An Instagram post contains either a photo or a video. Posts can be private –shared with only your followers, or public –shared with anyone with an Instagram account. Instagram posts may contain more than one photo or video. However, that would be considered an Instagram carousel. Posts published within the Instagram platform will be shared with other users’ feeds. Followers and Instagram users may interact with the post by liking, commenting, or sharing.
An Instagram post is an excellent way for Instagram users to share and showcase their content to their followers and other Instagram users. Instagram posts can easily be shared within the platform through Instagram stories, direct messages, and cross-platform. Creating a successful Instagram post can encourage followers and the audience to engage with the content and further promote the creator.
Why Make Instagram Posts:
Instagram posts are an excellent way to share content with others, incredibly visual content as the platform allows for the creator to connect with their followers by promoting interaction with Instagram posts. There are multiple feeds where creators can create brand exposure. There is a home feed where content that the user follows will pop up with the occasional random post made by an account the user does not follow. However, the content aligns with their interests. There is an explore page where users can find content from other accounts they don’t follow. Instagram will promote certain content based on the interaction and engagement the post receives. Another way for Instagram posts to receive more attention is through sharing. Users can share content through their Instagram stories, share with other accounts through direct messages, or share the content through another social media platform. Instagram posts are critical for an active profile and a present follower base.
Instagram Stories –These posts are only visible for 24 hours. Other Instagram users can interact with this post by liking the story or reposting it on their Instagram story. Users can share stories within direct messages and interact with the creator through polls and question boxes.
Instagram Live –A live video feature accessible through clicking the profile picture of the creator. Through these lives, the audience can interact with the creator by commenting live and leaving likes on the stream.
Instagram Reels –This feature allows users to post short-form videos on Instagram. This is most similar to Tik Tok videos. There is a specific feedpage for Instagram reels.
Instagram Carousel –These posts involve multiple pictures and videos within the same post.
Collaborative Posts –Collaborative posts allow creators to become co-authored and shared on the feed of multiple Instagram accounts.
Instagram Sponsored Posts –These types of posts are a typical advertisement where brands pay a creator to promote their product (paid sponsorship) or the brand pays Instagram to promote their post in hopes to reach a wider audience.
Fundraisers –Nonprofit fundraisers can be added to the bio of the Instagram account for 30 days. The user may extend, hide the fundraiser from their bio, or end it early. While the fundraiser is active, the user will be able to share the fundraiser through Instagram posts.
Giveaways –Many larger Instagram accounts will host giveaways to gain followers and attention to their brand. This allows the followers to feel like they are part of the community and to get a chance to get free merchandise as a reward. Giveaways are done to celebrate the followers and to build a deep connection and stronger loyalty between Instagram creators and followers.
Instagram users can select the visibility option they would like for their Instagram posts. Instagram accounts can be either public –public profile visible for anyone with an Instagram account to see, or private –visibility to only the followers of the Instagram account. Users can change their profile and privacy settings anytime. Another way Instagram users are allowed to control the visibility of their Instagram posts is by using the ‘Close Friends’ feature. This allows the user to choose which accounts they would like on their Close Friends lists, allowing them to see any Instagram post or story with the green star indicator to show that the content is only shared with close friends.
Before a user can make scheduled posts on the Instagram mobile app, they must have a professional account. It is free for users to convert their personal account into a professional one. Users wanting to switch their Instagram account to a professional can choose between a business or creator account. More information about the guidelines and the application process can be found here. It is important to note that professional accounts cannot be set to private; therefore, setting up scheduled posts requires the profile to be public. The restrictions regarding scheduled posts include having a maximum of 25 scheduled posts per day as well as being able to schedule a post up to 75 days in advance. Creators cannot edit the content of a planned post before it is published. However, creators may reschedule, share their post now, or delete the scheduled post before publishing.
As of the publishing of this article, this feature is relatively new as a way for Instagram to encourage trust and transparency between content creators and followers. Creators may add the ‘AI-generated content’ label to their post before sharing it. The content might automatically be labeled as AI-generated content when Meta’s AI tools detect content generated or edited with AI. However, it is not foolproof that some content might not be adequately flagged.
Here are some tips for publishing successful Instagram content: