It might feel like every person and brand you know is on Instagram. Indeed, the platform has two billion active monthly users, making Instagram marketing an effective strategy for engaging current customers, acquiring new ones, and staying relevant.
Executing a successful Instagram marketing strategy means posting a lot—three to five times per week, to be exact. How can you come up with that many creative Instagram posts?
To inspire your brainstorming, here are 20 Instagram post ideas, with examples for implementing them:
20 top Instagram post ideas
- Post product photos
- Tell a story
- Give an office or factory tour
- Post a “day in the life” video
- Show how a product is made
- Repost user-generated content
- Introduce an employee
- Announce new products or business milestones
- Seize the season
- Conduct interviews
- Inspire with a quote
- Share a brand value
- Cover an event
- Make a meme
- Highlight a promotion
- Answer a question
- Post a “Get ready with me”
- Post a tutorial
- Share a “POV”
- Share customer testimonials
1. Post product photos
Posting high-quality pictures and videos of your products is an easy way to create Instagram content. You already have product photographs on hand, and you can always snap new photos. Don’t worry about making it look slick: Avoid images that look like ads that Instagram users will scroll past.
Each post is an opportunity to pitch your products, so write interesting captions. Highlight features and benefits that make your products stand out from those of your competitors.
See how this product photo from olive oil company Brightland highlights the bottle’s artist-designed label:
2. Tell a story
From books to TV to movies to social media posts, people love stories. Telling the story behind your brand brings personality to your social accounts.
You can storytell how you conceived your company idea or highlight brand choices, a tactic skin care company Dieux uses to generate interest.
In an episode of Shopify Masters, Dieux founder Charlotte Palermino discusses how she uses social media to highlight Dieux’s take on important issues like sustainable packaging. In the carousel post below, Dieux shares seven reasons the brand uses aluminum packaging, starting with infinite recyclability.
3. Give an office or factory tour
Create a behind-the-scenes post by bringing your audience to your office or factory; consider interviewing staff members along the way. Tours like this can showcase your company’s positive culture.
4. Post a “day in the life” video
“Day in the life” Reels are popular on Instagram. In these short videos, content creators film themselves throughout the day, capturing meals they’ve cooked, work they’ve accomplished, or fun activities they’ve done. Use this trend to show followers the real people behind their products.
5. Show how a product is made
People are curious, and demonstrating how products are made can satisfy their curiosity. Plus, transparency around business practices shows viewers that you’re an ethical company with nothing to hide, which builds brand trust.
See how home goods marketplace Goodee posted maker videos from inside artisanal manufacturer Fogo Island Workshops:
6. Repost user-generated content
Posting user-generated content (UGC) can highlight how people use your products and encourage conversions: 83% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from brands sharing UGC content over ones publishing paid influencer content.
For example, makeup brands can post mashups of customers’ “get ready with me videos,” or food companies can post user recipes featuring their ingredients, like the chocolate company Taza does below. Just make sure to ask before posting customer content.
7. Introduce an employee
Content highlighting an employee and their contributions gives a behind-the-scenes look at how you value your workers. Plus, posting about employees personalizes your brand.
8. Announce new products or business milestones
Announcing products or business updates on Instagram is an opportunity to link to new merchandise and keep your audience in the know. See how Adored Vintage does it here:
9. Seize the season
Whether it’s Christmas or National Pie Day, everyone loves a reason to celebrate. Take advantage of holidays or seasonal events—think summer vacations, snowy winter weather, or spring blooms—with relevant, timely posts.
Stationary company Artisaire demonstrates how to link seasonal events to related products with this holiday card post:
10. Conduct interviews
Pose questions, ask customers or employees to answer them, and edit the responses into an Instagram Reel. Look at this video from furniture company Sabai Design, which asks, “What, to you, is the anchor of a home?”
11. Inspire with a quote
Posts with motivational quotes are welcome reprieves from online negativity. They can also create positive associations with your brand and convey your brand values.
Use colors and fonts from your visual brand identity to cultivate an on-brand Instagram feed aesthetic. You can quickly craft a motivational quote post with a tool like Canva. And if you use a quote from someone else, don’t forget to credit the person who coined the phrase: If you decide to publish the quote “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” for example, you’ll need to credit hockey player Wayne Gretzky.
12. Share a brand value
The positive potential of establishing and communicating brand values includes effects like improved employee retention and customer loyalty.
In a 2024 study, 84% of people said they want the brands they use to share their values.
Consider this post from sustainable clothing company Tentree, which explains how it mitigate the negative impact of PFAS (sometimes called “forever chemicals”) by creating PFAS-free clothing.
13. Cover an event
Take your Instagram marketing on the road by posting an Instagram Reel about a conference, award ceremony, or company retreat. You can post content before, during, and after the event to generate excitement. Here’s an example from the herbal medicine company Apothékary:
14. Make a meme
Every few months, a viral meme captures the internet’s attention. Tap into the collective excitement by adapting the meme to your brand. For example, the food brand Fly By Jing edited the popular “I would go to school if …” meme to reflect its brand by adding images of chili crisp, a branded sweatshirt and car, and a book about the Sichuan chili crisp that made it famous.
