How To Guide - New Ideas for Instagram (2025 edition)

So many of us are using Instagram as the go to platform to attract customers and build brand but boy is it changing. Keeping up with the nuances that are evolving all the time feels like a full time job.

So here are a few pointers to help you navigate some of the latest thinking around Instagram.

1. Reels - There is no doubt that reels continue to be important on Instagram but for many, they still feel overwhelming, tricky to achieve and even a bit 'ick'. Here are some ideas to help:

   1. Take photos in 'live' mode on your iphone and 'save as video' to convert to little 3 second video by clicking on the 3 dots at the top right of the image. This means that you are always picking up tiny clips to build into a reel.

   2. Get into the habit of videoing all the time. Your behind the scenes, your activities. how you make things and you speaking. Just this will build confidence.

   3. Use easy apps to help you create reels quickly and without fuss. Canva is my go to because I can use my font and colourways easily, but also in app in Instagram works or InVideo.

   4. Capture your audience in the first 1-2 seconds with a 'hook'. This could be words on the screen (4 ways to decorate a cake...) or what you're saying or with stunning visuals that keep people watching.

   5. Make your reel real by avoiding over polishing. Reels are there to help people connect with you and your brand and not be over curated and disconnected.

   6. Choose 'trending' music but also audio that aligns with your brand.

2. Carousels - super popular right now and you can do lots of slides to take your audience through a process of your thinking, ideas, solutions or your story. Here are some tips

   1. Use your branding colours and font by setting up the 'tiles' in Canva or your favourite app.

   2. Ensure that the first tile has a compelling hook that will encourage your sudience to swipe for more.

   3. Add fun 'calls to action' in your carousel like asking people to save it or follow your account or click through to your bio (think arrows & graphics)

3. Time & engagement - like most things in life, you get out what you put in and this is so true of Instagram. Take time to comment on other accounts, sending DMs to favourite accounts, liking other people's posts etc. Just 15 minutes a day will help you and your brand be more connected to a community of other Insta accounts that will be supportive back. The algorithm rewards this kind of meaningful engagement too.

4. Don't over post on your grid - counter intuitive, but engagement is more important. Think about adding regular stories, connecting with others and then curating an excellent post/reel rather than rushing something out every day.

5. Statics are being downgraded. Single static image posts are losing the algorithm and there's a marked reduction positive algorithm support. If your business has stunning static images then think about turning them into 3 second 'live' images for a reel or creating a carousel of images.

6. Less hashtag and more keyword rich captions - hastags are not going to cut it anymore. You can certainly use one or two, but more important are your captions. Use the first one or two lines to answer your ideal customer query or using keywords for your brand. Here are some pointers:

   1. '3 ways to build a brand without a budget...'

   2. 'how I relax as a menopausal entrepreneur...'

   3. 'did you know these 3 game-changing tips for your dog...'

   4. '5 great recipes for leftover chicken...'

7. Stories - get your story game on! This is the place to be even less polished, fun and most important - interactive. Stories are about building community and even more connection with you and your brand. Here are some fun ways to get engagement:

   1. Share your key posts into your stories but add something like a vote, poll or link to the right place.

   2. Use polls to ask for opinions or to helpyou make decisions. E.g. 'I can't decide on the colour for my next make - what do you like best?'

   3. Encourage Q&As in your stories by adding a question sticker like 'ask me anything' or 'Wednesday evening top tips hour'

   4. Share your more raw behind the scenes that adds to your brand tone. For example these could be funny, show your mishaps, some beofre and after etc.

   5. Get the number of stories 'live' at any one time. 3 is often considered the minimum but more than about 7-8 will start to overwhelm.

   6. Use captions on your stories (or posts) because most people are watching in silence at work or on the bus!

   7. Don't foget to share what other people are saying about you by encouraging people to tag you into their stories and you then sharing

8. Your wider customer journey - Instagram can be great but it's not great at getting people to out of app to somewhere else e.g your website or bio. Be proactive with some of the following ideas:

   1. Use arrows and calls to action on your reels and carousels to encourage people to click somewhere for the best bit

   2. Tag your own account into your captions so it's easy for your audience to find the next step.

   3. Make Instagram part of your wider journey by encouraging them to sign up to your email, enter a competition, tag you in for a treat etc.

   4. Use stories with link to buttons to take people quickly and easily to your chosen destination.

   5. Be explicit sometimes (don't beg!) and remind your audience that by following you or saving your posts, they get the best from your brand and also support small business.

   6. Reward people for tagging you by sharing their content and saying thank you publicly.

9. Optimise your bio to include your SEO keywords so that you're more easily found and searcheable. Be super explicit about what you do and how you help. Use a well curated link too. Ideally that takes you to multi links on your website although LinkTree isn't a disaster. Remember to keep these link fresh and up to date!

10. Collaborate - get into the habit of co posting with your favourite accounts, partners and clients. This helps your audience understand who you're aligned to, how you work with people and what brands are happy to be associated with you.

Don't forget that the Hub is there for you 24/7. Hop over now to find more marketing resources, chat with fellow members in Groups or find yourself a content planner to take the next steps!