Instagram Guides offer a fantastic way to curate and showcase your best content. Think of them as mini-blog posts within Instagram, allowing you to group existing posts, products, or places around a specific theme. This article will explore what Instagram Guides are, the different types available, how to create them, and best practices for leveraging them to grow your business.
What are Instagram Guides?
Instagram Guides are essentially curated collections of previously published content, presented in a format similar to a blog post. They allow you to group images, videos, and text blocks around a particular topic or theme. Instead of letting your valuable content get buried in the feed, Guides bring it back into the spotlight.
For example, if you’ve shared multiple posts about summer skincare, you could create an Instagram Guide titled “Summer Skincare Routine” featuring those posts. Similarly, a software company could create a Guide showcasing the latest product updates.
Each Guide includes a cover image, title, and introduction, followed by a scrollable list of entries. Users can easily browse through the content linked in the Guide. This content can originate from your Instagram feed, saved posts, collaborative posts, location-tagged places, or even products listed in Instagram Shops.
In essence, Instagram Guides allow you to:
- Create how-to guides.
- Showcase existing Instagram feed posts.
- Offer step-by-step instructions.
- Share long-form content.
Types of Instagram Guides
There are three primary types of Instagram Guides, each serving a distinct purpose:
1. Instagram Post Guides
Post Guides let you combine posts from your own feed or “saved posts” from other accounts. This is perfect for gathering content on a specific topic, sharing user-generated content, or showcasing collaborations.
Examples of post guides from Squarespace, Depop and Instagram’s design blog, curating helpful content to tell stories.
Ideal for: Telling your brand story, sharing user-generated content, or educating your audience on a particular subject.
2. Instagram Product Guides
Designed for businesses selling products online, Product Guides are also beneficial for influencers partnering with brands. They allow you to highlight products available in an Instagram Shop, making them perfect for recommending products or creating gift guides.
Bushbalm, a skincare brand, utilizes Product Guides to showcase product routines. Influencers can also collaborate with brands, like Monikh’s collaboration with Instagram featuring small businesses in a series called #TheInstagramXmasEdit.
Ideal for: Creating gift guides, product reviews, or tutorials showcasing specific product uses or related products.
3. Instagram Place Guides
Place Guides access content from Instagram posts with geotags.
For businesses like restaurants or retail stores, these Guides can curate user-generated content from location tags. Travel bloggers also use them to share city guides and favorite travel experiences.
Examples from @theufuoma, Away and @newyorkcity.explore, using place guides.
Ideal for: Sharing travel guides, recommending places to shop or eat, or highlighting hidden gems in different locations. This can also be useful when considering technical aspects such as static IP vs dynamic IP for accurate geolocation.
How to Create Your First Instagram Guide
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating your first Instagram Guide:
Step 1: Choose the Type of Guide
- 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 “Posts.”
Step 2: Select Posts to Add
- Choose posts from “All Saved” (your saved posts).
- Choose posts from “Your Posts” (your feed).
- Tap “Next” after selecting the posts you want.
Remember, you’re limited to 30 items per Guide.
Step 3: Add a Title and Introduction
It’s time to make your Guide engaging.
- Tap “Add Title” and write a compelling title.
- Write an introduction summarizing the Guide’s content in the “What is this Guide about?” text box.
- Add titles and descriptions for each featured post to provide context.
Step 4: Share Your Guide
- Tap “Next” after adding titles and descriptions.
- “Preview” your Guide.
- Tap “Share” to publish, or “Save as Draft.”
Important Notes:
- Change the default cover image to something eye-catching.
- Reorder or delete items using the three horizontal lines.
- Update your Guide with new content in the future.
Benefits of Using Instagram Guides
Instagram Guides offer several advantages:
- Highlight and Promote Your Best Content: Prevents your valuable content from getting lost in the feed.
- Increase Conversions for Instagram Shop: Create product recommendations and showcase customer reviews.
- Build Credibility: Showcase influencer partnerships and user-generated content.
Skincare brand Cocokind, strategically uses Instagram Guides to promote products for different skin types and routines.
Best Practices for Utilizing Instagram Guides
To maximize the impact of your Instagram Guides, consider these best practices:
- Make it Findable: Share your Guides in your Stories and create a dedicated Story Highlight.
- Increase Shareability: Spotlight other brands and creators in your Guides.
- Partner with Niche Influencers: Micro and nano influencers often drive higher engagement.
- Emphasize Your Expertise: Use Guides to deliver longer-form content and showcase your knowledge.
- Address Frequently Asked Questions: Curate posts that answer common questions from your audience.
- Curate Helpful and Educational Content: Share how-to’s, tutorials, and content about your brand values.
For example, Grove Collaborative educated their community on solving the single-use plastic problem and promoting their sustainable products.
View this guide on Instagram
- Share Inspiring Content: Community-focused stories, gift guides, and travel recommendations can resonate with your audience. Examples can be found from sources like Instagram, Byrdie and Hello BC.
- Update Your Guides: Regularly update your Guides with new content to keep them fresh and relevant.
Conclusion
Instagram Guides are a powerful tool for curating content, boosting engagement, and promoting your brand. By understanding the different types of Guides, how to create them, and implementing best practices, you can leverage this feature to connect with your audience and grow your business on Instagram. And consider using tools like Planable to organize and collaborate effectively on your Instagram content strategy.
