Dreaming of a Christmas wish list that rivals Veruca Salt’s? Is your Instagram saved folder overflowing with “want to buy” items, practically begging you to open your own store? Do you yearn to support every local business, but your budget objects? Turn that inspiration into a captivating Instagram gift guide this year!
Creating a gift guide isn’t just fun (think virtual window shopping!); it’s a powerful tool for building your brand. For bloggers and influencers, it’s a fantastic way to drive traffic to your website (because everyone needs gift ideas!), potentially earning income through affiliate links or sponsored content.
And for businesses? Gift guides foster connections with other local businesses and offer valuable recommendations to your audience. Plus, they’re excellent content marketing (indirect product promotion) because you can include your own products or blog posts alongside others. These guides can live on your blog long after the holidays, boosting SEO until the next gift-giving season when people search for gift guides and discover your website. Talk about playing the long game!
Ready to unleash your inner Santa Claus? Here are top tips for creating a holiday gift guide your Instagram audience will adore.
Pick a Niche Theme
Like any compelling content, the best gift guides solve a specific problem for a specific audience. Instead of creating a general gift guide covering every product imaginable, consider targeting a niche. For example, if you sell products for busy parents, create a gift guide tailored to partners or friends looking for gifts for them.
Sub-themes can also add depth. Consider a gift guide on “What to Buy Every Type of Friend,” breaking down recommendations into categories like “The Tech-Savvy Friend,” “The Friend Who Has Everything,” or “The Culinary Enthusiast.” This approach provides recommendations for a broader audience while maintaining a targeted focus.
Curate and Call Out
Now for the exciting part: virtual window shopping! Compile all products for your guide and gather essential information. If you’ve been mentally logging or bookmarking products all year, fantastic! If not, you may need to fill in some gaps.
A great way to gather product ideas is by asking your network. Use an Instagram Story with the question sticker, asking your audience to recommend their favorite products within your niche. Local business owners in your network might even offer to be included, presenting an opportunity to share the love and build connections!
Free Storytelling Guide: 30 Questions To Help You Tell Your Brand Story
Facebook groups are another goldmine for compiling gift ideas. Whether it’s niche communities (like parenting groups or industry-specific forums) or general business groups, these are absolute treasure troves of recommendations. Be sure to gather product specs, prices, and purchase locations (including links) to share with your audience.
Websites like Finder and Buzzfeed, known for their roundups, and Instagram’s “shopping” feature are also excellent research resources.
Select Your Platform
With your theme and product details in hand, it’s time to bring your gift guide to life! Several platforms can host your guide.
- Blog Post: Create a traditional blog post with subheadings, text descriptions, and photos. This option is easily shared across multiple platforms.
- Reels or TikTok Video: Stitch together photos and create a voiceover highlighting your top picks.
- Email Newsletter: Craft a list-format gift guide as an installment in your email newsletter.
For evergreen content that lives on your Instagram profile indefinitely, consider these options:
Plann’s Text Editor Tool
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to create an Instagram gift guide is to overlay text on images. Plann’s text editor tool allows you to layer beautiful, professionally designed text over images with a single click.
To use it, upload an image of each item in your guide to Plann as a multi-image post. For each frame, choose your font style and color, and overlay the product name and its intended recipient, for example, “For the beauty lover: The Mermade Hair Waver.”
Repeat this for every item in your guide! Don’t forget to create a title slide introducing the theme. Add more information about each item in your caption, schedule it to your Instagram, and you’ve got a beautiful, carousel-style gift guide.
Instagram Guides
Instagram’s “guides” feature is an interactive way to curate information. The “product” guide is perfect for gift guides!
Here’s how it works:
- Click the “+” button on your Instagram profile and select “Guides.”
- Choose “Products” as your guide type.
- Browse the catalogs of businesses you follow or search for others.
- Pick the product and photo you like from their catalogs. All relevant information, like prices, is automatically pulled through.
- Add a description highlighting what makes the product special.
- Give your guide a name describing its purpose.
- Add an eye-catching cover image, and you’re ready to share!
Create as many guides as you like (perhaps gift guides for different themes!), and they will reside in the “Guides” section on your profile. Share them in your Stories or with followers via DMs.
Canva
Canva’s design tools are perfect for creating visually appealing gift guides. They offer thousands of professionally designed templates.
Consider using multi-post stories, featuring a series of frames your audience can flick through – including a separate image for each recommendation. Create these in Canva and add them directly to your social media schedule.
Another great format is a PDF ebook, created using Canva’s “blog graphics” template, which you can duplicate to add as many pages as needed.
Make Your Gift Guide a Win-Win
Promote your gift guide anywhere your ideal audience spends time online – Pinterest (gift guide content performs exceptionally well!), Facebook groups, email lists, or directly with individuals who might find it valuable.
Contact all the businesses featured in your gift guide and request that they share it with their audience. They will likely be thrilled, and it will significantly increase the reach of your gift guide and your brand.
To further expand your reach, consider turning your gift guide into a Facebook ad.
Another strategy is to include affiliate codes. These unique tracking codes store cookies on the user’s browser. If a purchase is made through your link within a specific timeframe, you receive a small commission. Consider asking businesses about their affiliate programs or joining affiliate programs like Amazon Affiliate, AWIN, Rakuten, or RewardStyle.
Make your gift guide work even harder by setting it up as an email opt-in on your website. Create a PDF version and use a form on your website (or in your social media bio) to collect email addresses in exchange for the guide. This is an excellent way to build your mailing list year-round, especially leading up to the holidays.
Ultimately, the best gift is giving back and bringing joy to someone’s face – which your amazing gift guide will undoubtedly do! And if you happen to build your brand and network in the process? Well, that’s just a bonus.
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