Creative Instagram Post Ideas to Boost Your Brand

Posted: February 6, 2021 | Last updated: January 24, 2024

Creative photos, trivia, quotes, product teasers—we all have different Instagram post ideas in mind. But with over a million competitors on the platform, you need to know how to make your brand stand out. Every business should strive to be unique, creative, and authentic on social media. 

Today, Instagram is one of the hottest and most favorite social media platforms in the entire world. That’s right—not just in one part of the world but in the whole. And you wouldn’t want to be left behind on the trend. To stay on top, you need to understand that there’s more to Instagram than the interface itself. 

You may ask: what are some good ideas to post on Instagram? Well, you’ve landed on the right page. We’ll share some brilliant ideas that will surely boost your business and keep you on the trend. 

The Power of Instagram Marketing

Commonly known for its abbreviation “IG” or “Insta,” Instagram is a widely-used picture and video-sharing social media platform. The application has been popular with the younger generations since its launch in 2010. And as the years went by, brands started to promote their products and services on Instagram. 

The platform allows users to upload videos and photos that can be organized through hashtags and geotagging. These pictures and videos can also be edited with a set of system filters. If you want to be popular, we highly suggest that you set your profile to public. It would be easier for potential customers to see your account in the Explore section if you’re not in private mode.  

Moreover, Instagram has been making innovations throughout the years. It allowed users to post multiple images and videos on their feed with up to 1080 pixels. The platform’s most notable features are the Stories, IGTV, Reels (for selected countries), and the newest Instagram Shops.  

What Should I Post for My First Instagram?

If you plan to grow your IG account and want to generate income from it, your first post should be strong and appealing. It serves as the “welcome signage” to your account, attracting potential customers. You’d surely want to make a good and lasting first impression; otherwise, users won’t be interested in your brand.

If you have a personal account, a photo of yourself is a safe and smart start. And by a photo of yourself, we don’t mean a selfie. It should be professionally taken and you must wear presentable clothes. Show yourself to others. Let people know your preferences, hobbies, and what content to expect from your profile. You could even ask a question and have people communicate with you. 

On the other hand, if your account is for business use, post something that sums up your brand. Your initial post could be your main product, slogan, company logo, or anything related to your branding. 

What Content Should I Post on Instagram? 

Suppose you’ve already uploaded your first IG post. You now have to decide on your succeeding content. What should your Instagram feed look like? How do you choose the best content? Be creative, engaging, and unique. Your first post attracts your followers and your succeeding content should make them keep following you. 

From posting self-portraits to sceneries, videos, or product images, creating and selecting the right content for your account isn’t an easy task. You’ll find a lot of similar materials from competitors; thus you need to leverage your creativity.

Here are initial ways to do it: 

Know the effect of the algorithm

Instagram constantly updates the images and videos you see on your discovery page. Like other platforms, IG’s algorithm highlights content that it thinks you’d enjoy viewing. So if you’ve been checking out fashion, food, or travel, you’d regularly see an ad or a post related to those categories. You might think that IG is stalking you or it has access to your secret chambers but that’s how its algorithm functions.

There’s a wide variety of content on Instagram, and algorithms are getting smarter by eliminating poorly-done content. Hence, if you create irrelevant or low-quality posts, no one’s going to see it. For that reason, think about your content, value, and audience. Check what fascinates your followers and provide their needs.  

Know your purpose

Why did you create an IG account? What do you plan to make out of it? The key to success is knowing your purpose. Establishing goals should be thoroughly done before every endeavor, including your Instagram account. 

Knowing your account’s purpose would help shape your content. Is your goal to entertain? Then post entertaining content. Do you aim to inspire? Focus on inspirational posts. Think about what you want others to get and what you want to achieve. If you’re merely tapping out content for the sake of it, then you’re doomed. Your audience can tell when you’re not dedicated through your monotonous content and dull captions. 

Map your objectives. 

The ever respectable Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the ax.” By investing the time to map out your objectives, you’ll eventually come up with the perfect content for your Instagram account. 

Set short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. List your expected outcomes—whether follower growth, higher sales, or greater website traffic. That way, you’ll have a clear direction for your content creation, management, and promotion. You may also use an influencer tool to manage your online campaigns and connect with social media creators. Check our Keepface review to get started.

Creative Instagram Post Ideas

How do you post creatively on Instagram? Creating original content can be a daunting task. Here are some Instagram post ideas that you can copy while remaining authentic to your followers.   

Personal Instagram Post Ideas 

Posts About Yourself

Introduce yourself to your followers. Tell them your name or screen name, your work, your location, what you love to do, what food you want to eat, and other basic details about yourself. You may even ask your followers to introduce themselves in the comments or send you a direct message. 

