So, it happened. You posted to your Instagram, only to see a mistake in your caption, location, tags or in the photo itself!
Now you’re wondering how to edit an Instagram post after posting – and you’ve come to the right place.
Whether you’re correct a spelling error or add a missed photo to a carousel post, we’re covering all the major mistake-prone spots, including captions, locations, tags, and photos.
In this article, you’ll learn how to edit each of these four categories with step-by-step instructions.
Don’t worry; you can fix your Instagram mistakes faster than you can say, “No one saw that!”
Let’s get to it! ✏️
How Do You Edit The Caption, Location, Tags On An Instagram Post?
First things first. If you’ve messed up your location or tags or need to know how to edit your Instagram caption, here’s the way to fix them:
Tap the three dots at the top right.
Find Edit on the menu.
Edit your caption, tags, Alt Text or location by tapping each.
Find the Instagram photo you want to edit
Tap the three dots at the top right of the photo
Tap Edit on the drop-down menu that appears
Press the detail you want to edit. You can make changes to:
Instagram photo tags (bottom left)
Instagram Alt Text (bottom right)
Location (Top Left)
Caption
When you’re finished, press Done (iOS)or the checkmark (Android).
But wait! There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re editing your caption, especially if you’re trying to fix formatting or line breaks!
If you’ve posted your caption and it’s one wall of text, you can add spaces to your caption by hitting the return key after each paragraph.
Just make sure you remove any hidden spaces after the punctuation at the end of your sentences, or Instagram will ignore your line break!
You may even have to remove an emoji (at the end of your sentence) in order to get it to work.
Sound annoying? It is. There’s good news though!
You can avoid formatting issues entirely by using the caption tool in Tailwind for Instagram! Our formatting tool allows you to add a clever caption and select your favorite emojis with ease from the Emoji Picker keyboard.
It also automatically removes the pesky space that appears after emoji on your smartphone keyboard.
Not only that, but our caption tool also preserves your line breaks!
Well, unless you hit the Space key after the end of your line! ⛔️
Can You Edit A Picture On Instagram After Posting It?
You may be searching the web, desperately trying to find out how to edit Instagram photos after posting.
Here’s the bad news – you can’t. Unfortunately, you have one shot to add the right filter, crop or adjust your photo before it goes live. Instagram doesn’t currently support any features to edit your Instagram photos after you post.
If you’ve messed up your favorite photo before sending it to your feed, your best bet is to delete and re-upload.
Make sure to copy and paste your caption before you do this, so you don’t lose all your hard work – and hashtags!
I’m sorry we don’t have better news here. To cut down on room for error, make sure to edit your Instagram photos thoroughly before posting.
Can You Add A Photo To An Existing Post?
So, can you add photos to an Instagram post after you’ve posted it? No, you can’t. Unfortunately, this capability isn’t available on Instagram OR in Facebook Creator Studio yet (although it’s certainly been requested!)
Missed out on adding a key photo or video to your latest carousel post?
You’ll want to delete or archive the post as quickly as possible and re-upload the correct series.
Pay close attention to each frame and swipe through a few times to double-check before you post!
This will help you keep track and catch mistakes before they go live.
Plan, Schedule, Publish Your Posts In One Place!
In fact, one of the best ways to combat pesky mistakes on Instagram posts before they cost you time and energy is planning and scheduling your content in advance!
That’s where our all-in-one tool comes in!
Tailwind’s Instagram publishing tool allows you to tag your images, set your location and format your caption perfectly the first time around.
Plus, you can crop your photos and check how they’ll look in your feed with our 9-Grid preview tool!
You’ll have access to all our pro features for 30 posts – and the best part is, no credit card is required! What are you waiting for? Test it out for yourself!
Let’s face it: we’re living for all the fantastic new ways you can post your best photos and videos on Instagram. From portrait, landscape, and square photo options, Instagram Stories, Reels, IGTV videos, and videos in your feed…There are so many incredible ways to engage with your followers and deliver eye-catching content.
However amazing these new options are, it can be a little tricky to figure out the ideal Instagram image size for your content, right?
Using Instagram for more product sales goes beyond uploading a great photo or video.A good Instagram caption is just as important as the Instagram video or photo itself!
With over 72% of Instagram users reporting that they have purchased something after seeing it on Instagram, it’s crucial that you know how to motivate your followers to buy your products with Instagram marketing.
And a great Instagram caption can help you do just that!
So let’s dive in and talk about how to write Instagram captions that inspire your followers to take action.
Why Good Instagram Captions Drive More Sales
A great Instagram photo or video helps stop your audience from scrolling past, but your Instagram caption has the potential to draw them in even more!
It encourages followers to engage with your Instagram post and moves them closer to a sale with a meaningful call to action.
So while a picture may be worth 1,000 words, an engaging Instagram caption could be worth 1,000 dollars!
How to Write Great Instagram Captions in 7 Steps
Though much of your success depends on motivating Instagram captions, there’s no need to panic even if you aren’t a natural writer.
Creating Instagram captions that have people engaging with your posts and making purchases isn’t difficult if you keep a few handy tips in mind!
These seven steps will help you learn how to write a caption on your Instagram photo that leaves your followers scrambling to find out more!
And guess what? These don’t just apply to Instagram sales – you can use these tips to build engagement, or encourage people to read your latest blog posts!
1. Develop Your Brand Voice in Your Instagram Captions
Your brand voice might be funny, casual, sarcastic, or even formal. Just remember, consistency is key when it comes to how to write good Instagram captions!
Denny’s Diner has been in business since the 1950s, but they’ve found a way to update their brand voice, references, and personality to appeal to younger generations successfully.
You can see this on their Instagram, where captions are usually short, sweet, and laden with emojis.
2. Create Several Drafts of Your Instagram Caption Text
When you create an Instagram post on the fly, your caption might not be the best it can be.
Oftentimes the answer to how to write an Instagram caption that truly works is to try writing it a few times!
Instagram captions should go through a couple of drafts before being published to your feed, which means you don’t want to rush your caption copywriting!
Planning is key when creating captions that sell. By using Tailwind’s Instagram scheduling tool you can plan out your captions ahead of time, and even save them as drafts while you’re perfecting them!
Simply upload your image, start working on your caption, and pick your hashtags, and the best time to post with our SmartSchedule tool. Then, access your upcoming post at any time in your calendar and click the pencil icon to make any changes to your post!
And just like any other piece of copy, you should carefully proofread your captions.
3. Include a Call To Action (CTA) In Your Captions
If you don’t effectively direct your followers to take action, they likely won’t. Your caption CTA will likely direct viewers of your Instagram post to visit your checkout page, and hopefully, get them to purchase your product!
Some examples are CTA’s are:
“Visit the clickable link in our bio to learn more.”
“ View our newest collection by clicking the link in our bio.”
“(your item) is on sale now. Link in bio!”
Your motivating call to action should be front-loaded and placed near the top of your caption.
Your audience might not always click to “read more”, so include your CTA near the top.
Captions can be fun and inspiring, but if they’re going to help sell your products, your CTA needs to direct users to a place where they can purchase the products you sell.
One way to do this is with a link in bio tool, like Tailwind’s smart.bio! You can easily add links to your smart.bio posts when scheduling in Tailwind updated your link page in real-time as soon as the post goes live.
Our emotions heavily influence what we buy. Tapping into your followers’ emotions through your caption can help increase sales and can be done so when we can evoke feelings of Fear, Belonging, Trust and Inspiration.
Using fear or “FOMO” to drive sales doesn’t mean you are making your customers feel anxious, worried, or any other harmful emotion.
Simply stating that you have a limited quantity in stock or setting a time limit on when the item can be purchased is sufficient.
@Travelocity uses FOMO to promote trips and vacations by using a specific holiday as their limited-time offer.
Belonging
We all crave connection andwant a sense of community. Speaking to your followers as if they are part of your tribe can help develop that sense of belongingness with your brand which will help you sell products.
@airbnb speaks to their audience through their captions as if they are one big family.
Frequently included in the features of various Airbnb properties are details about the area and the hosts.
This serves to create a much more homey, personalized connection with each location for prospective travelers than typically experienced with hotel properties.
Adding customer testimonials to your captions can help you build trust between you and your audience.
You can evenre-post user-generated content to use as your photo – people love to see Instagrammers like them talking about your products!
Passion Planner frequently posts success stories and user-generated content from their loyal following – #PashFam!
Inspiration
A challenging aspect to e-commerce is that your potential buyer can’t hold the product in their hands before they buy.
