Putting together an aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed is far from straightforward, and there are lots of things you need to consider. Here, we explain why it’s so important to make the most of your Instagram feed and introduce you to some top tips and industry insights that will help you curate a stunning feed for your followers.

The importance of engaging Instagram feeds

Research shows that carousel posts have the highest engagement rate of all post types on Instagram. Also, images are more popular than videos, which is something that often surprises people. What’s more, even though Instagram engagement on feed posts has dropped in recent years, carousel posts have continued to be the most popular, engaging, and effective, highlighting their importance. More broadly speaking, the decline in the popularity of feed posts can be directly attributed to the popularity of reels, as Instagram is trying to make up ground on TikTok, which has exploded in popularity in recent years.

So, in spite of the fact that engagement levels are declining, we advise you to make the most of as many different post types as possible, as we explain below.

Carousel posts

As they’re the most engaging type of post on Instagram, you need to make sure that carousel posts are a central part of your strategy. Here are some tips to ensure that your carousel posts hit the spot:

• Round up your user-generated content into a carousel post to showcase how your products and services have been used by your followers. This is a great way to evidence the popularity of your brand without being too sales-focused.
• Another great option is to use a carousel post as a photo dump opportunity. Instead of worrying about filters and various other editing processes, simply upload several photos for your followers to scroll through as they are!
• Followers love behind-the-scenes content, and carousel posts are a great way to show people what goes on behind closed doors at your business.

Layout grids

Your layout grid on Instagram is a visual representation of your brand and is super important to think about. It’s a good idea to take a step back before scheduling a post to ensure that the content that you share is in keeping with the general aesthetic that you’re hoping to create on Instagram. You should always post high-quality images and make sure that any filters that you opt for are consistent. The result will be a stunning layout grid that showcases your brand in an impressive light.

Reels

Due to the incredible popularity of TikTok, Instagram reels have also taken off in recent times. If you’re not aware of reels, they are short videos that you can post to your profile in order to share your brand’s story. Instagram is placing huge significance on reels, so you can’t afford to ignore them. Make sure your posts are engaging, original, and fun, and they will serve you well as far as the Instagram algorithm is concerned.

Images and videos

Although there are lots of different types of posts to choose from, there’s still a place for tried and tested images and videos. All of the original rules apply when posting images and videos to the Gram – make sure they’re unique, quality, and on-brand. Images and videos are like your bread and butter, so you need to incorporate them into your Instagram content strategy.

When it comes to making the most of the Instagram tools at your disposal, variety is the spice of life, and you need to be on point with your content. Discover how Bark Social can help you implement the latest social media tips and digital marketing hacks to keep you one step ahead of the competition.