15. Highlight a promotion
Sales and promotions help make room for new inventory and convert the 92% of customers who love discounts. You might already advertise promotional campaigns through your website, SMS marketing, and email marketing channels, so why not promote them on Instagram, too?
Here’s how dental floss company Cocofloss does it:
16. Answer a question
Responding directly to customer questions in your comments section is a good customer service tactic and an opportunity to highlight a particular aspect of your brand. You can pose questions and responses.
For example, the organic flour company Flourist posted the question: “What is the sourcing philosophy at Flourist?” Then, the brand differentiated itself by discussing its sustainable sourcing methods in the answer.
17. Post a “Get ready with me”
“Get ready with me” (GRWM) videos are trendy across Instagram and TikTok. In these videos, a content creator shows the steps they take to get ready, whether doing makeup for a night out or getting ready for work. Like other Instagram post ideas, GRWM videos feature your products in action.
18. Post a tutorial
Post tutorials to show Instagram users how to apply your makeup products or style your clothing. If you sell household appliances or furniture, you might publish product videos showing how easy they are to assemble. Or, you could post cleaning and care tutorials.
Consider the problems your customers might face, then develop Instagram posts that help them solve them (and that showcase your products, too!).
As an example, take a look at this stretching tutorial from fitness company Oceanfoam:
19. Share a “POV”
POV (short for “point of view”) videos are an Instagram trend that places viewers in a scene. For example, instead of simply posting a video of two women wearing Rothy’s, the shoe brand posts one with the text, “POV: you see two Rothy’s girls out in the wild.” This relatable format often uses humor, which can encourage viewers to share.
20. Share customer testimonials
When customers love your product, why not broadcast their glowing reviews? Source positive testimonials from Instagram comments and post screenshots in Instagram posts. Take, for example, this post from ecommerce skin care company Dieux:
Tips for posting on Instagram
- Post Reels and Stories
- Post three to five times a week
- Make an Instagram content calendar
- Engage your audience
- Track metrics and refine your strategies
- Collaborate with influencers
Follow these tips to optimize your Instagram marketing strategy and ensure your Instagram posts get the engagement (and conversions) they deserve:
Post Reels and Stories
Instagram Reels, the platform’s short-form video format, can generate organic views. Once users start watching Reels, they’ll often swipe down to keep watching them in a continuous stream.
“A video of yours that picks up steam could be put in front of a whole new audience,” says social media consultant Rachel Karten in an interview with Shopify. “So I think it's exciting for small businesses: A little Reel that you make could end up getting hundreds of thousands or millions of views.”
Instagram Stories offer another opportunity to get eyes on your content. The feature lets users click through Stories with a simple tap. Once a follower looks at one of your Stories, as long as you’ve uploaded more than six frames, there’s a 90% chance the viewer will click through to see the next one.
Post three to five times a week
Whether you’re sharing photos, carousels, or Reels, aim to post on Instagram three to five times weekly. This cadence can help you land on Instagram’s Explore page and stay fresh in your followers’ minds.
Make an Instagram content calendar
Some weeks, you might need more time and creative energy to conceive stellar Instagram post ideas. Fear not—an Instagram content calendar can help you map out a steady posting cadence and create your posts in advance. Some scheduling tools even let you auto-publish, so you won’t need to open the Instagram app on busy days.
Engage your audience
Instagram is a great way to communicate with your customers directly. You can respond to questions and concerns in DMs and comments and use your Instagram account to comment on other accounts’ posts, putting your brand in front of new audiences.
Track metrics and refine your strategies
Look at Instagram metrics, such as likes, shares, and comments, to determine which posts are most popular among your followers. You can also track how many people visited your website or purchased after viewing a post, then use that data to determine which types of Instagram posts generate the most conversions.
Collaborate with influencers
You can use influencer marketing to reach new audiences, cultivate deeper customer connections, and boost your Instagram engagement. Find influencers who are relevant to your industry and be sure to provide them with clear content briefs.
Read more
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- How to Sell on Instagram with Instagram Shopping
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- 25+ Ideas for Online Businesses To Start Now (2024)
- The Most Profitable Digital Products to Sell (and How to Promote Them)
- How to Become a Full-Time YouTuber
- How to Create an Instagram Business Account
Instagram post ideas FAQ
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
According to data from various studies, the best times to post on Instagram are:
- Monday: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Tuesday: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Wednesday: 11 a.m.
- Thursday: 7 a.m., 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
- Friday: 4 p.m.
- Saturday: 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- Sunday: 7 p.m.
However, every Instagram account has a unique audience across different time zones, so you’ll want to find the times that work best for yours.
What should I not do on my Instagram for business posts?
1. Don’t overuse or misuse hashtags.
2. Don’t post images from Google searches.
3. Don’t post boring or repetitive content.
4. Don’t steal other Instagram users’ content.
5. Don’t post without a caption.
What should I post on Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories are versatile and can be used to share a variety of content such as:
- Promotions: products, events, discounts, etc.
- Engagement content: Q&As, quizzes, polls, and question boxes
- Behind-the-scenes content: unpolished but engaging day-in-the-life and how-we-do-it videos
What should I post on Instagram to get followers?
A few Instagram content ideas to gain followers include:
1. Product photos
2. Behind-the-scenes photos
3. User-generated content
4. Tutorials