Use your captions to describe to your followers how your product can help improve their life – or even to describe in detail what the product looks or feels like up close!
@lornajaneactive inspires their community to be healthy and active through their posts that promote their products.
They do a masterful job of featuring products to their audience in the context they can be used in – such as “weekend paddleboarding adventure” in this caption!
5. Add Hashtags to Instagram Captions
When creating Instagram captions, you’d be selling yourself short (no pun intended!) if you only focused on the copy!The right hashtags will help you extend your reach, get your posts seen by more potential customers, and help grow your Instagram account.
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags in your caption and finding those hashtags can be a challenge if you’re manually searching for them for each and every Instagram post.
Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder helps you find hashtags that can expand your reach to new customers without needing to perform any research. Simply enter your initial hashtag, and Tailwind will begin to populate a list of hashtags.
Once you find a list of hashtags that works for you, create a reusable hashtag list in Tailwind. Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder helps you find the best hashtags for your Instagram posts.
All that extra engagement can help your post reach more potential customers that you can then direct to your product page.
They also add personality, bringing your content to life.
7. Keep the Conversation Going
After your post has been published, don’t forget to reply to any comments or questions you receive. Companies who engage with customer service requests over social media report20%-40% more revenue per customer.
Whether you are receiving positive or negative feedback, it is important to reply to each and every comment!
Use Tailwind Ghostwriter to Create Good Instagram Captions
Whew, that’s a lot to keep in mind when thinking about how to create an Instagram caption that works! If you’re struggling, Tailwind Ghostwriter can help! Here’s how our AI-generated Instagram caption tool works:
Upload your post photo, and click the “Ghostwrite for me” button above your caption field.
Input what you’re posting about (ex: lifestyle content, promotion, educational, etc.)
Input what your content is about
Add any keywords or phrases you want to be included in your caption
If you want to add a Call to Action, input the text of your CTA
Click Generate, and view the three captions Ghostwriter comes up with! You can tweak these captions, use them as is, or if you want to try again, simply hit Try Again until your Instagram caption is perfect.
And guess what? Tailwind Ghostwriter is included on Tailwind’s Forever Free Plan!
Conclusion: How to Write a Good Caption For Instagram
Great captions help you sell your products on Instagram because they:
Increase engagement
Create a two-way conversation between your brand and your followers,
Direct your followers to a checkout page with a powerful call to action
Remember, when creating Instagram captions that sell, your caption should be front-loaded so your audience doesn’t miss it by needing to click “read more.”
By using Tailwind’s Instagram scheduler, you can not only plan your captions out ahead of time (or generate them with Tailwind Ghostwriter!), but you can also search for the best hashtags to make sure you are increasing your reach as much as possible.
Lastly, don’t forget to respond to any questions or comments you receive. That’s what builds your community and ultimately your engagement, traffic, and sales.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever tried to take an Instagram-worthy pic of yourself, only to wind up shooting, deleting, reshooting, deleting, reshooting… you get my drift here. ♀️
After a while, you just want to give up and post a pic of your puppy instead.
(Note: There’s nothing wrong with that. Instagram could use more puppies! )
But here’s the thing: your Instagram feed could use more photos of you, too!
Why? It’s simple. People connect with your face. Posting pictures of yourself helps your audience see that you’re real and connect on a deeper level.
So how to take pictures of yourself for Instagram?
That’s what we’re covering in detail today, so buckle up!
Our Tailwind selfie party
Plus, we wouldn’t be Tailwind if we didn’t go the extra mile for you and demonstrate our own before and after photos of these selfie-snapping tips!
That’s right – to help you learn how to take good pictures of yourself, our brave team willingly took questionable selfies to be posted on the internet…
Forever. #CustomerService
So what are you waiting for? Let’s have a selfie party!
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1. Use the Proper Device
First things first – High-quality photos in social media reflect the brand’s quality and identity, even if it is your personal brand. But, to achieve it, you need to find a device that allows you to showcase all the ideas you have envisioned.
A high-quality image will capture your audience’s attention, communicate your message better, and show professionalism; some even believe it relates directly to increased engagement.
The good news is that nowadays, there are many available DSLR cameras and smartphones that make this task a bit simpler. So now, in the moment of truth, which of these two is better?
We asked our social media strategist friends Marek and David and this is what they had to say:
Image size is another factor to consider because a low-quality camera might not provide the proper sizes to adhere to Instagram’s guidelines for photos and reels. To better understand Instagram image size, check out our article.
2. Find Your Lighting
Arguably the most important factor of a good selfie – LIGHTING.
If you’re puzzling over how to take pictures of yourself, the answer is definitely NOT doing it in dim rooms or super-bright artificial lighting.
Our world-class Community Manager Melissa bravely volunteered to demonstrate the difference for you.
First, she snapped a pic under the fluorescent lighting in her workspace.
This harsh lighting tends to wash out your skin tones and throw shadows into sharp focus.
Takeaway: Bright light does not equal good light.
However, when Melissa moved over to a large window and snapped her selfie, it made all the difference!
The natural light from the window illuminated Melissa’s features without washing them out! Her skin glows and her lips have color again!
Now it’s your turn! Here’s how to find your best light:
How to Take Pictures of Yourself in Great Lighting:
Shoot by a window or in a shady spot
If outside, avoid pictures in harsh mid-day lighting.
Experiment with taking your pictures mid-morning or mid-evening for soft, flattering light
Avoid light sources like house lamps (creates yellow light) or harsh bright lighting.
Don’t use flash if you can help it!
3. Practice Natural Poses
Let’s be real: it feels really awkward to pose for photos in a way that doesn’t look, well… posed.
If you’re anything like me when a camera is pointing your way you hit a variation of the same stance without even thinking about it!
(Mine is hand on the hip turned slightly to the side. Pageant style. )
There’s nothing wrong with a go-to pose, but it can quickly get repetitive in your feed. To amp up your Instagram profile and keep things fun, fresh, and interesting, you need to find natural-feeling poses that showcase you in the best way possible!
I know, I know. Easier said than done. That’s why our Chief of Staff Ellana offered to demonstrate!
In the before photo, Ellana strikes a basic pose for her portrait.
It’s definitely not a bad picture but doesn’t showcase Ellana’s fun, can-do personality.
In fact, by creating this enclosed shape with her arms, she’s unconsciously submitting a closed-off and uncertain look to the viewer.
In the after shot, Ellana relaxes back into her seat, leans on the armrest, and cocks her head slightly towards the camera. She’s adjusted to catch the lighting, and the uncertain posture is gone.
Now she’s just effortlessly cool!
Here’s how to take your own aesthetic selfies:
Use a mirror to check your poses. This might feel weird at first, but you’ll get a feel for which poses feel natural and expressive of your personality!
Use Time Lapse, an intervalometer, or photo bursts to try a few different poses in front of your camera to give yourself tons of options to choose from!
Take a million test selfies striking all kinds of poses. Find 3-5 signatures that you love, and practice until they are second nature!
Test All of Your Angles
Do you know your best angles? If the answer is no, you’re not alone. According to many group photos, I still haven’t found mine!
The good news is, they’re pretty easy to find with some dedicated practice! Ever heard someone stop a picture snap right to switch to their “good side”?
That means they know their best angle, or the most flattering angle to position their face or the camera in.
Our Pinterest Product Specialist Alisa volunteered to demonstrate a before-and-after of camera angles.
In her before selfie, Alisa has the camera angled down towards her face.
At the same time, she’s angling her face toward the camera 3/4ths of the way.
This changes the way the light hits her face in the shot, and accentuates away from one of her most gorgeous features: her eyes!
Boom! In her after selfie, Alisa is serving us a major smolder with two slight angle changes. She’s positioned the camera level with her eyes and tilted her chin at a slight angle.
Completely different look, right? Now you can see her eyes and the planes of her face are highlighted in all the right ways.
Here’s how to test all of your angles for perfect Instagram pictures:
Set up your shot with your desired settings, exposure, and focus.
Use the TimeLapse, Photo Burst, or intervalometer (on most DSLRs) to quickly take variations of the same photo from the same camera angle.
Focus on angling your chin, forehead, head, and body in different positions and angles. Keep full, 1/2 (profile), and 3/4 (turned slightly away) in your mind for all of these.
Reposition your camera higher or lower and repeat!
You will absolutely have a million photos to look at, but you’ll quickly get a feel for where the camera needs to be and where your face and body should be angled to get the most flattering looks!
5. Grab a Tripod
Unless you have the cash to burn on a live-in photographer, chances are you’ll be taking photos by yourself most of the time.
