Oh yes my friends, Instagram has added yet another feature to their platform. We were just getting used to Reels, figuring out what to do besides dancing and lip-synching and pointing at things, and now we have to figure out Guides too!
At this point with all the options and different types of posts for each, you might be getting stuck for what goes where. Do you just create 15 different types of content every single day? Do you create one piece of content and repurpose it everywhere?
Luckily the answer is you can create a couple pieces of content, re-purpose lots of things, and show up without spending your entire week on Instagram.
In today’s episode I’m sharing what type of content goes where on Instagram so you can show up and use all of their features without burning yourself out.
As we know Instagram loves it and rewards you if you use their new features – if you’re on Stories, if you’re creating video, if you’re using Reels, IGTV and Guides because they want more people to stay on the platform longer.
And the benefit to you is that you algorithm brownie points from using all of the new features which makes it more likely that your posts will show up in front of more of your audience and maybe even on the popular page.
IG feed
First up the good ol’ Instagram feed – this is where you want to put your best content. It’s almost like a portfolio to give new visitors a quick overview of what you do.
So what do new visitors who haven’t even followed you yet need to see on your profile to understand what you do and get excited about hearing more? (a.k.a. make them hit that follow button)
This should be a combination of posts sharing your why and your story, posts giving your audience a little bit of your expertise through tips or advice, posts about your products or services, and testimonials or case studies from your customers and clients.
You can also post minute long video clips to your feed or create a carousel with multiple minute long clips. So if you’re sharing three tips for something it would be a good idea to not only write it as a caption but also post it as a video because Instagram will reward you for showing video in your feed.
Stories
Stories is going to be for quick info and peeks behind the scenes of your business. You will be repeating some of the stuff that is in your feed (remember people need to hear things multiple times before they’ll take action). You can re-post straight from your feed into Stories or you could hop on Stories and talk through what you posted in your feed.
You can also share a little behind the scenes, so I might share videos of my dogs or of what I’m doing on the weekends so people can see that I’m an actual human and not just a robot delivering marketing and business advice.
Experiment with your Stories and don’t be afraid to post things that are a little off brand or a little bit random – if you feel like sharing it then share it and pay attention to how your audience reacts. If they’re into it then share it more and if they don’t respond then maybe you try some thing else.
Often when we get so focused on filling our social platforms it turns into checking boxes instead of having fun and interacting with your audience.
And length-wise, it’s a good idea to keep your Stories less than two or three minutes long because it feels like it takes away more time to tap through all those little dots then to just watch a three minute video.
But if you have a longer video, then post it to IGTV…
IGTV
IGTV is the spot to add longer trainings or longer Stories-type content. This way your audience doesn’t have to swipe through 15 sec clips or min long videos, they can watch the whole thing in one spot. And you’ll also be able to share it to your feed and to Stories, so you can create content in three spots at once.
And IGTV posts actually do a lot better when they’re posted to your feed instead of just to IGTV, so if you can write three tips in a caption, can you make a video talking through those three tips a little bit more in depth?
IGTV is always also a sneaky way to get longer videos into your feed. We know feed posts only allow 60 second clips but if you have a 10 minute video instead of putting in 10, 60 second clips as a carousel, you could upload an IGTV video that’s 10 minutes long and then crosspost it to your feed.
It will get your audience to watch those 10 minutes a lot easier give you some brownie points for using IGTV which will make it more likely that more of your audience will see it!
Reels
Reels allows you to create 15 or 30 second videos and is best for super quick tips, before/after, demonstration, meme type content, which is a great way to show off your personality.
This is a great spot to re-purpose tips that you have already posted that received lots of engagement from your audience. Again, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel for every piece of content. Just make sure the content you’re sharing is easy to read/understand at a fast pace. Too many people are writing out Stories-type captions that are too long to read at that speed.
Instagram has added a Reels button to the main buttons at the bottom of the app and prioritizing Reels in the feed, so they’re really trying to get more people to post content like this.
Remember your audience isn’t seeing every single thing you create, especially in your feed, so you can re-post a lot more than you think. Plus reposting gives your audience the opportunity to see them. We’re all scrolling while doing something else at the same time which means your audience is not give Instagram their full attention. So you need to provide them extra opportunities to see your stuff by using different Instagram features.
Live
Going live is perfect for longer content or special events and announcements. If I’m going to be opening enrollment, doing a launch, or hosting a workshop or a challenge and I want to make sure I’m getting lots of attention I’ll go live.
This is beneficial because if your followers are on the app they will be notified when you go live so they’re more likely to see that content than if it’s just posted your feed or Stories.
And lives don’t have to be long. I don’t know about you but sometimes I feel like I need to show up for an hour, but you can go live for 10, 20 minutes and still have the same impact.
Plus most people don’t go live so your audience will probably be excited for the opportunity to see you and interact with you in the moment.
And again don’t be afraid to re-purpose content for your live. If you had a list of tips or a Story that did really really well in your feed then you can always use that for live content as well.
Highlights + Guides
And then lastly Highlights and Guides. Luckily you don’t have to create any new contact for these because it’s simply a collection of your best stuff. Highlights are going to collect together your best Stories and Guides collect your best feed posts.
So what do new visitors who don’t know anything about you need to see in order to get hooked on your contact? This is probably tips or advice, your story, or the questions you get asked the most.
And then what does your current audience need to see to become clients or customers? They’re going to be looking for your packages, services or products, testimonials or proof that your stuff works, and ways to get involved like a webinar, challenge, or freebie so you can move them onto your list and sell to them without so many distractions.
These two are super easy – you can set them up in minutes so no excuses – I definitely want to see Guides and Highlights on your profile!
Here’s that list one more time:
- Feed post are for minute long videos and your best content
- Stories for a quick videos, behind the scenes content (two-three minutes)
- IGTV for longer videos
- Reels for super quick tips and fun content
- Live video for news and announcements or anything you want lots of attention on
- Highlights and Guides are collections of things you’ve already posted
Now, if all of this is really overwhelming, you do not have to create content for every single Instagram feature if you don’t have time go for it. Stick with posting to your feed consistently and hopping on Stories consistently and making some of those posts video. Once you get consistent with that then dive into Reels and IGTV and maybe even going live.
And lastly if you are having trouble figuring out what to share, two recommendations for you: First, pay attention to what catches your eye, what causes you to comment, save, or share a post from people you follow. Because if it’s attracting you then there’s a good chance your audience will be attracted to that type of content too.
And second, you can always join The Essentials, my all-in-one marketing membership. You get trainings for every piece of Instagram plus trainings on building your email list, branding your business, being more productive, and creating content, along with a members-only Facebook group and coaching calls with me twice a month!
All the info on that is over at xosarah.com/essentials
And lastly if you enjoyed this episode make sure to leave a review and take a screenshot, share it on Instagram and tag me @xosarahmorgan!
