There’s no better way to connect with customers than through highly engaging marketing channels. Social media platforms like Instagram represent some of the best examples of keeping customers immersed in your brand through visually engaging and dynamic content.
Instagram is also a great way to get up close and personal with your customers, making them feel more connected to your brand.
Because there are so many brands active on Instagram, it can be difficult to come up with unique and creative content to boost awareness, build brand loyalty, and drive traffic to your website.
This article aims to give you some great Instagram content formats and offer some tips on how to come up with your own ideas.
What Type of Instagram Content Should You Post?
The best practices for what content types to post on Instagram depends on your overall goals. Are you focused on increasing brand awareness or conversion rates?
Maybe you’re a business looking to bring more traffic to your website. As a business promoting on Instagram, consider your industry or niche and the type of product or service you offer.
Or, if you’re a content creator and you want to increase your follower count (to increase brand awareness) as well as your online presence, think about the type of people you want to attract to your profile.
Whether you’re a business owner or content creator, consider audience demographics, pain points, goals, and interests.
Let’s look at an example. You own a pest control company. Your target audience is homeowners, property managers, business owners, and facilities managers. You might enjoy content like:
- Tips and tricks on how to get rid of difficult pests
- Answers to common questions about pests on Instagram Stories
- Content related to pests that are most common during specific seasons or in certain locations
- Short-form video clips of pest control methods customers can practice, such as setting traps or sealing entry points
- Before-and-after photos that show how your team took an infested space and made it pest-free
- Cleaning videos or organizing tips (since keeping a clean, clutter-free space is critical to keeping pests at bay)
So, when brainstorming different types of content, make sure to take advantage of Instagram’s visual nature. Nearly 70% of Instagram users post or share photos and videos. This shows that video content and images are the most engaging posts on Instagram.
Engage Your Audience With These 7 Instagram Content Ideas
Now for a deeper look into Instagram content types and ideas, let’s explore some examples of posts you can create to boost your engagement rates.
1. Educational Posts
When a social media user comes across a company or influencer’s page, the relationship doesn’t begin with complete trust. It’s built over time through information and provided value.
That’s where educational posts come in. Educational posts could be how-tos, statistics, fun facts, FAQs, and tips.
Sharing these types of posts can show customers your authority and expertise, which builds trust. People are more likely to engage with and follow sources of helpful information.
For the best results, be sure to tap into your target audience’s specific pain points and provide targeted advice they can follow.
Socialfly does a great job of educating its audience by sharing a post with an interesting statistic about a specific demographic. And it does so in a visually appealing way. It’s relevant to their audience because they share the post during Women’s History Month.
2. Behind the Scenes Posts or Reels
Give your engagement rates a boost and your audience a peek behind-the-scenes with fun posts or reels.
Behind-the-scenes content is great for helping customers get to know your brand, team members, and working environment. This transparency can help humanize your brand, creating a more authentic and trustworthy feel in your instagram graphics and posts
Customers will see that you’re not just trying to make a sale. They’ll see that you’re actively looking to build a relationship with them.
This team member spotlight by Blackbird Woodfire is a great way for people to get to know the pizza restaurant’s employees and the brand itself.
3. User-Generated Content
User-generated content, or UGC, is original, brand-specific content that your customers create and publish on their social media accounts. Encourage your audience to share their experiences, stories, and photos related to your brand. This is a great way to generate social proof, as it shows that people love your brand.
To make it your own, create unique and relevant hashtags and get your customers to include those hashtags in the captions of their posts. UGC to share on your Instagram profile might include a meme, testimonial, or a photo of a customer interacting with, using, or wearing your product.
Casper, a company that sells sleep products, uses user-generated content, demonstrating social proof, in the post below. Dean the basset hound is seen lying comfortably on a Casper mattress.
4. Sneak Peek
If you have a new product in the works, use Instagram to your advantage to spark interest. Instead of sharing everything customers need to know about your product, share teaser photos, videos, question stickers, or Instagram Stories to build anticipation.
In the below Instagram Reel, LEGO shows a makeover of its new store in London.
5. Product Displays
More and more people are using social media to discover new products. And they’re even making purchases directly from the app.
So, as a business looking to get leads and drive sales, it makes sense to showcase your products in your Instagram posts. You can even take advantage of the Shoppable Posts feature to direct leads to your website to purchase the product via a clickable link.
Take note that when you promote a product, it’s critical to ensure that your logo is visible to your audience in order to establish a mental association to your brand. Create a logo for free that communicates your commitment to providing quality products and services.
MAC Cosmetics shows off its HyperReal product line.
6. Contests and Giveaways
Boost Instagram engagement rates with contests and giveaways. Invite users to tag friends, share your post, and follow your page for a chance to win a contest or a free product. This isn’t only a great way to boost engagement, but it can also create excitement about your products and reach new audiences.
This content creator’s post is a great example of a giveaway to help grow their brand and YouTube channel. The post encourages users to follow their Instagram and TikTok, like the post, and leave a comment on Instagram for a chance to win school supplies.
7. Engaging Reels
Instagram Reels are short-form videos that quickly grab attention and engage your audience. Reels are similar to TikTok, where users can scroll through videos shown to them based on their interests.
There are different types of Instagram Reels you can create. You can share videos about your products, tell stories about your brand, post vlogs, or share Q&As.
This Reel by Nike promotes their Nike Tech sportswear line, featuring well-known athletes.
Supercharge Your Instagram Engagement Rates With These Content Ideas
Engagement matters. For businesses and content creators that want to create engaging content, Instagram is the perfect backdrop.
By making Instagram part of your marketing strategy, you can boost engagement, drive sales, and build brand awareness.
Posting content that captivates your audience and is specifically targeted to their needs and interests is one of the smartest ways to grow your brand. Get clear on your content goals and choose which type of Instagram content best fits your strategy.
Follow the tips we’ve mentioned in this article and double down on what proves most successful for you. Superior customer engagement awaits. Happy posting!
Author bio
Born and raised in Atlanta, Britney is a freelance writer with 5+ years of experience. She has written for a variety of industries, including marketing, technology, business, finance, healthcare, wellness, and fitness. If she’s not spending her time chasing after three little humans and two four-legged friends, you can almost always find her glued to a book or awesome TV series.