Knowing how to take pictures of yourself alone will change your selfie game.
One of the best ways to do it? Grabbing a tripod! You can find extremely affordable phones and camera tripods on Amazon.
Many of them are even equipped with a handy Bluetooth remote that allows you to snap an Instagram picture without touching your phone!
Our ace Customer Success Associate Sarah was more than happy to demonstrate for us!
Here’s Sarah’s before selfie.
It’s super cute!
Buuut you can see Sarah’s “selfie arm” that makes a self-portrait look a little less polished than we’d like.
Plus, when you hold your camera yourself, you can’t catch all the details of your great outfit. Boo!
It’s also tough to capture full lifestyle shots that tell a story this way.
In Sarah’s “after” selfie, she’s able to back up and strike a flattering pose using a simple stand and her iPhone’s self-timer.
Adorable, right?
Here’s how to take good pictures of yourself alone with a tripod:
Attach your device to your tripod and check for potential slipping and stability.
Adjust your exposure and focus to your desired settings.
Our Customer Success star Doricia was on hand to show you the difference composition makes. Let’s take a look!
In her “Before” photo, Doricia serves us a major look from a couch.
This photo is great, but the balance and composition are a little off.
If you imagined a grid over this photo, dividing it into 9 squares, you’d notice that it’s off-balance.
There’s more white space at the top of the photo, and the subject skews to the left.
In her after selfie, the composition of this shot is way more balanced. Doricia is centered in the photo, and it’s balanced on either side.
Here’s how to perfect your photo composition:
Enable the Grid on your camera (under Settings > Camera)
Practice lining yourself up with a vertical line on the Grid, or at the intersection of two lines
Balance your photo as much as possible with symmetry (if you fold the photo down the center, there should be an almost equal amount of detail on either side)
Scan your surroundings for unsightly clutter, details, or items that might distract the eye.
7. Put Finishing Edits on Your Photos
While we’d love to nab the perfect selfie on our first try, most photos could benefit from a few finishing touches in an editing app.
From lighting tweaks to blemish removal and softening, you can make your self-portrait shine with just a few taps!
Our Inbound Marketer Jordan demonstrates the subtle effects of a few edits using a selfie, and Adobe Lightroom.
Jordan’s “before” selfie is great!
However, it’s just a smidge too dark, which can make detail hard to see.
Plus, she’s taking her picture against a greenery wall, which looks a tad faded.
A punch of extra vibrance will make that colorful backdrop stand out!
A few lighting and color tweaks and voila!
Jordan’s face is illuminated with a gentle nudge of exposure, and the shadows on her face now aren’t as harsh.
You can also tweak selective colors in most editing apps.
That made it a breeze to increase the saturation and luminance of the green backdrop!
To put the final touches on your selfies, download an Instagram photo editor (we discuss the pros of our five top favorites!) and experiment with edits until your selfie is just right.
8. Play with the Settings on Your Camera
Before you go through the process of uploading your selfie to an app and making tweaks, poke around and see if your camera settings can’t manage some of those edits already!
For example, the settings in my iPhone 11 Pro often remove the step of editing my Instagram photos!
Here’s my own example selfie!
In this shot, I used the Portrait setting on the iPhone. This softens the background of your photo and makes the photo subject clearer!
The lighting is pretty good as is, right? #ThatNaturalLightTho
However, I often add the Studio Light setting to get a little extra brightness and crisp focus to my photos.
I’ve added that Studio Lighting to my after photo. Overall, my face, eyes, and hair are a pinch brighter and stand out more!
And the best part, I didn’t even have to open this selfie in one of my apps for editing.
How to Take Good Instagram Pictures of Yourself with Your Camera Settings:
Take yourself on a tour of each camera setting to understand what they do, and their best uses!
Set and lock the focus of your selfie (you!) to make sure that you don’t lose sharpness or clarity.
Pre-adjust your exposure and lighting on your camera before snapping your shot – this removes a common finishing touch!
Check Out Our Photography Webinar for More Tips!
Whew! That was a lot of tips and tricks for taking good photos of yourself for Instagram! And guess what? There’s more where that came from!
Sign up for our FREE Smartphone Photography webinar to go even-more in-depth on:
Different types of lighting and how to work with each
The art of photo composition and interesting tricks to try
Perspectives and angles (with examples)
Step-by-step editing tutorials in Lightroom (you can apply these to any of your favorite apps!)
Did we mention it’s absolutely free? Don’t hesitate- view our webinar right now!
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9. Start Scheduling Your Selfies to Instagram
Now that you’ve learned how to take good photos of yourself for Instagram… it’s time to get those beauties onto your feed! You can easily and quickly schedule all of your beautiful posts with Tailwind’s publishing tool.
Just upload your photos into your drafts and arrange them with our visual Instagram planning tool – the 9- Grid Preview.
Our Smart Schedule tool will analyze your best times for engagement and create calendar slots for each. Tada! ✨
And if you prefer to set it and forget it, just enable Auto Posting for Instagram Business accounts! Tailwind for Instagram will do the heavy lifting for you and post your amazing selfies on your behalf at the best times. ⏱
Are you using video on Instagram to communicate, connect, and engage with your audience? Wondering what are the best video sizes and Instagram video formats are for everything from Instagram Stories to IGTV?
But keeping track of all the right Instagram video aspect ratios and dimensions can leave you scratching your head.
That’s why we’ve put together this complete guide, including an Infographic that you can pin and save for later!
Plus, we’ve included handy tips on how to put each and every Instagram video dimension to their best uses with handy marketing tips, ideas, and examples!
Let’s take a look!
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Let’s Talk Instagram Video Specs
Before drilling down to the specific types of Instagram video and the purpose behind them, here are the overall sizes for any Instagram video:
Maximum 30 frames per second.
Maximum length of 60 seconds.
Maximum file size of 4 GB.
What is the Instagram video max/min resolution?
There are five main min/max resolution requirements for your Instagram video, depending on where and how you’ll post it. These size options cover square, landscape, portrait, stories, and carousel videos!
Square video minimum resolution is 600 x 600. Max is 1080 x 1080.
Portrait video minimum resolution is 600 x 750. Max is 1080 x 1350.
Landscape video minimum resolution is 600 x 315. Max is 1080 x 608.
Stories/reels/live video minimum resolution is 600 x 1067. Max is 1080 x 1920.
Carousel video minimum resolution is 600 x 700. Max is 1080 x 1080.
Let’s dive into the specifics of each below, as well as some tips on how to use each Instagram video dimension for your marketing goals!
Instagram Video Aspect Ratios
Here are the aspect ratios for each IG video format to keep in mind:
Square Video – 1:1 Aspect Ratio
Portrait Video – 4:5 Aspect Ratio
Landscape Video – 1.91:1 to 16:9 (we recommend sticking to a 16:9 aspect ratio. Trust us, it’s easier to manage!)
Stories/Reels/Live Video – 9:16 Aspect Ratio
Carousel Video – You have some wiggle room with this aspect ratio. You can upload carousel videos in square, portrait or landscape (1:1, 4:5, 16:9). However, keep in mind that once you upload and choose one aspect ratio for your first carousel video, all others in the series will be cropped the same way!
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Instagram Square Video
Ideal Dimensions: 1080 x 1800px
Ideal Aspect Ratio: 1:1
Video Length: up to 60 seconds
For many years, the square was the only video ratio you could share on Instagram. But times they are a-changin’ and now you don’t have to make all your IG videos square. You can shoot and upload them in square, vertical or horizontal aspect ratios. Thank goodness!
Still, square IG videos are still preferred by many, and you can use them when:
This is where many people get tripped up when uploading their videos to Instagram. Landscape video minimum resolution is 600 x 315. The max is 1080 x 608.
To be honest, landscape video is the least likely of all video dimensions to get used on Instagram, but as Wedding Dresses proves, it can be useful in certain situations.
Use landscape video to:
maintain the look and feel of a previously recorded video
IG Stories video minimum resolution is 600 x 1067. Max is 1080 x 1920.
Ideal Dimensions: 1080 x 1920px
Ideal Aspect Ratio: 9:16
Video Length: each story up to 15 seconds
IG Stories video minimum resolution is 600 x 1067. Max is 1080 x 1920. The maximum length of a video is also 15 seconds. If you upload longer videos, Instagram will cut the video up into Story clips automatically up to one minute long.
Videos must be in MP4 or MOV file format and have a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS (frames per second) and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels. The maximum file size is 4 GB.
Instagram Stories was launched in 2016 and quickly dubbed a clone of Snapchat that would kill off the platform entirely!
While that hasn’t happened, Instagram Stories has definitely emerged the winner in ephemeral content.
IG Stories has a ton of value for brands and businesses when delivering:
Content you don’t feel “worthy” of your feed
Content that provides a better look into the personality of your brand
In-the-moment updates and just-for-fun peeks behind the scenes
Highlight seasonal offers like Target does on a regular basis.
As I mentioned above, Stories are a great way to engage your audience in a whole new way.
Instead of feed or Instagram live video that feels more structured, planned for and scheduled, Stories can be shared throughout the day, at any time, and in a variety of ways.
Instagram Story Video Ideas:
Behind-the-scenes
Product launch
How-to
Team highlight
New location
Announcement
Teaser
Press release
Podcast episode
New blog post
Instagram Carousel Video
Ideal Dimensions: 1080 x 1080px
Ideal Aspect Ratio: 1:1, 4:5, 16:9
The minimum size requirement for carousel videos is 600 x 700. The max size allowed is 1080 x 1080.
You might be familiar with carousel images, but did you know you can use video in the same way? In the click of a button, you can choose multiple videos and add them to one post.
Use carousel video to:
Tell a bigger story
Turn one video into multiple (shorter) video clips,
or create an experience around your brand, team, product, or service like Buzzfeed Tasty does with every video they share.
*Important Note: Carousel videos do not show the video icon like typical videos on Instagram. Instead, they show the carousel icon in the upper right hand corner.
Now that you have a general idea of Instagram video options, let’s take a look at required video specs across each Instagram feature.
Plus, see how more tips on how to strategically use that feature in your business!
Instagram Reels Video
Ideal Dimensions: 1080 x 1920px
Ideal Aspect Ratio: 9:16
Video Length: up to 60 seconds
Instagram TV (IGTV ) Video
Ideal Dimensions: 1080 x 1920px
Ideal Aspect Ratio: 9:16
Video Length: 15 seconds to 10 minutes
Videos on your Instagram feed must be between 3 – 60 seconds long, but if you have a longer video to share, consider uploading it to IGTV instead – you can add a preview of the video to your Instagram feed! On a normal account, IGTV videos can be up to 10 minutees long. Larger accounts with over 10,000 followers and verified brand accounts can upload videos up to 60 minutes long, but they must be uploaded via desktop. (As always, videos must be in MP4 or MOV file format.)
Good news! You can now upload your IGTV videos in 9:16 portrait aspect ratio, or in landscape (16:9). Videos should have a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS (frames per second) and minimum resolution of 720 pixels. The maximum file size for videos that are 10 minutes or less is 650MB. The maximum file size for videos up to 60 minutes is 3.6GB.
Your use of IGTV could include anything from showcasing your team to sneak peeks, product launches, demonstrations, and any other binge-worthy content your audience will eat up.
As a brand, Netflix uses IGTV to connect you one-on-one with series regulars as well as take you behind-the-scenes on some of your favorite shows.
You can upload a custom cover photo for your IGTV video to keep things on-brand. The recommended size for cover photos is 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio). Choose your cover carefully though! Right now, you can’t edit your cover photo after you’ve uploaded it.
Instagram Live Video
Ideal Dimensions: 1080 x 1920px
Ideal Aspect Ratio: 9:16
Video Length: up to 60 minutes
Video Length
Instagram Live videos must be a maximum of 60 minutes long. That’s right, you can broadcast to your followers for up to a full hour!
Video File Type
Videos must be in MP4 or MOV file format.
IG Live Video Resolution and Size
Instagram Live videos have the same specs as Story videos, meaning:
Videos should be vertical (not landscape) with an aspect ratio of 9:16.
Videos should have a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS (frames per second) and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels.
The maximum file size is 4 GB.
Instagram Live Content
Instagram Live is exactly what you’re accustomed to with Facebook Live. With the click of a button, you can go live and interact in real-time with your audience.
Use Instagram Live to walk your audience through a specific process, share your favorite tips, answer community frequently asked questions, or simply motivate and encourage your audience like Chalene Johnson does.
To go Live on Instagram:
Tap in the top left of the screen or swipe right from anywhere in Feed.
Tap Live at the bottom of the screen, then tap Go Live.
If you’re on an iOS device, you can tap in the bottom right to add photos and videos from your camera roll to your live video. To stop displaying your photo or video, swipe right and tap. Keep in mind that only you can see the photos and videos in your camera roll while you’re sharing a live video.
When you’re done, tap End in the top right then tap to confirm. From there, you can tap Save in the top right to save it to your camera roll, or share it to your story.
Now that you have a general idea of Instagram video options, let’s take a look at required video specs across each Instagram feature.
Plus, see how more tips on how to strategically use that feature in your business!
Video File Type
Instagram accepts either MP4 or MOV file formats in Instagram videos. H.264 MP4 is the best file format for Instagram video uploads and will help you preserve the quality of your video after upload!
What to Know About Instagram Compression
It’s true – Instagram automatically compresses videos (and photos) upon upload, and there’s no way to avoid it. The platform does this to save room on it’s servers with billions of pieces of content being uploaded a day. However, all is not lost!
If you find that your Instagram videos are being compressed, or showing poor quality after upload, consider pre-formatting your video before upload. You should change the file format to MP4, adjust the frame rate, and/ or use a video conversion program to preserve your video and prepare it for upload.
Instagram Feed Content
Using video in your feed should be second nature for most at this point. But, if you haven’t begun yet, here are a few ways to create it without adding a bunch of extra hours to your day.
Best Tools To Create Instagram Video
Tools like the ones below make it easy to record, edit, and share your videos.
As you type your description, Tailwind will begin to suggest the best hashtags for your content.
No more searching, saving, and fumbling for the right hashtags, let Tailwind do the heavy lifting for you!
Why You Should Be Using Instagram Video
Instagram video hasn’t been around since day one, but it has received an overwhelming amount of adoption and feature support from the platform. From Boomerang, Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, and IGTV, the options for reaching new audiences and connecting are endless.
95 million photos and videos are shared on Instagram every day, but those video stats!
Video performs better—on average—than other types of content on Instagram when it comes to generating engagement.
Video posts receive more than 2x more comments than other types of posts.
Video posts generated an average of 150 comments.
Video posts received on average the highest number of likes.
via Mention.com
Basically, if you aren’t using Instagram video yet, you need to be.
Final Thoughts
The key for your use of Instagram video is to identify the topics most appealing to your audience, flesh out those topics into short, bite-sized videos, and then choose a day that you’ll consistently share your video content.
As with anything else, showing up on a regular basis is half the battle, but worth the fight when it leads to increased engagement.
That makes a powerful argument for selling on Instagram! But if you don’t know what you’re doing, Instagram marketing can also be frustrating, discouraging, and overwhelming.
Many social media marketers spend hours each week planning a perfect Instagram, only to see discouragingly small growth and engagement numbers.
To remedy this all-too-common issue marketers face, we’ll use well-known psychological studies and more recent Instagram marketing science to reveal 7 “No-No”s when it comes to your Instagram marketing.
If you’re routinely committing any of the Instagram “sins” we mention below, dive deeper into your own engagement and follower data and consider dropping these bad habits.
No-No #1: You’re a Little Too Polished
The reason people love Instagram is because it provides a visual window into the life of a person or brand they’re interested in.
And while it’s pretty clear that no one is 100% honest or transparent on social media all the time, studies show that keeping things genuine will boost consumer trust and even sales or engagement.
Cialdini’s principle of social proof reminds us that we are more inclined to take an action if people who seem similar to us have taken that same action.
Our findings suggest that accounts who post at least once per day, seven days per week, grow their following significantly faster than accounts who post less than seven times in a week.
Frequency leads to high engagement, which the Instagram algorithm loves, rewarding your account with even more engagement and followers.
And if you can’t quite manage to post on a daily basis yet, don’t worry: there’s also a strong positive correlation between consistent posting and account growth.
And Tailwind can help! Create unique Instagram posts, visually plan a scroll-stopping feed, and set a schedule to keep you rhythmic and consistent while posting at peak times of engagement!
No-No #3: You’ve Got a Static Bio
When one of your hard-earned followers actually wants to learn more about you or even purchase something you have for sale, can they do it easily?
The default behavior for Instagrammers is to put a “link in bio” (a long-used work-around for Instagrams “no links in captions” rule).
But many big accounts don’t utilize their Instagram bio to convert followers into customers!
