Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic with the intention of spreading helpful information on wellness topics, Instagram Guides curates related posts into a condensed blog-like model. Guides can be formatted to highlight collections of posts, products, or places for followers to explore on the app.
This easy-to-navigate feature is located under its own tab on any user’s Instagram profile that has posted at least one Guide. Convenience is key here. Followers no longer need to scan an influencer or brand’s entire feed for the information they seek – so long as that influencer or brand uses Guides. For example, if someone who recently got engaged is searching for tips and tricks for how to create a honeymoon registry, a brand could create a step-by-step guide to help them out.
Social media content creators who need a break: Instagram Guides is for you. One of the greatest boxes Instagram Guides check off entails how creators do not need to make new content. Simply repurpose past posts or find content already present on other users’ profiles to draw inspiration from and curate your collection. Travel, food, beauty, how-to’s, and DIY’s are just a few of the themes a single Instagram Guide can encapsulate. LocalSearch highlights the easy process of how to create an Instagram Guide. All of this can be an optimal strategy to add user-generated content to your guide and highlight another creator’s work.
Some features
Guides can be extremely helpful for users trying to showcase products on their profile. Rather than having followers trek to the link in their bio, product tags on goods located in Guides ease the journey to checkout. In allowing Guides to highlight products and their details, testimonials, and tutorials, Instagram has attained a new level of accessibility for the purchasing process within the app. Those features provide influencers with a stellar outlet for participating in affiliate marketing, as it can entice their followers to easily find the products they’re promoting.
Another noteworthy feature Instagram has incorporated into their guides is a call-to-action button, which lives at the top of each guide, ensuring visibility when users tap to learn more. This strategy can help business accounts drive traffic to their websites, podcasts, blogs, and similar outlets.
Instagram made it easy to format guides to ensure their users’ creativity shines through a feature that’s aesthetically striking. Insert the posts of your choice into your guide and incorporate additional text for more information. Use headings, subheadings, and dividers to the body of the guide to create a positive reading experience for followers.
Conclusion
Instagram Guides is an efficient way to outshine other brands via social media channels. While it still hasn’t reached peak popularity, taking advantage of this tool could be the difference between staying behind or getting ahead of competitors.
