content.
- Promo posts are essential!; tell people what you sell and how to buy.
Stories.
Stories are becoming the lifeblood of Instagram. I like to say that on Stories your brand has loosened its tie and clocked off. They only last 24 hours (highlights aside) and offer a more relaxed way to interact with your audience.
- Behind the scenes content offers people an opportunity to get to know you a little more. Day in the life style content, office tours and snaps from your time off are a great way to share more about you.
- Having fun on Stories is a great was to show a more chill and approachable side to you. Use Instagram’s stickers to run daft quizzes, embrace silly GIFs and generally enjoy some nonsense.
- Shareable games: like biz bingo are very popular on Stories. Other options are things like “my faves in GIFs,” “get to know me,” and “what I’m doing right now.”
Reels.
The latest in Instagram’s features line-up are 15 second videos which take some of the fun Stories vibe and add a dash of extra creativity and a dollop of what’s hot. Reels can also be published to your feed and/or Stories.
Get your TikTokStagram on with these Reels ideas:
- Top 3s and top 5s lend themselves to super short form content. Share your top tips, faves or things to try.
- Jump on what’s trending! Reels are all about trends so take a peek at popular music, memes, topics and news for Reels inspiration. Check out what’s popular in the Reels feed right now too.
- Embrace your inner actor and try a 2 or more way conversation where you play all sides.
IGTV
Who didn’t want their own TV show growing up? Well actually, I didn’t, but a lot of people did! IGTV offers you just that; a place to share longer videos without sending people to YouTube (other video hosting platforms are available!) I have a whole blog post about why you should be using IGTV but here’s some ideas on how:
- Do a deep dive to cover more complex topics in more detail.
- Start a series. You can even add IGTV videos to a series to make them easier to find. Make sure you keep any regular videos relevant to your audience.
- Interview others in your industry or people who your audience might be interested in. Introduce your followers to some amazing people who are doing great things.
Live.
One of the best ways to connect with your audience is through real time chats with them and live videos are amazing for that. I know going live isn’t for everyone but if you want to give it a whirl and are just short on ideas, why not try:
- Host a Q&A where you answer your audience’s questions. You can also ask for questions in advance if you prefer to prepare.
- Offer a live training where you teach your audience something.
- Jump on something trending by hopping on a live to give your thoughts or deep dive into a current topic.
An Instagram feature for everyone!
One of the things I love about Instagram is that there really is a way for everyone to express themselves on the platform. If you want to learn more about Instagram and grow your confidence even further, consider joining the Social Media for Humans club.