Instagram Stories are a huge opportunity for social marketers. Instead of turning a blind eye to this growing trend, we suggest you dive in with both feet.
If you’re short on time, consider using an Instagram Stories background template in Tailwind Create to get started. You can then seamlessly schedule your Story creation and post with a push notification!
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No-No #5: You’re Asking Too Much; and Giving too Little
The professor sent out 600 holiday cards to complete strangers at Christmastime. As a result, he got 200 holiday cards back from these same strangers. That’s a 33% reciprocity rate.
So what does this humorous study mean for your Instagram account?
If you’re asking for a sale, a like, or a follow too often without giving back to your community, then you’re working too hard in the wrong direction.
Social Media expert Gary Vaynerchuk calls this “jabbing” more than taking a “right hook.”
Instead, try this: for 2 weeks, just follow people in your target audience, comment on their photos, complement their posts, and give away free stuff if you can afford it in an Instagram giveaway (free digital products with no strings attached or free swag like stickers or t-shirts).
Then sit back and watch the law of reciprocity go to work for you. You’ll be amazed at the goodwill, followers, and engagement you’ll generate.
No-No #6: You’re making too many cold pitches
Along the same lines as sin #5, if you’re asking for the sale too many times on your Instagram account, you’ll find yourself with a decline in followers and low engagement.
To reduce follower loss and increase sales, it’s important that you’ve appropriately prepared your audience long before you ask them to get out their credit cards.
In other words, you’ve got to warm up your leads. This all starts by getting your “foot in the door.”
One study on the foot-in-the-door strategy performed in the 60s aimed to see how many homemakers would allow a visitor to enter their home and observe their cleaning habits (a rather large commitment).
Three days prior to their request, researchers telephoned 50% of participants to ask a few questions about their cleaning supplies.The women who responded positively to the initial telephone call (foot in the door) were 2x more likely to respond positively to the second request.What does this mean for your Instagram account?
Start with small requests (share a post with a friend, tag a friend in the comments) and work your way up to larger requests (purchase my product, sign up for my service, schedule an appointment).
The idea is to leverage the “foot in the door” strategy to your advantage to generate more eventual sales by building trust.
No-No #7: You’re Not Repeating Yourself Enough
You might think it’s annoying to your followers for you to post about the same things over and over again.Research shows just the opposite.
One researcher showed this by displaying a series of foreign characters to a group of participants and asked them to assign meaning to each symbol. Over time, the participants began to assign more favorable meanings to the symbols they saw more often.
Another pair of scientists displayed just how strong repetition can be when they showed their participants an octagon for only milliseconds among other shapes.
After a short time, they found that participants “developed strong preferences for objects that have become familiar through repeated exposures” even if those objects were not immediately recognizable.
In layman terms: people begin to like things they’ve seen a lot.
Even if they’re just momentarily scrolling past you in their Instagram feed, that repetition can be the difference between your audience recalling you or your competition when the time comes for a purchase.
Putting all this “science” to good use
To wrap this up, allow us to offer some advice about following science and social media marketing tips.
Things change fast. Every account is different. Every audience is different.
And while many of these tactics will work well for most people, there may be some here that are a total flop for you. That’s okay!
The idea is to test as many things as possible, find out what works for you, continue to iterate, learn, and grow.
With over 1 billion users globally, Instagram is now by far the most popular social media platform on the planet. Arguably the cooler younger sister of parent platform Facebook (which has 2.6 billion users worldwide), Instagram is growing bigger by the day, resulting in a constant stream of new Instagram trends and features.
Instagram has become a key channel for marketers to engage potential customers, and is now a cornerstone of any digital marketing strategy. But, with the ever-increasing amount of content being posted on Instagram everyday, it can be extremely difficult to stand out.
So if you want to up your Instagram game and ensure your content makes an impact in 2021, you’ve come to the right place! Including everything from content tips and tricks to the low-down on new features such as Instagram Reels and Instagram Shops, here are 5 easy ways to make your Instagram content shine…
(Before we jump in, we have a feature that will make working Instagram content, particularly reels, much easier! You can plan, schedule, and post Reels with Tailwind – make sure to give it a go.)
1. Keep it High-Quality
ARTA Travel Presets For Mobile and Desktop by artapresets on Envato Elements
Thanks to the evolution of smartphone technology, these days almost anyone can shoot, edit and upload high-quality visual content to Instagram. But, with so much content now being posted every day, if your assets aren’t up to standard they’ll stick out like a sore thumb. If you want your Instagram to stand out in the right way, it’s important to keep all your posts looking polished and professional.
The first step in creating high-quality content is good editing. Adjusting levels using presets or adding an artistic flare with brushes and add-ons is the easiest and quickest way to take your photos and videos to the next level. But, if you’re lacking in high-quality pics or videos to post in the first place, a great way to source feed-worthy content is through user-generated content (UGC).
UGC is any content — videos, images, reviews — created by your customers or users. One of the most authentic forms of digital word-of-mouth marketing, UGC can serve as a continuous source of assets and inspiration for your Instagram and enable you to become more relatable to your audience. However, if you don’t have piles of UGC at your fingertips just yet, there are plenty of unique and authentic stock photos, videos and graphics out there to choose from! Search for visuals that fit your brand look, feel, and color palette, edit and make them your own, post them on Insta, and voilà!
2. Consistency is Key
∑ on Envato Elements
Every marketer knows that the key to successful Instagram content is branding, and the key to strong branding is consistency! If you want your brand to get noticed on Instagram, you need to keep your content as consistent as possible.
Posting regularly, maintaining a consistent tone and messaging, as well as keeping up a clear and continual visual style means that your Instagram audience will become increasingly familiar with your content and, eventually, your brand.
(Need a little help posting consistently on IG? Tailwind’s paying members post to Instagram 4.3x more often than those who sign up for a free trial and don’t upgrade.)
Customers are drawn to brands they recognize, so make sure all your branding aligns across every channel – including your Instagram, your other social platforms, your blog, your newsletter, and your website.
Mutiara Instagram Story Template by peterdraw on Envato Elements
One of the easiest ways to maintain consistent content on Instagram is by using templates. Using Instagram templates for your Stories, IGTV and feed posts will ensure that all your Instagram content is aligned every single time. Instagram templates include a mix of graphics, colors, and placeholders for photos and other visuals so that you can easily add your assets and messaging.
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3. Connect With Your Community
Connect with your community through your link in bio.
While building a strong brand is one thing, building a strong, loyal Instagram following is just as important! So, if you want to continue growing your Instagram audience, it’s absolutely crucial to connect with your community.
With so many brands now trying to stand out on Instagram, consistent customer referrals and word-of-mouth marketing is absolutely key to building a loyal following. Don’t underestimate the power of social media for attracting customers and communicating with your community – a little bit of interaction goes a long way.
Interact with your followers in the comments, engage with them on Stories by using Polls, Questions or Quizzes, and make sure to reply to all DMs in a friendly, yet professional way.
Turn your link in bio into a one-stop shop for your brand like OneRoofWomen.
It also pays to make all your info and links easily accessible so your followers don’t have to go digging for your website, FAQs or contact information. A great way to do this is by turning your Instagram link in bio into a one-stop shop for your brand, featuring your website, contact details, products and online store in one easy-to-find location.
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4. Create Engaging Video Content
Over the last few years, video has become a staple of our social media feeds. In fact, short snackable video has quickly become Instagram’s most engaging format, with videos now generating 49% more engagement than photos. Long story short – creating engaging video content is crucial if you want to stand out on Instagram.
Now with over 500 million daily users, Instagram Stories are perhaps the easiest way to create engaging video content on Instagram. Fun features such as filters, music, polls, and even swipe-up links are available to add to Stories, allowing you to post anything from polished, pre-filmed promos to raw and authentic behind-the-scenes snippets.
Going Live on Instagram is also a great way to engage your followers. In fact, live video has the highest rate of engagement of all content types, as it enables audiences to interact with their favorite people, brands or businesses in real time.
In addition to Instagram Stories, IGTV and Instagram Live, Reels is Instagram’s latest video feature. Quick, fun, and super easy to use, Reels allows users to produce short, in-feed videos which can be edited with audio and music, similar to videos on TikTok. You can upload premade videos, edit multiple video clips into one, or even create content all within the Instagram app to create short, snappy and engaging videos every time.
5. Try Out New Trends & Features
Instagram is a constant stream of new trends, features and formats, so if you want to stay on top of your Instagram game, you’ve gotta stay trend savvy!
