Have you ever wanted to say more on Instagram but not the space to do so? Perhaps you want to share your brand’s blog content on Instagram in long-form, or maybe you want to share some of your expert knowledge in the hopes of drumming up some more clients?

Sometimes Instagram, as great as it is for business, can feel slightly limiting because let’s face it, no one wants to read a caption that’s all jumbled up and extra long.

Instagram obviously got the memo, and in a bit to help people find informative content on the platform, rolled out a new feature called Guides.

Rolled out to only a select few accounts in May 2020, Instagram Guides has recently (at the end of 2020) become a feature on every user’s account, and it’s a great feature to use for your business.

In this article, we’re going to be taking a deeper look into Instagram Guides and how you can use the feature to benefit your brand, grow your community and turn your followers into engaged, supporting, real customers.

What Are Instagram Guides?

Essentially, an Instagram Guide is a blog post on Instagram. You can add a title, headers, images, videos, animations, graphic designs, and of course, content, in the way that you would with a blog post on a website.

How To Use Instagram Guides

Instagram Guides are super easy to use. All you need to do is go to your feed, click on the ‘+’ button on the top right-hand corner, and click ‘Guide’.

Then you have an option of guide type - places, products, or posts. Most businesses will choose to share a guide on ‘products’ or ‘posts’ because they will either be recommending and going into more depth about one of their products, or they will be providing more information about one of their posts.

Once you’ve decided which type of guide you’re going to create, you can simply get started adding your title, headings, the body of text, and images. Once you’re happy with it, you can post it and let your followers see your expertise shine through.

How To View Instagram Guides

You can view Instagram Guides by heading to someone else’s feed, or your own feed, and clicking on the Guide icon. This is found in the same place as IGTV and tagged photos.

To ensure that your followers see your Guide, make sure that you post it onto your Story once you’ve created it. You can also share to your Story whenever you feel like directing followers there.

3 Ideas For Instagram Guides

#1 Product Guide

If you run a business that sells products, you should take advantage of the product guide. You can link products from your Instagram Shop, and provide an entire guide for it, enticing potential customers further and hopefully nudging them to make a purchase. Of course, for this, you will have to set up Instagram Shopping.

#2 Gift Guides

Using your products on your Instagram shop, make an informative, exciting gift guide! You can do a variety of edits, from birthday gift guides to special events throughout the year. Coming up, you could do this for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

#3 Share Helpful, Informative Content

Instagram Guides were set up so users could share more in-depth, informative content on the platform, so why not simply use it for what it’s supposed to be used for! Share resources about an issue, educate your followers or provide guidance for specific groups of people.

Time To Create Guides!

The Instagram Guide feature is just another great way to connect with your followers, and potential customers, on a deeper level. Not only will your followers be engaged by what you have to say in your Guides, but they will genuinely appreciate the content you’re producing. This means that they’ll become loyal supporters of the brand, and who knows, maybe the next time you do a gift guide, they’ll turn into a real customer.

If you’re not au fait with Instagram Guides, Instagram, or social media overall, your marketing strategy is failing or you’re desperately in need of a strategy, you’re in the right place. Get in touch with us and our team of experts can create, curate, and devise content, strategy, and growth for you and your business.