Instagram Pinned Posts & Content Types

 

 

Knowing your objective will determine what type of Instagram content fits that need. Instagram now has SO many different types of content you can make on their platform, from short form video with reels to live videos to still photo posts and carousels to stories the list goes on and will no doubt change sooner rather than later …  in this lesson we break down the content specific to Instagram.

You should experiment with a mixture of feed posts, Reels, Stories, and videos to see what gets the best response from your audience. For instance, if you have a library of User Generated Content where customers have tagged you, you can post a few Instagram Stories to highlight them.

One thing I DO recommend is having 3 pinned posts at the top of your feed: 

1. An Introduction including your story
2. A nice looking build you are proud of 
3. A plan or current build or local event you are part of.

THE MAIN TYPES OF INSTAGRAM CONTENT:

• Reels.
• Single Photo Posts.
• Carousel Photo Posts.
• Video Posts.
• Live Videos.
• Guides.
• Stories

If the engagement rate (likes, comments, saves, and shares) is high, the content is shown to a larger audience.

If more people continue to engage with the content, the post has a higher chance of being shown on other people’s Explore pages (the page in Instagram where people can see posts they might be interested in). By reaching this new audience, you’ll hopefully convert those people to followers and grow your account.

By including hashtags and keywords in your content, you’ll increase your reach by connecting with people who are interested in those subjects (we’ll cover that in another section)

REELS

Instagram Reels. These are a form of short length video, similar to Tik Toks. These are generally focused on reaching a NEW audience and aren’t about connecting with your current audience. While your current audience can and will see them, Reels are more about finding those new people! They have a separate feed in the app where people can view reels related to their interests. Your profile has a separate section where visitors can view your reels. You can keep reels and feed posts separate, or you can opt to show reels in your feed as well.

Here are some suggestions for the type of content that does really well in reels:

• Educational content – Creating value-driven educational content is a great way to get started on reels—especially since people are encouraged to share and save reels. Here are some examples of educational content: Five things to do before you start to build, layout ideas or plans, and top three things to look for in a good builder. Think of tips and advice that your audience wants and needs.
• Products or services – Reels are primarily seen by non-followers, which means this a great way to promote your business to new people. Share how-to’s, before and afters, vlog-style videos with your products—anything to catch people’s attention.
• BTS (Behind the Scenes) – People want to see more relatable and raw content on social media. BTS videos are a great way to be more personable and to build rapport with people. Share things like your business story, a day in the life at your company, or funny, relatable clips of you and your team.

People can find reels on the Reels tab, the Explore page, and the home page—making reels one of the best ways to get massive reach. To help get your reels shown to your ideal audience, keep these tips in mind:

• Keep the videos short, simple, and easy to follow.
• Include captions and text overlays for accessibility.
• Use trending sounds in the background (when possible).
• Include keywords related to your business in your videos, captions, and hashtags.

Pro tip: The main purpose of reels is to reach new followers. Your existing followers will see your reels, but they are a key component in current Instagram content strategies for growth. So post regulalrly, while keeping them on-brand and high quality.

 

PHOTO POSTS

The second most prevalent post on Instagram is a single photo post! This is where Instagram started years ago, and it’s the easiest content to create on the app. Currently, this is how it’s easiest to reach your own audience and connect with them through your imagery. Feed posts should serve one or more of the following purposes:

• Provide value through education, humour, or inspiration.
• Build trust through customer reviews or user-generated content.
• Encourage interaction so users will save, share, and like your posts. 

 

CAROUSEL POSTS

The other option for photo posts in your feed are carousel posts. These are posts with up to 10 images in a single post for viewers to scroll through. Carousel posts are a fun way to share multiple photos from a single photo shoot or topic. Sometimes users create graphics to share more educational content, too. Carousel posts can be an easy way to share value with your audience quickly and efficiently. These carousel posts have the potential to reach a colder audience with hashtags, and can push the algorithm as viewers stay on your post longer as they swipe through. 

An interesting note about carousel posts is that Instagram may share your post more than once with different images from the carousel. This means that this type of post has the potential to be boosted in the algorithm more than a single photo post! Just something to keep in mind as you develop content. 

 

VIDEO POSTS

The next type of feed post is video posts. These work pretty similar to the other type of feed posts but it is a longer video format. Instagram videos can be up to 60 minutes long, so they offer more creative control and higher-value content than reels or videos on other competing platforms, such as TikTok. Some common types of video content include interviews, in-depth tutorials, and product reviews. Typically, videos will not help as much in reaching new followers, but they are a great way to connect with your existing audience by offering more value.

 

LIVE VIDEOS

Another type of video content that Instagram has is live videos. Instagram live video broadcasts are unedited videos that are streamed in real-time. They can be saved afterward and posted as Instagram videos.Live broadcasts are great for connecting with your community on a more personal level because people are able to ask questions in real-time and communicate with you directly. Looking for ideas on what to discuss on a live broadcast? You might answer questions about your products or business, or promote new products and sales.

Pro tip: You can also host collaborative live broadcasts with other people or suppliers (up to three) – which allow you and the other video hosts to reach new audiences and grow.

Once you’re done with an Instagram live, you can reshare the live as a video post to your feed so people can go back and watch the replay. Currently, you can go back and share live videos like that for up to 30 days after the original post, so there’s no pressure to push that replay out right away!! 

 

STORIES

Stories don’t reach a cold audience but they’re very interactive. Stories are similar to posts, yet they disappear after 24 hours. You can view other accounts you follow at the top of the home screen, or by visiting a user’s profile and pressing on their profile picture when it has a hot pink circle around it. If you would like to post your own story, you can swipe right on your home screen. To see it afterward, press on your own profile picture.

 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Story highlights allow you to take your past stories and make them a permanent part of your profile. You can organise separate stories together. When you visit your profile, you should be prompted to add Story Highlights underneath your bio.

• Share more in-the-moment content, to help your audience feel more included.
• Post polls, quizzes, and Q&As to get direct feedback from your followers and boost engagement. The more people interact with your stories, the more your account’s performance will improve.
• Include links to your website and products.
• Repost tagged content from your audience.
• Share new feed posts and reels in your stories to get more visibility for the content you work hard to create.

 

HIGH-QUALITY PHOTOS

High quality photos are a huge part of an optimized Instagram profile. When people visit your profile, chances are, the first thing they’ll do is scroll through the first ten or so photos in your feed. The quality of those photos will be a big factor in whether or not that person follows you or not. The ingredients for a beautiful Instagram photo are threefold: an interesting and relevant subject, a well framed and well shot photo, and a solid editing job.

 

To post a story from your profile view:

> Tap on the plus sign in the upper right corner, then click on ‘Story’ in the pop-up menu that appears

> From there, it will show you the recent photos and videos in your camera roll, or you can click on the Camera icon to take a photo or video in the moment!

Additionally, if you swipe from left to right on your timeline, it will bring you to another screen where you can post Stories. You can take a look at the horizontal menu at the very bottom of your screen, you’ll notice some additional features such as Type, Live, Boomerang, Superzoom, Rewind, Hands Free, and Stop Motion. Each of these options have distinct functions so play around before you post to see what works best for your needs!