Social Media Best Practice Guide for Instagram

Here at Instagram, we aim to inspire, create, and showcase the talents of all our creators. As a leading social media platform, we are committed to fostering a safe and supportive community for everyone. We continuously evolve our platform to foster the empowerment of our users to express themselves in new ways.

Instagram Post Creation

Content Strategy and consistency are important to us at Instagram. We want our over two billion active users to stay engaged and build a strong community on this platform. We maintain a balance between Reels, carousel posts, and static posts. However, we are leaning into posting more Reels, as that is the direction our platform is moving toward. By posting more Reels, we encourage our followers to do the same. With every post, it’s important to remember that our target audience consists of Gen Z and Millennials, so high-quality, visually appealing content that aligns with our aesthetic is the main goal. We aim to post once a day, or at least every other day, with a standard of 5–7 posts per week.

Instagram Voice & Tone

Just as strategy and consistency are important to us, our brand voice plays an equally crucial part. Our voice is fun, inclusive, approachable, and positive. We maintain a playful balance in Instagram’s brand identity through various posts. For example, one day, we might highlight two content creators ( @liammiiler, @sophmorelli) in a Reel on our main feed, captioning it, “It’s giving ride or dies 💕,” with a backstory to their friendship. Another day, we continued our series “What’s in My Camera Roll” by posting a Reel with actress and model Peyton List, captioning it, “Where is @peytonlist’s (Peyton List) happy place? Somewhere in between a peaceful Japanese noodle house and her best friend’s California farm with an emu. 😂📸” To highlight our African American creators during Black History month, we repost creator Sophi St.Louis’s (@okaysophi) unique makeup looks to promote unity, self-expression, and community to our platform’s diverse audience.

While we maintain our playful voice on Instagram, we adjust our tone based on the type of content. Whether that was community-building posts with creators like Sophi St.Louis, Liam Miller, and Sophie Morelli or switching over to promotional posts with Peyton List, our tone and voice should always be respectful, uplifting, and reflective of Instagram’s commitment to promoting a safe and positive space.

Responding to Comments & Messages

Instagram’s creators and users are what make the platform what it is. Acknowledging positive comments and fostering positive conversations, along with addressing negative comments or criticism, is a must. In either situation, we remain professional and handle issues constructively and swiftly, responding within twenty-four hours to maintain engagement. When responding to inquiries, personalize your responses to show genuine interest in the users’ concerns or questions. An example of a genuine response is Glossier. On our Platform, they engage with their audience and immediately address concerns. Managing Instagram’s platform requires the same level of swiftness and a genuine connection with our audience.

Community Engagement

A key concern for us at Instagram is continuing and maintaining our relationship with the audience. This includes encouraging UGC, liking comments or photos that align with our mission and commitment to the platform, and creating interactive polls or informative posts to spread awareness of our evolving features. Remember to engage with our loyal content creators, influencers, and brand ambassadors to strengthen brand identity.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Instagram is one of the top social media platforms and a highly successful one. Recognized for our creativity, inclusiveness, and fun with our users. We do an excellent job showcasing our commitment to our mission and establishing a playful voice while creating content that our audience will enjoy, relate to, share, and learn from. We are active on our platform and others, avoiding drama and quickly coming up with solutions for our users. While there is always room for improvement, we are proud of our continued efforts to build relationships and foster a positive community.

References

Backlinko. (n.d.). Instagram users: 2023 statistics, demographics & more. Backlinko. https://backlinko.com/instagram-users

Instagram. (n.d.). About Instagram. Instagram. https://about.instagram.com

Instagram. (2021, March 2). Instagram post [Image]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DFqLKU_vpBu/?img_index=1

Later. (2023, June 21). Instagram Reels: A complete guide for marketers. Later. https://later.com/blog/instagram-reels/

Twitter. (n.d.). Instagram. X. https://x.com/instagram