Guides are the latest feature that Instagram has released to creators.
As Instagram guides are still new, there are a lot of advantages to being some of the first users to start to produce incredible content on this new form of post. There are a few secrets to creating Instagram Guides and they will help you to understand the post form better.
What are Instagram Guides?
Instagram Guides are effectively a short-form blog post or collection of posts centered around a particular idea or theme. They involve sharing posts from your Instagram feed and adding new headings and captions. This allows you to go into more detail than you can in post captions and collate all your posts on a single topic in one easy to find place for the audience.
When creating Guides, you need to consider your target audience. Think about the kind of content that you already create for them (and how well that content does). Find ways to develop your ideas to become a voice of authority on your preferred topics.
Ensure that you are using the right kind of post. There are many different kinds of posts on Instagram; standard feed posts, stories, IGTV posts, and Reels. Make sure that you are using the most effective kind of post for your content.
You should build upon the posts you already have. A limitation of Instagram Guides is that you can only include posts that have already been posted to your feed. Thus, before creating an abundance of new posts, try and use the ones you already have whilst you are still finding your feet. Once you feel more confident, your audience has grown, and your ideas have developed you should create your feed posts with ideas for Guides. But to begin with, just work with what you already have!
This means that you should utilize the ability to share posts from other users. Do not be afraid to use posts from other creators. This can supplement your content and further your points—while building relationships, partnerships, and audiences.
Your audience will also respect the use of user-generated content—for many, this adds a layer of trust and respect to your relationship. You will surely develop your own distinct style and way of using Guides. You will need to be creative and informative to reach your audience on a new level.
