The five types of Instagram posts and how to use them in your Instagram growth strategy
Over the years since it's release in 2010, Instagram continues to get more and more complex all the time with different ways to post and browse content on the app. This leaves a lot of content creators, especially beginners, confused about which kind of content to create, when, and why. From feed posts, to Reels, to stories, and IGTV - there are so many ways to reach your audience on Instagram, and each of these different formats have advantages and disadvantages for how they generate reach, engagement, and convert followers into true fans. In this blog post, I'm going to give you the ultimate guide to all of the 5 main types of Instagram posts, what their benefits and disadvantages are, and how they should fit into your content strategy for growth!
The lifecycle of a new Instagram follower
Each different post type on Instagram has different benefits and advantages in the algorithms that help you generate engagement, deepen your relationship with your audience, or expand your reach. And yes - I did say algorithms, plural. During Instagram's Creators Week, we got a bit of an insight into how all of these different formats play together and how the app determines what our followers see and don't see. According to Instagram themselves, there are multiple different algorithms for the different formats of content - feed, IGTV, Reels, etc - and so understanding that these different pieces are treated and distributed differently, and therefore play different roles is essential to building a cohesive strategy.
These different post types also play different roles in the lifecycle of a new follower - or the funnel, you could say, of how new people find you and get to know you on Instagram. And I want to share that framework with you as well in this episode because I think it will be helpful for you to understand how all of these different types of content play a role in someone new getting to know you, and your follower's journey overall. It's really similar to making a new friend because ultimately I believe that growing your presence on Instagram, at least in the beginning, should be about building relationships and growing friendships.
The way to start growing on Instagram is not scalable
I know that sounds like a lot of work, and look - it is. But the principle that I like to follow, and which has helped me grow my business and my online presence to the six figures in terms of revenue and followers is of doing things that don't scale. Paul Graham, of famous startup incubator Y Combinator, is known for advising startups to start by doing things that don't scale.
So many of us, when we're starting a business or trying to grow a brand online, are focused on how we can get to the hundreds of thousands or millions of followers - or revenue dollars. Therefore, we're busy thinking about how we can make passive income, how we can generate an immense amount of traffic, and make these massive moves. But, these kinds of strategies take a long time to build up to, and you're not going to get there very fast in the beginning. So, it's important to focus on things that will really move the needle for you, even if you know you won't be able to do them long-term.
The story that always gets referenced during the "things that don't scale" conversation is AirBnB. So sorry if you've heard this before, but I found it very impactful when I learned about it, so I want to share it now because I think it will change the way you think about Instagram growth. When AirBnB first started, and they had their first couple of listings live, they were running into a problem where they found potential guests were not booking the accommodations because the photos just didn't look good. The property owners who were listing rental properties were uploading crappy photos that did not do the spaces justice. And so, the founders of AirBnB drove to the listings themselves with a nice camera and took high-quality photos of all of their listings to try to market the properties better for the owners. And of course, within a few weeks, bookings started to come in. They were able to kickstart the growth of their platform by doing something that did not scale - if they would have ignored that simple solution because they knew they wouldn't be able to do it long term, they might have had a failed website instead of a globally successful tech company.
And so, the same principle applies to social media growth. You need to start by doing things that don't scale, and by that, I mean, building relationships with individual people. Make friends with people online, and they will eventually become your followers. No, you can't make friends with 100,000 people. But, if you're starting from zero, growth just means making friends with 5, or 10. And that is very doable. So instead of thinking about growth in terms of the principles and strategies that you want to be using once you have a million followers, think about how you can make simple changes that will generate growth where you are now. And do things that don't scale.
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So with all of that being said, (and thank you for indulging me in that little motivational rant!) let's go through the five main types of content you can share on Instagram. I'm going to walk you through them in the order and context of someone new finding you on the platform, and their journey to becoming your number 1 fan. Which means, we're going to start with Reels.
Reels: The Handshake
What are Reels? Short from (15-30 sec) videos that often follow trends, use popular audios, and share quick-wins or entertainment for new audiences
Where do you watch Reels? On the main feed or in the Reels explore page
Who sees your Reels? current followers, and importantly: potential new followers
In our journey of meeting someone new, Reels are the handshake. During a client strategy call recently, I sort of came up with this metaphor for the user journey on the spot, and it really seemed to unlock something for my client and help her understand how these different forms of content work together - and so I thought it would be perfect to share on the podcast! When she was uncertain how to determine what to post on stories and what to post on Reels, I said "Reels is like meeting someone totally new - imagine you were at a party and talking to someone you never met before, what would you say to them?"
When we meet someone new, we try to find things in common. That is our first step - we ask a few questions, learn a little bit about this new human, and then try to make connections. That's what you want to do with Reels as well. But, the beauty of Reels as opposed to actually meeting someone at a party, is you already know what you have in common, because you know who you want to target. The Instagram Reels algorithm serves users videos based on their interests - and so if you can make it clear in your caption with keywords, or with specific hashtags, what your content is about, then the algorithm will know who to show it to. You can start by making Reels for your ideal audience - so you know their struggles, their concerns, what they would find funny, and you can make content about something they would relate to. Then you know when they come across your video, they will feel that connection with you and potentially maybe even check out your page and follow you. And when someone new follows you, you've completed the metaphorical handshake, and you've moved on to:
Feed Posts: The First Conversation
What are Feed posts? The original form of content on Instagram, photos, videos, and carousels that appear in the main feed of accounts the user is following
Where do you view Feed posts? In the main home feed, on the explore page, in guides, and sometimes when they are shared to stories.
