Instagram Guides offered a unique way to curate and share content on the platform. While Instagram discontinued Guides in June 2023, understanding how they used to function can still provide valuable insights into content curation strategies. This article delves into the world of Instagram Guides, exploring their types, creation process, and examples of how brands leveraged them.
Before we dive in, remember to explore other strategies like mastering the Instagram algorithm and implementing tactics to boost engagement to enhance your presence on the platform.
What Were Instagram Guides?
Instagram Guides were a feature that allowed users to group published posts, products, or places into thematic collections. These guides provided a way to deliver valuable content and garner more likes, comments, and shares long after the initial post.
Introduced in 2020, Instagram Guides served as “…a way to more easily discover recommendations, tips and other content from your favorite creators, public figures, organizations and publishers on Instagram.” They were similar to Stories Highlights in that they enabled you to repurpose and curate content. However, Guides exclusively used published posts, providing a more structured and permanent format.
The Three Types of Instagram Guides
There were three distinct types of Instagram Guides, each offering unique opportunities to repurpose existing content and reach audiences in innovative ways:
1. Post Instagram Guides
Post Guides allowed you to curate your own posts, as well as posts from other accounts, around specific themes or events. These Guides were effective for introducing the people behind your brand and sharing content from creators. They also served as a great way to share helpful resources like how-to guides and curated listicles. Topics like celebrating Black History Month or promoting mental health awareness were popular examples.
Important to note: When creating post Guides, you could only select from your saved posts.
2. Product Instagram Guides
Product Guides showcased ecommerce products sold on Instagram. They could be used to highlight your own products or those from partner brands or creators. Holiday product Guides were a great example of how to position your offerings around a timely event. Product Guides inspired by pop culture and current events could also drive excitement, as long as they aligned with your brand.
Examples included product Guides such as a “Clean skincare routine starter kit” or a “What to bring camping checklist.”
3. Place Instagram Guides
Place Guides were used to spotlight specific locations relevant to your community. They made it easy to curate a Guide using posts with specific geotags. You could highlight multiple places sharing a common theme. Place Guides were ideal for showcasing content captured by your audience, such as on a university campus or at a physical store location.
How to Create Instagram Guides (Step-by-Step)
Although Guides are no longer available, the process of creating them offers insight into content curation strategies. Here’s how you used to create them:
- From your profile, tap the plus sign (+) in the top right corner and select Guide.
- Choose posts, products, or places as the Guide’s focus.
- Add saved posts, Instagram Shop products, or posts from specific locations.
- Name your Guide and add a compelling description. You could also change the cover photo for a more personalized look.
- Continue adding places, products, or posts until your Guide was complete.
- Tap “Next” in the upper right corner and then tap “Share.” This would publish your Guide on your profile.
Instagram Guide Examples for Inspiration
While Instagram Guides are no longer active, examining how brands used them can offer valuable insights for current content strategies:
Post Guide Examples
1. Indiana University: Indiana University’s Guide, Hoosier Hype Team, introduced the university’s 2020-2021 ambassadors. This demonstrated how to use a post Guide to highlight the people behind your brand, making your Instagram presence more personal and authentic.
2. Sprout Social: Sprout Social created Guides to help their community navigate holidays dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Their Guide, How Brands Can Celebrate Pride in 2021, combined social media listening data, insights from LGBTQIA+ team members, and examples of brands making a positive impact.
Product Guide Examples
3. Petco: Petco addressed the overwhelming experience of new pet ownership with their New Pet Guide: Dogs and Puppies and other checklists. They shared user-generated posts and explained how to use their products, making them relatable and inspirational.
4. Grove Collaborative: Plastic-Free Products at Grove showcased Grove Collaborative’s commitment to sustainability as part of their #BeyondPlastic campaign, drawing attention to their plastic-free product line.
Alt text: Example of an Instagram Product Guide – The Grove Collaborative Instagram Guide showcases their line of “Plastic-Free Products at Grove” with a focus on sustainable living.
Place Guide Examples
5. Hotel Whisperer: Danielle Pointdujour, a travel journalist, shared travel recommendations on her account @hotelwhisperer. In her Guides, including 8 Luxurious South African Escapes, she curated hotels using her expertise, providing tips and fun facts for an immersive experience.
6. Explore Uptown Chi: The Uptown neighborhood Chamber of Commerce in Chicago created Guides like the Argyle Lunar New Year Guide to showcase local restaurants, entertainment, and events. This Guide partnered with businesses and community members to weave education and user-generated content together.
Key Takeaways
While Instagram Guides are no longer a feature, the core principles of content curation remain valuable. By understanding how Guides functioned, you can still apply similar strategies to other platforms and features, such as using collections on other social media channels, creating blog posts that curate existing content, or leveraging collaborative playlists on music streaming services.
