Instagram Guides are a powerful, yet often overlooked, feature on the platform. They offer a unique way to curate and showcase your best content, similar to mini blog posts. If you’re asking “What Is An Instagram Guide” and how can it benefit you, this comprehensive guide will cover everything you need to know.
What are Instagram Guides?
Instagram Guides are essentially curated collections of existing content presented in a format resembling a blog post. Think of them as mini-blogs within Instagram, allowing you to organize content around specific topics or themes using your images, videos, and text.
For example, if you’ve shared numerous posts about vegan recipes, you can create an Instagram Guide titled “Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes” where you list related posts. Similarly, a travel blogger could create a guide to “The Best Hidden Gems in Paris.”
Each Instagram Guide features a cover image, a title, an introduction, and a list of your curated entries. Users can scroll vertically, read descriptions, and explore the linked content.
The content within Guides can be drawn from your Instagram feed, saved posts, collaborative posts, location-tagged places, or products listed on Instagram Shops. This feature is perfect for highlighting your most important posts or products and grouping them into easily accessible categories. Instagram Guides provide a fantastic way to curate content for increased engagement.
Content Types Suitable for Instagram Guides:
- How-to guides and tutorials
- Existing Instagram feed posts
- Step-by-step instructions
- Long-form content
Types of Instagram Guides
There are three primary types of Instagram Guides, each designed for a specific purpose:
Just as you organize your best Instagram stories into highlights, Guides allow you to curate top-performing content from your feed or recommend products and posts from other creators. When you include content from other accounts, they receive a notification, acknowledging their inclusion. A single Instagram Guide can feature up to 30 photos or videos.
Let’s delve into examples of each type of Instagram Guide and when they are most effective.
1. Instagram Post Guides
Instagram Post Guides allow you to incorporate posts from your own feed or saved posts from other Instagram accounts. This enables you to compile older posts on a particular subject or share content from other creators and brands.
Examples of how Squarespace, Depop, and Instagram’s design blog use post Guides to curate helpful content and tell stories. Alt Text: Examples of Instagram Post Guides from Squarespace, Depop, and the Instagram Design blog, showcasing curated content.
Ideal Use Cases: Telling your brand’s story, sharing user-generated content, or educating your audience on a specific topic.
2. Instagram Product Guides
Product Guides are tailored for businesses selling products online, but they can also be utilized by influencers partnering with brands. Because you can link directly to products listed on an Instagram Shop, Product Guides are perfect for featuring products you sell or recommending products you admire.
Cocokind uses Guides to promote products for different skin types and routines. Alt Text: Cocokind’s Instagram Product Guide showcasing skincare products categorized by skin type and routine.
Ideal Use Cases: Creating gift guides, product reviews, or tutorials.
3. Instagram Place Guides
With “Places” Guides, you can access content from Instagram posts that have geo-tagged locations. This is especially useful for businesses with physical locations.
Examples from @theufuoma, Away and @newyorkcity.explore using Places Guides. Alt Text: Examples of Instagram Place Guides from @theufuoma, Away, and @newyorkcity.explore, showcasing travel destinations and local recommendations.
Ideal Use Cases: Sharing travel guides, recommending local shops and restaurants, or highlighting hidden gems in different cities.
Creating Your First Instagram Guide: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you understand the basics, let’s walk through creating your first Instagram Guide:
Step 1: Choose Your Guide Type
- Go to your Instagram profile.
- Tap the “+” icon at the top right.
- Select “Guide”.
- Choose your Guide type: Places, Products, or Posts.
For this example, we’ll choose the “Posts” Guide type.
Step 2: Select Posts to Add
- Select posts from “All Saved” (your saved posts).
- Or, choose posts from “Your Posts” (your own feed).
- Tap “Next” after selecting your desired posts.
Remember, you can mix posts from both collections, but the limit is 30 items per Guide.
Step 3: Add Title and Introduction
Now, it’s time to edit your Guide to maximize engagement.
- Tap “Add Title” and write a compelling title for your Guide.
- Write an engaging introduction in the “What is this Guide about?” text box (recommended length: 3-4 lines).
- Add titles and descriptions for each featured post to provide context.
Step 4: Share Your Guide
- Tap “Next” once you’ve added 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 more eye-catching.
- Reorder or delete items by tapping the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner of each section.
- You can add posts to update your Guide in the future.
Benefits of Using Instagram Guides
Instagram Guides are an excellent content discovery tool. If you create evergreen content such as educational posts, product reviews, tutorials, or important brand information, Guides can help keep those posts visible and drive traffic to them.
Here are some key benefits:
- Highlight and promote your best content: Keep your valuable content from getting buried in your feed.
- Increase conversions for Instagram Shop: Create product recommendations, feature customer reviews, and highlight influencer partnerships.
- Build credibility: Showcase influencer partnerships and user-generated content.
Best Practices for Leveraging 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 in your stories and create 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 its reach.
3. Partner with Niche Influencers
Micro and nano influencers often drive higher engagement rates due to their strong, trusting communities.
HypeAuditor engagement rate graph showing different engagement rates per type of influencer. Alt Text: A graph from HypeAuditor showing engagement rates decreasing as influencer follower count increases, highlighting the higher engagement of nano-influencers.
4. Emphasize Your Expertise
Use Guides to share longer-form content directly on Instagram and showcase your expertise.
5. Address Frequently Asked Questions
Curate posts that answer common customer questions into a helpful Guide.
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
Create community-focused stories, gift guides, and travel recommendations.
8. Update Your Guides Regularly
Keep your Guides fresh and relevant by updating them with new content.
Conclusion
Instagram Guides are a powerful tool for curating and showcasing your content. By understanding the different types of Guides, following best practices, and consistently updating your content, you can leverage this feature to boost engagement, drive traffic, and grow your business on Instagram.