If someone feels really connected to the Reel that they've found of yours, then chances are they might just tap on your username and check out your profile. From there, they will see your grid of feed posts, which will give them the first impression of your content. If they hit follow, they will start seeing more of your feed content over the next couple of days, as Instagram tends to push feed content into the feeds of new followers as the algorithm starts to learn how much they will engage with you and therefore how often the algorithm should show them your content.
You can think about your feed content as those first few conversations as you're getting to know someone. They now have a bit more information on who you are and what you do, so you don't need to reintroduce yourself all the time or provide a ton of extra context. Actually, you can start to dive in and get a bit more vulnerable with them, sharing your struggles and how you've overcome them, and sharing more info about how you can help them too.
Feed content is really the backbone of what you're doing with your Instagram strategy, its where your most in-depth, high-value content on Instagram is going to live. Now, the main purpose of feed content is going to be providing value and building that connection with your audience. However, there is an opportunity for feed content to help expand your reach as well, particularly through shareable content. As I mentioned, feed content can be viewed in stories when a user taps the little paper airplane button and shares a feed post to their story. This function is a really great way to expand your reach. If you can create something that is worth sharing, then your followers might just help you expand your reach and potentially find new followers by putting your content in front of their audiences. So when you're developing your feed content strategy, which can be a balance of video content, graphics, carousels, and images - remember to balance creating sharable content to reach a new audience, and creating high-value content to connect further with your existing audience. Because, if your new followers start to find value in your feed posts and they like what they see, then most likely they will start interacting with your next form of content which is:
Stories: Talking on the Phone
What are Story posts? vertical photo and video content that are formatted in 5-15 second slides that users can tap through
Where do you watch Stories? in the stories feed at the top of the app, where it's available for 24 hours only unless you add it to a highlight on your profile where people can watch them back indefinitely
Stories are honestly probably the most popular content on the app, this is where a lot of people are spending their time. This doesn't mean that it's the only important part of your content strategy, because like I've detailed already, you can see how reels and feed content really come into play as well. But, Instagram users tend to start tapping through stories before they interact anywhere else on the app. Stories are like chatting on the phone or texting with a new friend because this is the stage where you start to share more about your day-to-day life. This is the place to share your morning coffee or your favourite new lunch spot. It doesn't always have to be content that's directly related to your niche, this is the place to let your personality shine as followers transition from knowing you only as the "insert your niche here" person, but as a human being that they can relate to and connect with.
Stories are really the place where you're going to take that relationship to the next level, by being honest and relatable, and also by engaging with your audience through interactive stickers like polls and question boxes, and through chatting with people in your story replies.
If your followers really start to connect with you through all those previous forms of content, then they might just make the commitment to watching your:
IGTV: Going for Coffee
What are IGTV videos? Longer form videos, in vertical or horizontal format, anywhere from over 1 minute to 1 hour long
Where do you watch IGTV videos? On the main feed of Instagram, or in the IGTV section of your profile
IGTV videos are like going out for coffee because it's a chance to really sit down with your closest audience members and have a longer chat, provide more value, and build that relationship further. IGTV was created really to be a competitor to YouTube, so that's probably the closest comparison in terms of how users interact with these videos, but I would actually encourage you to approach them knowing that people tend to have a shorter attention span or less commitment on Instagram, so keep your intros short and dive into the value right away.
It is possible to find IGTV videos in the explore page, but generally, I find that IGTV videos give you the most return on investment when you focus them on your existing audience, because those are the people who are most likely to take the time to really sit down and watch a longer video from you. This is also a great place to publish previous live streams to give them a longer shelf life. Which, speaking of live streams, let's talk about the final stage of friendship with your followers on Instagram and our fifth type of content you can make on the app, and that is:
Lives - Hanging Out
What are Lives? lives are exactly what they sound like, live videos where you can chat with your audience in the comments, answer questions, or even do a collaborative live with other creators
Where do you watch Lives? these show up in the stories feed with a slightly different colour ring and a little live icon, and when people tap into it they're taken to that specific livestream
Due to the nature of how people find livestreams, they are not very discoverable. There's no Lives “explore page” - so really only your current followers are going to find this content, unless you're doing a collab with another creator. Because of this, lives are really best suited for connecting with your existing audience in a really personal way. That's why lives are like hanging out all the time, these people are your ride-or-die BFFs, you're basically hanging out with them live when you do a livestream. If people come to your live, then you know they are really invested in you and your content, so this is the perfect place to really provide a ton of value, potentially even convert followers into customers, and just build that like, know, and trust factor.
As you can see, all of these different formats of Instagram content have an important role to play in finding new followers, and getting to know them better, and ultimately turning them into your fans or customers. Depending on where you are in your stage of growth, you may be prioritizing some of this content more than others to reach your particular goals and that's totally fine - just make sure that you're covering your bases with each form of content so that you're not losing out on any followers who may be at different points along this journey.