Instagram Guides offer a powerful way to curate, showcase, and organize your content, transforming your profile into a mini-blog. This guide will show you how to effectively use Instagram Guides to spotlight your best content, boost engagement, and grow your business.
What are Instagram Guides?
Instagram Guides are curated collections of your existing Instagram posts, similar to blog posts, that help you organize content around specific themes. They allow you to group related photos, videos, and text blocks, making it easier for your audience to discover and explore your content.
For example, if you’ve shared several posts on coffee brewing techniques, you can create a Guide titled “The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Coffee at Home” and link all relevant posts. This feature helps your audience easily find your most important posts and products by organizing your content into categories.
Key elements of an Instagram Guide:
- Cover Image: A visually appealing image that represents the guide’s topic.
- Title: A concise and engaging title that captures the essence of the guide.
- Introduction: A brief overview of what the guide covers and its purpose.
- Content Sections: Organized posts, products, or places with titles and descriptions.
What type of content can you include in an Instagram Guide?
- How-to guides
- Existing Instagram feed posts
- Step-by-step instructions
- Long-form content
Types of Instagram Guides
There are three primary types of Instagram Guides, each serving a distinct purpose. Understanding these types will allow you to create content that aligns with your specific goals.
1. Instagram Post Guides
Post Guides let you compile posts from your feed or saved posts from other accounts. This is perfect for sharing user-generated content, creating a narrative around your brand, or educating your audience on a particular subject.
Examples of post Guides used by Squarespace, Depop, and Instagram’s design blog to curate helpful content and share stories.
Best used when:
- Telling your brand’s story.
- Sharing user-generated content.
- Educating your audience on a topic.
2. Instagram Product Guides
Product Guides are ideal for businesses selling products online or influencers collaborating with brands. You can link products directly from an Instagram shop, making it easy to highlight items you sell or recommend products you love.
Best used when:
- Creating gift guides.
- Writing product reviews.
- Developing product tutorials.
3. Instagram Place Guides
Place Guides access content from Instagram posts with geotagged locations. This type of guide is useful for retail stores, restaurants, and travel bloggers looking to curate user-generated content or recommend places to visit. For businesses considering technical aspects, understanding the nuances of static IP vs dynamic IP can be crucial for accurate geolocation.
Examples of Place Guides from @theufuoma, Away, and @newyorkcity.explore showcasing travel guides and recommendations.
Best used when:
- Sharing travel guides.
- Recommending places to shop and eat.
- Highlighting hidden gems in different cities.
How to Create Your First Instagram Guide
Creating an Instagram Guide is straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:
Step 1: Choose the Type of Guide
- Go to your Instagram profile.
- Tap the “+” icon at the top right.
- Select “Guide.”
- Choose the type of guide you want to create: “Places,” “Products,” or “Posts.”
For this example, we’ll choose “Posts.”
Step 2: Select Posts to Add
- Choose posts from “All Saved” (your saved posts).
- Choose posts from “Your Posts” (posts from your feed).
- Tap “Next” after selecting the posts you want to add. Remember, there’s a limit of 30 items per Guide.
Step 3: Add a Title and Introduction
- Tap “Add Title” and write a compelling title.
- Write a brief introduction in the “What is this Guide about?” text box (recommended). Keep it short, around 3-4 lines.
- Add titles and descriptions for each featured post to provide context.
Step 4: Share Your Guide
- Tap “Next” once you’re done adding titles and descriptions.
- “Preview” your Guide.
- Tap “Share” to publish or “Save as Draft” if you’re not ready.
Important notes:
- Change the default cover image to something that stands out.
- Reorder or delete items using the three horizontal lines at the top-right of each section.
- Update your Guide with new posts in the future.
Benefits of Using Instagram Guides
Instagram Guides can significantly boost your content’s visibility and drive traffic. Here are some key benefits:
Highlight and Promote Your Best Content
Guides prevent your best content from getting lost in your feed. By organizing your posts into themed collections, you make it easier for your audience to find information on specific topics.
Increase Conversions for Instagram Shop with Product Guides
If you have an Instagram Shop, use Guides to create product recommendations, showcase customer reviews, and highlight influencer partnerships.
Build Credibility by Showcasing Influencer Partnerships and UGC
Leverage content shared by customers and influencers to demonstrate real-life use cases of your products and build trust in your business.
Best Practices for Instagram Guides
To maximize the impact of your Instagram Guides, consider these best practices:
1. Make it Findable Using Stories and Highlights
Promote your Guides by sharing them in your Instagram Stories and creating a dedicated Story Highlight on your profile.
2. Increase Shareability by Spotlighting Other Brands and Creators
Featuring other brands and creators can lead to them resharing your Guide, expanding your reach.
3. Partner with Niche Influencers
Micro and nano influencers often have higher engagement rates due to their close-knit communities. Partnering with them can drive significant results.
4. Emphasize Your Expertise
Use Guides to showcase your expertise by delivering long-form content directly on your Instagram page.
5. Address Frequently Asked Questions
Create Guides that answer common customer questions using your existing posts.
6. Curate Helpful and Educational Content
Share how-to guides, tutorials, and content that educates your audience about your brand values.
7. Share Inspiring Content
Community-focused stories, gift guides, and travel recommendations can inspire your audience.
8. Update Your Guides
Regularly update your Guides with fresh content to keep them relevant and engaging.
Conclusion
Instagram Guides are a powerful tool for organizing content, boosting engagement, and growing your business. By understanding the different types of Guides and implementing best practices, you can create a valuable resource for your audience and drive meaningful results on Instagram.