Trying out new Instagram formats and features is a great way to stay relevant, and to show your followers that you’re across all the latest and greatest updates. First off, make sure you’re up to speed with Instagram Live, Reels, and all the latest Instagram Stories updates – such as Create Mode, interactive Stories stickers, trending filters or features such as Polls and Quizzes. Secondly, keep your eyes peeled for any new and exciting Instagram trends – you never know when they might crop up!
One of the biggest and most exciting trends to hit Instagram in 2021 has been social commerce. While this trend has been slowly infiltrating our social platforms over the last few years, the official introduction of Instagram Shops has truly solidified social commerce as one of the hottest trends to watch.
Get a jump on Social Commerce with Facebook and Instagram Shops.
Perfect for brands and businesses wanting to create content that converts on social media, Instagram shops allow your customers to browse products, explore collections and purchase products all within the Instagram app using Instagram checkout. Shoppable posts are definitely the way of the future, so if you’re an online retailer, get ahead of the game with Instagram Shops to streamline your online shopping experience!
And that’s a wrap on our 5 easy ways to level up your Instagram content!
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Author Bio: Kelsie is the Editor of the Envato Blog. Experienced in the fields of design, music and digital marketing, Kelsie is a connoisseur of all things creative. Editor by day and singer/songwriter by night, she is a dedicated writer, musician and pun enthusiast.
The days when Instagram was just an app for sharing photos with your nearest and dearest friends are over. Nowadays, the platform is a powerful tool for small businesses hoping to sell products on Instagram!
83% of users say Instagram helps them discover brand new products and services
81% say they research products or services on Instagram
80% ultimately decide whether to buy a product or service with Instagram’s help
Not only do these stats highlight how important Instagram is for buying products, but also the importance of figuring out how to use it to sell your products!
And make no mistake, these users are taking action. After seeing a product on Instagram, users took the following steps:
79% searched for more information
65% visited the brand’s website or app
46% made a purchase online or offline
37% visited a retail store
31% followed the brands account online
29% talked to someone about it
So whether you’re brand new to selling on Instagram or are just looking for tips, tricks, and tools to fine-tune your strategy, the following five steps will help!
Ready to stop puzzling and start profiting? Let’s get to it!
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5 Steps for Selling Your Products on Instagram
Ready to fine-tune your selling strategy and make sales on Instagram?
It’s easier than you think. Before we dive into the five steps behind how to sell products on Instagram, there are some things you need to do before you begin!
Set-up Step: Convert to an Instagram Business Account
And if you use an Instagram planning tool like Tailwind, you can enable Auto-Posting on your Instagram feed! Plan days, weeks, and months’ worth of Instagram content and publish at the best possible times for your audience to see it.
Think more hustle, less time! Curious to try it out? Get a [sc name=’free-trial-of-tailwind-for-instagram’] today!
Attach Your Instagram Business Account to a Facebook Business Page
This will give you access to important tools and features, like Facebook + Instagram Ads Manager!
Now that we’ve taken care of those important to-do’s, it’s time to get to the strategy you’ve been waiting for. You’ll be figuring out how to sell stuff on Instagram in no time with these five tips!
1. Use Hashtags to Improve Product Visibility on Instagram
When used correctly, hashtags put your Instagram posts (and products) on Explore pages where people are looking for them!
When you pick relevant hashtags for your product posts and Stories, you have a chance to appear to brand new Instagram accounts who follow that hashtag, use it, or simply search for it often!
Plus, if your post or Story lands in a coveted top spot for a hashtag, it’s likely to be seen by even more Instagram users who could easily become customers.
You’ll need to sift through all the available hashtagged keywords that relate to your product or service.
You’ll also want to look for hashtags that relate to people and interests that might go with your product and note how popular they are (and how much traffic they get in search).
Sound like a lot of work? It can be, unless you have an amazing hashtag planning tool like Tailwind!
Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder tool allows Instagram users to save time on the drudgework of hashtag research and get back to doing what they love – connecting with people on Instagram!
Just upload your photo and begin typing your caption.
Suggested hashtags based on your text will appear next to your caption, color-coded by their competitive level!
You can select up to 30 hashtags and even save them in labeled Hashtag Lists to use again on a similar post!
Want to try Hashtag Finder, Hashtag Lists, AND our Hashtags In First Comment Feature for yourself?
Get a [sc name=”free trial of Tailwind for Instagram”] – no credit card required!
2. Highlight Product Details in Posts and Stories
We now know that 79% of Instagram users who see a product on Instagram go to find more information about it.
You can boost the likelihood of closing a sale if you leave that handy information about your product within easy reach!
Instagram Stories and post captions are a great place to start. Here are some ways to use them to educate your followers on your products!
Use Stories to Highlight Your Product
Instagram Stories is the perfect place for quick, easy-to-digest content featuring your products, building brand awareness, and driving sales. Here are some ideas on how to use Stories for increasing sales on Instagram:
Film yourself talking about product benefits. Keep in mind that Instagram will divide your video into 10-second segments, and you’ll cap out at 1 minute – so keep it short, sweet, and actionable!
Repost user-generated content like product reviews, pictures with your product, and content that your previous customers have posted.
Post a frame-by-frame explanation of key benefits – Check out the example below from Biossance! They introduce their product, explain key ingredients, use, and how it works.
Show a Behind-the-Scenes Look Into Your Brand and Products
When highlighting your products on Instagram, give your followers a behind-the-scenes look into all the time and love that goes into creating your products. When creating posts and stories, here are some ideas for showing off your products in a unique way (without giving too much away!):
Give your followers a sneak peek into new products
Tell your brand’s story and why you started your business
Show how your products are made
Invite your followers to vote on new products, designs, and patterns
Use Instagram Captions to Highlight Products
Having a good Instagram caption is just as important as having a great image when selling on Instagram. Plus, you have plenty of space to highlight important product information like:
Key benefits
Product uses and instructions
What’s included
Pricing information
The perfect caption supports your efforts to sell products on Instagram by artfully explaining exactly why they should purchase your product.
More importantly – it should explain how they can purchase your product!
Sell Your Products on Instagram with a Call-To-Action (CTA)
A whopping 87% of users said they took action after seeing product or service information on Instagram. That’s amazing, right? To keep that momentum going, help users take the next steps.
When they finish reading your caption, do they know what to do next? Make it really simple by adding a quick CTA! Examples of straightforward and effective CTAs are:
“click the link in our bio”
“watch our Instagram story for more details”
“swipe up”
“leave a comment below”
“double tap if you agree!”
You can use a CTA to get more engagement or direct your users to where they can find more information or buy the product. Usually, that’s your website and product pages!
3. Be Strategic About Product Links
As of now, Instagram does not allow links in captions. That means to figure out how to sell things on Instagram, you need to find another way to direct your audiences to checkout!
You have several options, like Link in Stories. However, the most customization and ability to link to multiple products and resources is your link in bio!
Include a Link in Your Instagram Bio
Adding a link to your Instagram profile bio is an easy way to get people clicking over to your sales page!
One link rarely cuts it, which is why a link in bio tool to house multiple URLs is so handy!
Smart.bio is a free, easy-to-use dynamic landing page for all your featured products. You can also include links you want to feature for a long time (like your website, email lists signup, and blog posts).
When you set up your smart.bio, you can create a branded URL with your company name or website. It looks like smart.bio/yourusernamehere!
If you’ve ever seen or used another link in bio tool before, you know that you usually have to choose static button links OR Instagram post images to link all your content. With Smart.bio, you can choose both!
“This is simply PHENOMENAL. You guys have truly outdone yourselves. I’m convinced this is the best bio tool out there.
It combines the best features of all the ones I’ve seen, and the setup was effortless. Easiest and best thing I’ve done for my social media marketing so far. ❤️”
@shavonnemorrison, Wellness Blogger
Your static links will appear at the top of your landing page, while you can link individual product pages in the posts that talk about them. When you add a link to your Instagram post, it’ll automatically appear on your smart.bio landing page!
[cta id=’18007′]
Your link in bio tool makes all the difference in driving traffic from your Instagram posts to your website.
4. Sell Products Directly On Instagram with Shoppable Posts and Stickers
Shopping on Instagram is now global, and it’s easier than ever to set up product tags on Instagram posts so your customers can complete their buying journey in-app!
To nab this feature for yourself, you do need to meet some eligibility requirements:
1. You must be in one of the United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, or Australia
2. You need an Instagram business account
3. You must be on the latest version of the Instagram app
5. Your business profile must be connected to a Facebook catalog. This is managed on your business’s Page on Facebook, or through an approved third party!