Fun or Random Facts About You

Post random facts about yourself that your followers wouldn’t expect of you. It could be your weird fear, unusual talent, or out-of-this-world hobbies.

Your Unpopular Opinion

Is there an opinion that the majority loves but you don’t? Or is there something that you love but the majority doesn’t? If there is, post all about it. A good caption sample would be: “Unpopular opinion: cheese eaten alone is weird!” 

How Your Day Went

It’s great to update your followers about your day and how it went. In this case, they’d get a glimpse of how you live your daily life or how you go over your daily routines. It will also create a more meaningful connection with your fans. 

Outfit of the Day or #OOTD

For fashion enthusiasts, this one is a must. Share your outfits with your followers so they could get inspiration from you. Don’t forget to use relevant hashtags so your posts will show up on the Explore section.  

Reminisce Your Childhood, #FlashbackFriday

Reminisce your early days of life on a Friday and participate in the #FlashbackFriday hashtag trend. Your followers are looking forward to seeing your transformation over the years! Some also use #ThrowbackThursday or #ThrowbackTuesday. 

Your Relationship

Although living a low-key, private life with your special someone is the key to an unbothered relationship, it doesn’t hurt to post about your partner once in a while. At least show the world that you’re happy with your special someone. It could be a boyfriend/girlfriend appreciation post or a milestone you’ve reached together.  

Instagram Post Ideas for Likes

Share Photos That Work 

As you post snapshots, think about what drives your followers. Assess your previous posts and see which ones have the most number of likes. If your account is new, you may check popular Instagram profiles and see their most liked posts.  

Make a Call to Action

Other influencers would directly tell their followers to like the post, and you may do so, too! You can make a call to action by posting on the caption, “Like if you agree!” 

Use Hashtags

It’s proven and tested that hashtags will help you reach more people. And by reaching more people, your post could gain more likes. If you’re sharing something popular or are participating in a certain IG challenge, placing relevant hashtags are significant to reach the right audience.  

Schedule Your Posting

Not everyone is on Instagram 24/7. We all have our schedules to fill. Hence, a posting schedule is necessary. Consider your target audience when you make a calendar and identify peak times when your followers are most active. You may also use some digital marketing tools to schedule and automatically upload your posts.  

Reshare Posts on Other Networks

If you’re active on other social media sites, then cross-sharing wouldn’t be a problem. This strategy would lead your other-network followers to your IG account, getting you more likes and some massive attention. Cross-sharing wouldn’t be a hassle because IG allows you to automatically share your posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr every time you publish. 

Like Other Users’ Posts

This has been a common practice on Instagram to grow your likes. Some people would even comment on a post after liking it. For instance, there was a user who randomly liked posts of people he didn’t follow or know on Instagram. Then he realized that for every 100 likes he made, he received roughly 21.7 likes back and 6.1 followers back. This strategy works, and it’s about time you apply this. Don’t be too stingy with your likes! 

You may also connect with Instagram influencers to increase your engagement rates and online visibility. Read our Influentia review to learn how to do it. 

Instagram Post Ideas for Writers

Books You’re Reading

Though it’s not always the case, writers are often readers! And one way to get your IG profile very writer-themed is by posting the books you’re reading or have read. It’s like bringing your Reading Challenge from Goodreads to your Instagram account. You may highlight your favorite quotes from the book and integrate them with a creative backdrop. 

Your Work Area

Taking photos of your workspace would inspire others. Just make sure you don’t have a messy work area or it would defeat the purpose. Give your followers a glimpse of your work-life balance and inspire them to create their own decorative space.  

Your Notebooks

As a writer, you may have several notebooks with aesthetically-pleasing covers. You can take snapshots of your notebooks in different backdrops or with various scribbles inside. Remember, colorful pens and highlighters are great accessories to be paired with notebooks!

Events

These could be any conference, book-signing, or other author-related events that you’re invited to—whether you’re the speaker or just a regular attendee. These may also refer to events that you can’t attend but would love to promote to keep your followers informed.  

Promotion of Other Writers

Particularly your writer friends! It’s always best to lift and cheer for each other. So if you have writer friends, try promoting their works and they will surely do the same for you. 

Selfies! 

Sure, everyone loves an artsy photo of your books or workspace and wants to know your work progress. However, they also want to see YOU. Yes, any follower would want to see the writer’s face. Make sure to post photos of yourself on a non-consecutive basis. 

Turn that Instagram post idea into reality

Instagram posting isn’t a random throw-them-under-the-sheets kind of thing. It requires creativity, planning, and consistency, especially if you want to grow your business and generate higher sales. Make sure to experiment, use your strengths, and apply some of the ideas we’ve sourced out for you. 

If you want to maximize your Instagram marketing, check our post about “Instagram Live for Business: Everything You Need to Know.” Enjoy Instagramming!