The growth of Instagram has made it one of the most important social platforms for small businesses. Some businesses have used the site as a central hub for their marketing, using attractive images to showcase products. Other companies use it as a supplementary site, helping to reach an audience that can be difficult to engage with.

However, one consistent problem for businesses is figuring out what to post. Most successful Instagram accounts have a recurring theme or posting style, but companies often ignore this approach. Using the following examples of posts, it is possible to provide followers with interesting posts that keep them guessing and lead to consistent engagement.

Product Posts

If your business sells physical products, creating attractive images of your inventory is an easy way to start. Your approach can vary, though, with placement, location, and visual appeal playing a role. It can be trickier representing products and services that are not physical, but you instead have the chance to define your brand goals through imagery.

Caption Posts

While images are the most important aspect of Instagram, the caption can also help with marketing. Some posts may have a quality image, but the caption is crucial. For example, a caption could be used for motivation, storytelling, or an announcement, using copywriting to draw followers in.

Inspirational Posts

Posts that inspire people are often well received on Instagram. You could find a motivational quote and add it to an attractive image. A design tool like Canva can simplify the process of creating your post. If the quote has some industry relevance, this should lead to greater engagement.

Video Posts

While you should be using Stories for most video content, you can add occasional videos to your main feed. A video could be a sneak peek of a product, a look behind the scenes, or footage from a live event. Videos can receive many views, so make use of the interest by creating quality content.

User Posts

As your brand grows, users will start tagging you in their posts. For example, people might purchase products from you and then add an image to their feed. Highlighting customers getting benefits from your products can be used to encourage new purchases.

Contest Posts

Contests are typically effective across most social media sites. For Instagram, it is important to use visuals to drive the theme. For example, you could create a unique hashtag, inviting users to post content to their feed. A successful contest can go viral and lead to a growth in followers.

Holiday Posts

Holidays like Christmas and Easter offer opportunities to create eye-catching images. The holiday theme could be used to showcase a product, but you can often get the best results when announcing a sale. The themed imagery will stand out from your typical content, making an event out of the holiday sale.

You don’t necessarily have to use all these posting ideas, but you can experiment with styles until you have a good level of data. The interaction for each post should make it clear what audiences want, helping you perfect your technique. Predictably can be a problem for businesses, with followers tuning out your newer posts. By rotating several proven styles, though, you can keep engagement high and continue to grow your account.

If you’d instead focus on your business and need someone to manage your social media and Instagram accounts, contact us today to see how we can help!