Overview of Instagram

Instagram is the third most popular social network after Facebook and YouTube. From its early beginnings in 2010, Instagram has focused on sharing images and videos with an emphasis on using their mobile app versus their website. To this day, the Instagram mobile app offers more features and capabilities than the web version.

When marketing a company, make sure you set up an Instagram business account. If you  started off with a personal Instagram account, you could opt to convert it into a business one in Settings on the mobile app.

Creating an Instagram business account is advantageous for companies because features include publicly displaying a business phone number, email, and/or location. Double-check the Contact button on your Instagram business account to make sure you’re providing the best ways for people to get in touch. Business accounts also offer analytics so you can better measure your company’s Instagram marketing efforts.

If you already have a Facebook Page after creating your Instagram business account, the next step is to connect the two. The goal is to be able to manage your Instagram account from the Meta Business Suite attached to your Facebook Page. Meta is the parent company of both Facebook and Instagram so connecting the two platforms helps streamline planning, posting, and even advertising.

Posting to Instagram

There are several post formats on Instagram:

1. Posts. Photos or graphics in square, vertical (portrait), or horizontal (landscape) photos to your Instagram feed. While Instagram can support photos or graphics in 1080x1080 pixels and 1080x566 pixels, they favor 1080x1350 pixels.
2. Stories. Story graphics are vertical (portrait) at 1080x1920 pixels.
3. Videos. Videos uploaded to the feed are called Reels which can be between three seconds and three minutes long. Videos uploaded to Stories can be up to 60 seconds long. Videos are formatted as vertical (1080x1920 pixels) or at a 9:16 aspect ratio. That means that square or horizontal videos will be placed against a black vertical backdrop to fit the format. For aesthetics purposes, use the correct video dimensions as much as possible.

Square images are no longer the standard on Instagram as of 2025. If you upload a square or horizontal image, know that the image will be cut off when people look at the grid view on your Instagram page. However, they will still look correct on the feed.

Instagram, like social media in general, is about sharing content but there are limits and also copyright issues to consider. You can reshare a post to your Stories, but not your feed, and this depends on the source account’s permissions settings.

Instagram Reels are similar to TikTok videos: short-form and attention-grabbing in a variety of styles and content types. Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, began placing a lot of emphasis on Reels in 2022 to make them more visible than regular posts to your feed.

For Reels, you can “remix” someone else’s video to create a side-by-side Reel with their content next to yours. Remixing depends on the other account’s permissions settings. You can also “stitch” a video from another account which means using a short clip followed immediately by your video, all presented as a single video. You can create these collaborative videos within the Reels Editor.

Instagram Stories are similar to Snapchat Stories where content is posted and available on a temporary basis – for 24 hours – and then disappears unless you then add the Story to Highlights, a public-facing Stories archive that appears under your account bio on your account page. The Stories feature appears at the top of the app, providing good visibility. You can save a Story video, or the entire series of Stories created within a 24-hour period to your mobile device.

Using Hashtags

Hashtags are an important part of Instagram captions although there is ongoing debate about how many to use, where to place them, or if they are still relevant. Most popular social networks use hashtags (X, Pinterest, LinkedIn) to some degree as a means of grouping together similar content to help the posts show up in relevant search results. Facebook no longer emphasizes hashtags.

Some popular hashtags on Instagram designate particular types of content based on specific days of the week like #MotivationMonday, #ThrowbackThursday or #FridayFeeling. Other popular hashtags include #love, #nofilter, #mood, and #photooftheday. The Instagram community even created hashtags particular to the app such as #instadaily and #instacool as well as #dogsofinstagram or #dogstagram (fill in any animal).

Hashtags on Instagram can be used like search engine optimization keywords to potentially help increase your post visibility. Understanding the proper use of Instagram hashtags can impact the reach of your posts. You can come up with your own hashtags as well for branding purposes or for marketing campaigns. Examples include REI’s #optoutside and #ShareACoke by Coca-Cola.

Here are some specific ways to strengthen your Instagram presence:

1. Fill out your bio entirely. Business accounts give you additional features on your bio including the ability to add a location address and phone number. Include a URL to your website, either your home page or a different landing page where people can connect, take advantage of a promotion, or do something else such as fill out a form to ask for more information. You can use a third-party link-in-bio tool, such as Linktree, to share multiple links on a custom landing page.
2. Establish your key messages. As with any marketing effort, start with your goals, identify the audience you’re trying to reach, and be specific about the actions you’d like them to take. Focus on messages that don’t require clicking on a link to another web page for more details since clickable links are not a native Instagram feature. You can use the phrase “Link in bio” when referencing a link and use a third-party link-in-bio tool to lead people to a clickable link to a destination web page, but keep in mind that it will require several clicks to get there.
3. Develop an “aesthetic.” Instagram emphasizes visuals, and a well-designed aesthetic or “look and feel,” can elevate your company’s Instagram presence. While you want to use visual clues to stay on brand, such as your logo, emphasis should be placed on the images or videos themselves. One way to create an aesthetic is to use a particular filter or set of filters for a more stylized look. Another way is to feature your brand’s color palette in most or all of the graphics, photos, and videos you upload.
4. Be authentic. Using social media can help to “humanize” your company and attract customers and prospects. Be less commercial and more intimate and personal in your posts. Show pictures behind the scenes at your place of business. Tell the stories behind your company, products, or services. Introduce your team. Give your followers an insider’s glimpse, such as how you make your wine or craft your jewelry, instead of just showing the bottles of wine or the rings and necklaces.
5. Upload multiple images. Uploading multiple images to a post is called a “carousel” and it is a popular format that can be used like a pseudo-slideshow.
6. Upload more video. Ultimately, video is what’s popular on social networks, so post more Reels and videos on Stories to attract attention.

Leverage the images and videos you create for Instagram on other social networks you use. For example, configure your Instagram account to simultaneously post your Instagram Stories to your Facebook Page Stories. That’s an easy way to add visual interest to your Facebook Page. Adding Instagram to your social marketing mix can help you reach a new, and potentially younger audience as well as build brand awareness.