If you are selling products through BigCommerce and or Shopify, you can set up product tags simply via their Instagram integrations.
5. Build Engagement on Instagram with Potential Customers
Growing your following will help you in selling your products on Instagram. Simply put, with more followers, you’re increasing the number of potential customers on Instagram who are regularly viewing your products!
In order to do that, you need to increase follower engagement as much as possible – in other words, the likes and comments you receive!
The key to unlocking engagement lies in developing a deep understanding of your audience, what they like to see and what is going to make them slow their scroll when they see your latest post in their feed!
Review Your Past Content To See What Resonates Most
You can start getting some valuable clues about what your followers are already responding to by visiting Tailwind’s Post Inspector in your dashboard.
Post Inspector allows you to view and sort your past posts by the number of comments, likes, type of image and even the filter you used!
Using these insights, you can determine what type of content your followers like the most and the types they’re scrolling past. That’ll help you make a strategy around producing content that your followers will engage with – and help you sell your products on Instagram!
Feature Reviews, Testimonials, and UGC from Customers
If customers are raving about your products on Instagram, make sure to feature them on your profile as a way to say thank you and to promote your products! Reposting your customers’ posts and stories is a great way to engage with your audience while also increasing social proof for your products.
By featuring your customers’ honest options on your products, you can increase your brand’s credibility on Instagram. This can help increase sales — especially for your most loved products. Here are some ideas for engaging with your customers on Instagram:
Repost stories and posts from customers featuring your products
Comment on posts reviewing your products
Encourage your followers to tag your brand in Instagram stories and posts
Use Attractive Images to Entice Your Followers to Engage
According to AdEspresso, there are several types of Instagram images that are performing well on Instagram, and the trend is likely to extend into 2021. These 9 types of images are:
User-generated content
Behind-the-scenes photos
DIY and how-to content
Artfully composed images
Content from Instagram influencers
Motivational pictures and quotes
Contest and giveaway promotions
Seasonal or on-trend images
You have a lot of flexibility and room to get creative – it’s simply important to note that grainy, poorly lit, or low-quality images won’t elicit as much engagement as high quality or artfully composed shots will!
one dominant color/hue (blues and cold shades often fare better!)
low saturation
texture (such as shadows or ridges)
increased brightness
Try experimenting with different styles of imagery to create excellent product photos, to see what appeals to your audience and receives higher engagement!
When creating posts for your brand accounts, you can use social media templates to easily create beautiful, eye-catching posts. By automating content creation and scheduling, you can save time and help grow your brand’s social presence.
Instagram’s image-driven platform is what makes it stand out from other social media sites. This is one of the reasons for the huge draw of brands and influencers looking to showcase their products or collaborations!
But what happens when one regular post just isn’t enough – and you have more content to share?
Meet the carousel Instagram post, a multi-image slideshow right on your feed!
Whether you want to add some variety to your Instagram account, increase engagement rates, or showcase a new collection, Instagram carousel posts might be the answer. And you have options!
With more than 83 percent of Instagram users discovering new services and products on the platform, carousel ad posts are a great way to further your brand’s reach.
And carousel posts shared on your feed give you the chance to feature whole collections in one post!
Your followers wipe through up to 10 images and videos without missing any regular posts in their feed! Talk about a great user experience.
In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about these posts, from how to start creating them to how you can boost Instagram carousel engagement.
Before you can start using them, you need to define carousel posts.
Officially called “multiple-image posts” by Instagram, these are posts that feature up to 10 photos or videos (or a combination) that followers can swipe through.
Should I Use a Carousel on Instagram? Do’s and Don’ts
While carousel posts can be a great tool, they aren’t the right choice for every situation. That’s why it’s a good idea to understand the do’s and don’ts of multi-image posts ahead of time.
DO: Use a carousel post to showcase a collection of similar photos or related Instagram content to avoid overwhelming your feed with individual posts.
DO: Use carousel posts on your feed or in ads when you have a variety of products or services to offer followers.
DO: Use a carousel to tell a story through images or videos.
DON’T: Use a carousel if your message would be better communicated in a single image or video and caption.
When you’ve taken a series of photos or videos of new products or have some reviews or features that you’d like to share with followers, creating a carousel post will allow you to share them together.
But creating an Instagram feed carousel is a different process from your typical post. To do so, use the following steps:
Open your Instagram app and tap Add Post.
In the bottom right corner of the app, click Multiple-Image Post.
You can select up to 10 images or videos to include. Make sure to select them in the order that you would like them to be posted.
Tap Next.
Swipe to look through the images that you have selected. You can tap the overlapping circles to edit or add filters to each individual photo.
When you’re finished with your edits, tap Next.
Write your caption and add any tags you’d like to include. Then, tap Share to make your post go live.
While not all Instagram carousel posts are ads, they do make excellent marketing tools! Especially for creating lookbooks of products that you’re selling on the platform or to showcase multiple reviews at once.
Instagram’s potential advertising reach is 849.3 million users. Tools like carousel ad posts help you make the most of that reach!
You can set your target audience and goals for each individual post. This allows you to maximize the impact of your carousel ads.
Before you can create Instagram carousel ads, you’ll need to have a Facebook Business Account. Once you have an account, you’ll need to set up Facebook Ads Manager as well. Once both are set up, follow these steps to create your first Instagram carousel ad.
From Ads Manager: follow the steps to Create a Campaign, (goals + target audiences)
In the Ad section, under Format, select Carousel.
Select Instagram Feed from the formatting toolbar.
Upload your images or videos. You can also add a headline, description, and website URL ad this stage.
Review your placement and tracking and confirm your Ad.
Now that you know how to create Instagram carousel posts, it’s time to start using them to connect with your followers and show off your latest products, services, reviews, and more!
Simply upload your carousel hero image to drafts, and then click to upload each additional image. Drag and drop them to check the order, and schedule for the best time!
You can simply select and post your new creation! Want to try it for yourself? Sign up for a free trial of Tailwind for Instagram– no credit card required!
Whether you want to showcase your latest collection or sell more on Instagram, or use the auto posting tool – we can help you make the most of your Instagram marketing.
Dreaming of creating in-depth video content for your Instagram followers, but hampered by the short time limits of Instagram Stories and posts? You’re not alone. It’s hard to showcase all your dazzling knowledge in a 15-second clip.
Thankfully, IGTV is the answer for creating long-form content, and thanks to several key updates in 2019 and 2020, it’s easier than ever to use!
What is IGTV?
IGTV, or Instagram TV, is an extended video platform for Instagram content creators. It’s is built for long-form content, with a minimum requirement of 15 seconds of video and a maximum length of 10 minutes for regular users.
Where is the IGTV Channel?
When an Instagram user has created a Channel and posted at least one video, you’ll see a new tab on their Instagram profile with a TV icon. Clicking on this tab will show you all the videos they’ve added to their IGTV channel!
Everyone else is limited to up to 10 minute-long videos.
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So, why should you be seriously considering creating Instagram TV content?
Video is a marketing powerhouse that serves a ton of purposes for content strategy. In fact, in 2019, 87% of businesses are using video as a marketing tool, and 83% of marketers said that video gives them a good return on investment (ROI).
How Do You Use IGTV?
Hmm… there might be something to this video thing after all – especially when it comes to your Instagram marketing strategy! You can use Instagram TV to:
Showcase knowledge
Feature products
Offer a behind-the-scenes look, and
Offer a sneak peek of something new and exciting!
Now that you know the vital role it can play in your social media marketing strategy, let’s take a look at how to set your very own channel up, and how to post IGTV videos!
How to Post to IGTV In 7 Steps
Setting up and using Instagram TV is a breeze, and the platform is accessible from mobile and desktop. There are seven steps total to upload your IGTV video to your channel, although some of them you may skip!
We’ll cover how to do video uploads from start to finish with the following steps:
Choose a video from your camera roll
Select a cover image
Create a title and description
Add your video to a Series (optional)
Post a preview of your IGTV video to your feed
Tag Business Partners in your video (optional)
Post your video and monitor IGTV Insights
Let’s dive in to each of these steps with an explanation below!
Step One: Select a Video From Your Camera Roll
Back in the day, the only way you could add a video to your Instagram TV channel was through the standalone IGTV app on mobile or through your desktop.
