How to Create Engaging Instagram Posts

Instagram users get fatigued as they scroll through hundreds of vacation photos, advertisements, and modeling shoots. While paid promotions can grab their attention, if you want to build your audience, you must create engaging Instagram posts that captivate your followers. With engaging posts, you will inspire your followers to stop scrolling, hit the "Like" button, and comment, or better yet, share or save your posts.

The best way to create engaging Instagram posts is to stay innovative. Experiment with different types of content while keeping your posts clean and accessible. Over time, you'll perfect a content schedule that excites followers when they see your name in their feeds.

Prioritize Instagram

Stick to a few social media profiles that reach your audience instead of signing up for every platform you can find. Instagram is best for targeting younger generations, although the site has niche communities for older users. You'll create engaging Instagram posts when you see your profile as an extension of your business, not an advertising platform.

Set aside time to plan your Instagram feed, then have posts pre-scheduled so they will post throughout the day. Make posts for Instagram instead of the content you repurposed from other sites. Instagram's platform requires posts with a specific size, layout, and content presentation.

Share Memes

People stop scrolling for memes. They're funny, relatable, and easy to digest. Memes often get more interactions than regular content, and when a follower keeps interacting with your posts, you'll eventually appear at the top of their feed. They might share your memes, inviting other people to follow you.

Make your own memes when possible so you can attach your business's name without taking credit for another person's work. If you share another person's meme, never replace the original poster's name with your own because you'll get a reputation for stealing content. Try to limit the memes to once every few days; if you post them constantly, you'll gain followers who just want memes, not your products.

Tag Your Posts

Instagram users search hashtags for the content they're looking for, such as beauty advice and cooking tips. You're essentially sharing into the void if you don't tag your posts. No one will find your profile unless they're searching for it directly. Add tags to your posts to show up in search results, generating interactions and followers.

Stick to relevant tags instead of populating every tag you can think of--people get frustrated when they keep seeing mistagged posts. Include a combination of general and specific tags, such as "#beauty," "#makeuptips," and "#supportsmallbusiness." Don't worry that the tags will ruin your post because most people scan over them anyway.

Challenge Your Followers

Challenge your followers with the occasional quiz. If they pass, they'll get a confidence boost; if they fail, they'll still gain knowledge about your store. Plus, you'll engage them directly instead of passively appearing in their feed so that they'll remember your brand. A quiz allows you to build brand integrity by including your logo and color scheme.

Develop a quiz related to your business, such as "How well do you know our beauty salon?" or "Can you name the vegan ingredients in these products?" Base the quiz on common knowledge because your followers will only spend time scouring the Internet for answers if you promise a reward.

Challenge Yourself

The popularity of Instagram challenges, such as working out or posting a photo daily, shows that people love watching other people's progress. Sharing your goals also promotes accountability. You'll get interactions every time you post an update, which motivates you to keep going. Plus, showing off your progress gives followers an exciting peek behind the scenes.

Choose a work-related challenge, such as developing new products or mailing a certain number of orders, then update your followers every time you reach a milestone. You might inspire your fans to take on their own challenges. Try inventing a task with a unique hashtag to see if it catches on.

Introduce Yourself

Introducing yourself makes you the friendly face of your operation. Share a professional picture of yourself and discuss your background and life goals. Discuss what inspired you to start your business. Afterward, share the occasional picture of you behind the scenes or celebrating a milestone, such as opening a physical storefront.

You can also shine a spotlight on your employees and co-founders. Share pictures with short biographies and highlight their accomplishments. This shows your audience that you're a friendly, cooperative organization, which makes them feel good about supporting your business.

Post Shareable Content

Another way to create engaging Instagram posts is with shareable content. If your content goes viral, it could rack up millions of views in a few days. Your posts might not go viral, but you can earn hundreds of interactions with shareable content. Unlike regular content, which followers view but probably won't repost, shareable content inspires your audience to educate others and spread positivity.

Popular shareable posts include jokes, motivational quotes, life tips, and goals. People smile at these posts and share them to improve their friends' and relative's lives. Encourage your followers to share these posts around the web. Ensure that you include your store's name and logo so that people visit your profile.

Announce Upcoming Events

Build anticipation by notifying your fans about events at least a month ahead of time. Share a vibrant, eye-catching image with the time and date clearly labeled. Tell them to save the date and post more reminders as the event approaches, drumming up more excitement. Your customers will feel like they're about to see their favorite musician in concert.

Online events include interviews, product launches, introductions, and behind-the-scenes tours. Host an Instagram Live event to invite your fans to ask questions. You can also promote in-store in-person events, such as charity drives, Black Friday sales, and musical performances.

Tease New Products

Drive sales and build excitement by teasing new products. Share glimpses of new scents, colors, designs, or packaging without giving too much away. Talk enthusiastically about the release so followers feel like they're about to witness a special event. Make the behind-the-scenes process look like fun--if you're enjoying yourself, your followers will also think that they'll enjoy the release.

Periodically update your clients as the release date approaches, then celebrate the drop with a promotional price or Instagram Live feature. Share bright, full-color images that entice your fans. If this product has been a common request, tell followers that you're thrilled to bring their idea to life finally.

Solve a Problem

Show your customers how much your company can improve their lives. For example, if you own a home organization business, you could create engaging Instagram posts that include "before" and "after" photos from a recent project. This way, your followers will see firsthand why they need your products or services in your lives, creating a need they didn't know they had.

You can also point out common problems. Like memes, problem-solving posts make people stop scrolling because they're relatable. They remember that they need more time to clean their house or keep hoarding things they don't need. Your content brings up the issue, then offers a solution to your services.

Stay On Top of Marketing Trends

For tips and the latest trends to help you grow your small business, read our blog, and sign up for our bi-weekly emarketing newsletter.