The Big List of Instagram Best Practices [2024]

Sarah Engel
Feb 23, 2024
6 min read

Mastering the art of social media management requires a specific skill: keeping pace with platforms that seem to transform overnight. In a digital terrain where Instagram's features multiply weekly, Twitter's identity undergoes swift makeovers, and TikTok trends become old news in a flash, the challenge lies in not just keeping up but thriving in the chaos.

Enter my solution. I dove headfirst into each platform, scoured the web, and gleaned insights from my own experiences managing socials over the last few years. With all this knowledge, I’ll be crafting a one-stop-shop for each social platform.

Without further adieu, let’s dive into Instagram.

💡 General Instagram Best Practices

Keep your brand consistent. Make sure your Instagram posts and profile stay true to your brand. From your profile pic to your bio and posts, keeping it consistent helps people recognize and remember you in a vast sea of content.
Engage with other accounts. Don't be a wallflower! Like, comment, and share content from others in your niche. Building connections like this not only boosts your visibility but also makes Instagram a more fun place to be.

Diversify your content. Shake things up! Mix Reels, Stories, and regular posts to keep your feed exciting. Experimentation is the spice of life, and the same goes for your Instagram strategy. Don't be afraid to try new things; your audience might just love it.
Post at the right time. Figure out when your followers are most active and drop your content then. It's like serving a meal when everyone's hungry – your posts are more likely to be devoured.
Respond to your comments. When people drop by your post party with comments, don't leave them hanging. Responding not only shows you appreciate them, but it also tells Instagram that your content is sparking conversations, making it more likely to show up in others' feeds.

👤 Instagram Profile Best Practices

Pick the right business category. If you're managing a business account, select the most relevant account category. This not only lets your audience know exactly what kind of business you're running, but also improves your searchability on Instagram.
Create highlights (and highlight covers). Instagram highlights preserve and showcase your best content beyond the 24-hour limit, offering a curated look into your brand. Make each highlight its own unique category (AKA: "New Products", "Behind-The-Scenes", etc.) and be sure to add covers to improve your profile aesthetic and reinforce your brand identity.
Save your best stories as highlights. Don't let your Instagram story masterpiece vanish into story abyss after 24 hours. Save it to your highlights so it sticks around for the long haul, showcasing your best moments to everyone who checks out your profile.
Pin high-value posts to your profile. Be your own curator! Pin your favorite posts to the top of your profile. Whether it's a new product, a major announcement, or just a killer photo, pinning it ensures it's the first thing people see when they hit your profile.
Update your bio link with new offerings. Keep your bio link fresh! When you have something new and exciting to share, update your bio link so your followers can easily find it.

🖼️ Instagram Posts Best Practices

Keep graphics to a minimum. Is there anything worse than going to an Instagram profile and seeing a wave of uninteresting, hard-to-read Canva designs? Graphics have a selective place on Instagram, but use them sparingly and intersperse them with real photos and video.
Leverage UGC, with permission. User-Generated Content (UGC) isn't just content; it's a powerful storytelling tool. When your followers showcase your product or service in their unique way, share that magic with the world (with their approval, of course). UGC not only adds authenticity but also turns your followers into your biggest cheerleaders.
Keep colors consistent with your brand. Consistency in colors across your Instagram posts reinforces brand recognition, so choose a palette that aligns with your brand's personality and values. Incorporate these colors into your posts, highlight covers, and even the stickers you choose for your Stories.
Mix photos and videos with carousels. Combine photos and engaging videos within a single post to add variety to your feed.
Put your best photo/video on the first slide. First impressions are everything, especially on Instagram. In a sea of scroll-worthy content, make sure you put your best foot forward with that first slide.
Be strategic with giveaways. Don't throw giveaways around like confetti, or risk an audience that only follows you for the free goods. Keep them strategic, not too frequent, and make sure everyone can join the party without jumping through too many hoops. Oh, and make sure you brush up on Instagram’s giveaway guidelines, too.
Don’t make a post for every obscure holiday. Unless you’re Auntie Anne’s, you can probably skip the post for National Pretzel Day. I promise your followers won’t mind.
Use alt text. Be inclusive and boost your reach by adding alt text to your posts. It's like giving your content a backstage pass to SEO, accessibility, and a better ranking in the Instagram algorithm.

✍️ Instagram Copy Best Practices

Lead with the most important info. Get to the good stuff first! Just like a great story, lead your caption with the most crucial info. Capture attention from the get-go because, let's face it, attention spans on social media are short.
Always give credit. If you're sharing someone else's photo or video, use the copy to give credit where credit's due and tag their Instagram page. It's not just about being nice; it's about building a community based on respect and appreciation.
Use #CamelCaseHashtags. Capitalizing the first letter of each word in your hashtags improves accessibility and readability.
Experiment with the number of hashtags. Every social media manager will give you a different answer on the optimal number of hashtags. Conduct your own research: try 3-5, 8-15, and even the maximum 30 and see how it affects your reach.
Add a call-to-action. Nudge your audience into action! Whether it's encouraging likes, dropping a comment, or sharing the post, add a friendly call-to-action and make your Instagram post a two-way street.
Avoid links in captions. Instagram doesn't do clickable links in captions, so instead, guide your followers to your Story or bio to point them to relevant pages.

🎥 Instagram Reels Best Practices

Make more Reels. I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but short-form video is in. The Instagram algorithm loves Reels, so sprinkle more of them into your content strategy and increase your chances of hitting the Explore page.
Use on-screen text and closed captions. Embrace on-screen text and closed captions in your Reels because these days, many viewers are watching on mute. It's not just considerate for those without sound; it's a good accessibility choice for everyone, including those with hearing difficulties.
Take advantage of trending audios. Jump on trending audios to make your Reels not just catchy but also discoverable.
Add “topics” to your Reel settings. Help classify your content for the algorithm by adding relevant topics to your Reels. You can choose up to 3, so select ones that are unique from each other but relevant to your industry. This ensures you’re maximizing your reach using the feature.
Share Reels to your Story and Feed. Gain more visibility by posting your Reels to your Story and Feed.
Use a cover image. As long as you’re sharing Reels to your feed, use a cover image to grab attention and maintain the aesthetic of your profile.
Avoid the TikTok watermark. Instagram has confirmed that content with visible logos or watermarks from other apps is deprioritized. To sidestep this, make the raw footage and then create your content directly in each app.

🔴 Instagram Live Best Practices

Use Instagram Live. Try going Live to connect with your followers in real-time. Live is a great way to show off the most authentic aspects of your brand and directly engage with your audience.
Promote your Live sessions in advance. Let your followers know you're going Live! Drop the info in a caption, create a designated post, or use your Story to advertise your Live session ahead of time.
Create interactive segments. Lives are incredibly powerful because of the opportunities for engagement they provide, so take full advantage. Open up the floor to a Q&A or even add others to your live video as guests.
Acknowledge your viewers. Acknowledge and respond to viewer comments during your Live sessions. Make it a two-way conversation to enhance engagement and connection.
Share your Live to your Story. Extend the life of your Live by sharing it to your Story, boosting your video's reach and giving followers who missed it a chance to catch up. You can use your settings to save to your Story immediately after the Live ends.
End with a call-to-action. Whether it's directing viewers to your latest post, checking out your website, or dropping comments for the next Live topic, use a CTA to make sure the conversation doesn't end when the broadcast does.

That's a wrap, folks! Give these tips a spin, find what clicks for your brand, and dive into the Instagram scene with confidence. Remember, no guide will ever be 100% word-of-law, so don't be afraid to experiment. Hope these tips amp up your Instagram game, and happy posting! 🚀