However, Instagram updated the workflow. So if you’re wondering how to upload to IGTV, you can add a video to IGTV right from the Instagram app! Here’s how:
Open the Instagram app on your phone and tap Add Post
Select the video from your camera roll
Tap Next
On the pop-up menu, tap Long Video
Tap Continue
Step Two: Select a Cover Image for Your IGTV Video
An eye-catching, attractive IGTV video cover can make all the difference in views. With this in mind, you’ll want to select a clear, engaging image that invites viewers to watch!
Instagram allows you to select the cover image for your video in one of two ways: you can select a still image from anywhere in your video, or upload a cover image from your camera roll.
If you opt to upload an image for your IGTV cover, make sure the file is a 1:1.55 ratio (420px by 654 px).
Step Three: Add a Title and Description to Your IGTV Video
You have the option to add a title and a description to your IGTV video. Your title should clearly tell browsers what your video is about in 75 characters or less.
Make sure your title is clear, to-the-point, and lets your audience know what they’re in for! You can shed more light on the video contents in your description.
You have a lot more wiggle room here to describe your video, tag collaborator,s and include hashtags. Just make sure your IGTV description doesn’t exceed the 2200 character-limit!
When viewers click on your IGTV channel, they’ll see video titles on your cover image. Clicking through to the video and on the down arrow next to the title will reveal your video description.
Step Four: Add Your Video to an IGTV Series
IGTV Series is a new feature that allows you to create multiple series on your IGTV channel.
This is a useful way to organize your videos around a central topic or theme!
To create an IGTV series, here’s what to do:
From the Publishing Screen, tap Add to Series
Tap Create Your First Series
Add a Series Name
Add a Series Description (optional)
Tap Create
Now on the Publishing Screen, you’ll see “[Series Name] Episode 1” under the Add to Series heading!
You can use this same step to create a new series on your IGTV channel whenever you want.
Step Five: Add an IGTV Preview to Your Instagram Feed
You can now post a preview to your profile to get more eyes on your content!
Before you tap Post, make sure you double-check your Profile Cover and Preview!
This is an important step, as the 1:1.55 ratio of the IGTV video will be cut down to 1:1 squares to fit in your feed.
If you don’t check the preview, you could risk some awkward framing that cuts off details or doesn’t clearly show the central point of the video. Here’s how to edit both:
How to Edit the Cover of Your IGTV Feed Preview
On the Publishing Screen, select Edit Profile Cover
Tap and hold the profile image
Move your finger in any direction to adjust what is shown in the cropped preview
Use two fingers to zoom in or out
Click Save
How to Edit the IGTV Feed Preview
Editing your IGTV Feed Preview is essentially the same as editing the preview cover!
On the Publishing Screen, select Edit Preview
Tap and hold your video to adjust the framing in the cropped preview
Watch the 15-second video all the way through to make sure framing is correct
Click Save
You can turn off and on the Preview setting by toggling the switch on the Publishing screen. You can also share your IGTV video with your attached Facebook profile from this screen!
Step Six: Tag Business Partners in Branded Content
In a push to make enable Creators to monetize their content with Instagram sponsorships from business partners, you can now tag business partners in your IGTV videos!
To tag a business partner in your branded content, go to Advanced Settings on the Publishing screen.
You’ll see the option to Tag Business Partner. Here, you can search or tap the Instagram username of your business partner, and your video will include a label that says “Paid partnership with [Business Partner].”
This also allows businesses to view the metrics of your post!
Step Seven: Post Your IGTV Video and Monitor Your Insights
Now that you’ve completed all the steps, it’s time to post your video!
IGTV Insights will help you gauge your videos performance and your approach to marketing on the platform. To get to Insights, select your video and hit the “…” button at the bottom left part of the screen.
From the pop-up menu, select IGTV Insights. Here’s what to look for:
Engagement: In this section, you’ll see total views, likes, and comments on your video.
Audience Retention: In this section, you’ll find the Average Percentage Watched. This an average number of the percentage of your video watched during all plays.
On the line chart in this section, you can see when exactly your audience began to drop off, from the start of the video, the middle of the video and the end.
IGTV Video Size and Requirements to Know
When IGTV first launched, creators could only film vertically, which frustrated a lot of users on the platform.
Thankfully, Instagram listened to feedback and ultimately opted to let users upload landscape-oriented videos. Viewers simply have to turn their phones in order to see a full-screen version!
The video should have a minimum frame rate of 30 Frames per second
The minimum resolution required for IGTV upload is 720 pixels.
Maximum file size for videos up to 10 minutes long is 650MB
Maximum file size for videos up to 60 minutes long is 3.6GB
Your IGTV video should be at least 15 seconds long, but under 10 minutes (unless you’re verified!)
IGTV Video Aspect Ratios and Dimensions
Vertical Video Aspect Ratio: 9:16 (the same as Stories!)
Landscape Video Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Marketing Tips for Engagement + Reach on IGTV
Creating a channel and uploading your IGTV videos is super easy, but the real trick to making this tool work for your marketing strategy is in the finer details.
Keep our handy Instagram TV tips in mind when planning your video to reach a wider audience and drive traffic!
Add Hashtags to Your IGTV Description
Did you know that the hashtags you use in your description help your IGTV videos appear front and center on Explore Pages?
Not only that, Instagram has introduced an IGTV section to the Explore page!
This dedicated tab allows users to find popular IGTV videos that match their interests, and increases your chances of reaching new audiences when you land on it!
Hashtags can help you do that. Using hashtags is easy. Simply add them to your video description the same way you do for Instagram captions!
You’ll want to carefully plan relevant hashtags that you use for your video to make sure it appears in the right search streams.
If you have Tailwind for Instagram, you can use our handy Hashtag Finder tool to search and save lists of the best hashtags for your Instagram content.
You can copy this list to your IGTV video description for the best chances of landing on the Explore page, or reaching the top of the IGTV page!
Don’t have Tailwind yet? No worries – click here for a [sc name=’free-trial-of-tailwind-for-instagram’]. No credit card required!
Create a Clickable Call to Action in IGTV Videos
One of our favorite marketing tricks for IGTV is including a hyperlink to a URL in the video description. Any link you put in your IGTV description becomes a hyperlink, which means viewers can click through to a product page, blog post, or another resource right from your video!
Keep in mind that if you put a URL in your video description, you should mention it at least once, if not a few times, in your video and encourage viewers to click the link.
This is because the description is hidden from view while users are watching your IGTV video.
If you don’t direct viewers’ attention to the existence of your handy link, they may never notice it’s there! ️♀️
Find the Sweet Spot in IGTV Video Length
Ten minutes is a considerable time commitment for your viewers, especially if they’re just scrolling through their Instagram feed when they happen upon your video. Make sure that the length of your content is appropriate for the purpose.
If you’re unsure whether your content is too lengthy, check out IGTV Insights to see how your audience is responding to your content.
If your audience is only watching 25% of your ten-minute-long masterpiece before clicking on to something else, this might be an indicator that you should shorten your videos in the future.
Of course, there may be some instances where you need all ten minutes to deliver your content in the best way possible.
Try supporting your long video with graphics, fascinating talking points, and constant action to keep your viewers engaged!
Add Subtitles to Your IGTV Video
Adding subtitles is a surprisingly effective touch for improving audience retention. After all, most Instagram users are browsing while their volume is low or muted.
If you include captions to your video, they’ll be able to figure out what the topic is and get hooked on your content without having to turn up their volume.
Share Your IGTV Video Everywhere
You have several tools available to you when publishing IGTV content, including sharing a preview to your Instagram feed, sharing to connected platforms, and adding a link to Instagram Stories!
Instagram preview videos appear just like a post in your feed. After the preview is done, the video pauses, and the viewer can tap Keep Watching to continue watching the full video.
You can also share your IGTV video to your connected Facebook page.
Finally, you can create a link to your IGTV video in your stories! To do this:
Open Instagram Stories
Add your photo, video or text
Tap the Link icon at the top of the screen
Tap + IGTV Video
Select the IGTV video you want to share
Tap Done
Conclusion: How to Post on IGTV
By now you’re so well versed in IGTV tips and tricks, you could probably direct a feature film!
To recap, we covered how to upload videos using the following steps:
Select a video from your camera roll
Select a cover image
Create a title and description
Add your video to an IGTV Series (optional)
Post a preview to your Instagram feed
Tag Business Partners in your IGTV video (optional)
Post your video and monitor IGTV Insights
Then we covered important aspect ratios to consider for IGTV uploads: 9:16 aspect ratio for vertical videos, and 16:9 aspect ratio for horizontal videos!
Finally, we talked about how to make an IGTV video work for you with good marketing practices!
Tell us about your favorite IGTV content and how using this platform has boosted your engagement in the comments below!
