Content Writer
Coming up with fresh Instagram post ideas out of thin air can be challenging, but having some post ideas ready to go can help you stay on top of the game.
Instagram has been around for over a decade and doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere soon. With so much potential on this social media platform, you’ll want to make sure that your Instagram profile is on top of trends and attracting new followers.
For this reason, we’ll explore 20 great Instagram post ideas that you can implement right away for better brand engagement!
Diversify your social content strategy with over 500 engaging post ideas.
Short summary
- Change up the content you post on Instagram to keep your followers engaged, attract new audiences, and add fresh value. Use a social media management tool like SocialBee to create posts, organize them in folders and plan a diverse Instagram posting schedule from one place.
- Promotional posts stand out by highlighting your products or services, whether it’s through shoppable posts, discounts, or helpful tutorials to drive sales.
- Fun posts, like memes and quizzes, encourage interaction and help keep your audience engaged.
- Motivational posts spread positivity with quotes, personal stories, or advice that inspire your followers and share positivity.
- Educational posts offer useful insights and tips, positioning you as a trusted resource while helping your audience make informed decisions.
- For Week 1 of the month, consider mixing all four types of content—fun, motivational, educational, and promotional posts. This could be a great way to keep your audience engaged, with everything from product highlights to memes.
- In Week 2 of the month, you might want to try dynamic ideas like video tutorials, giveaways, motivational shout-outs, professional advice, and industry tips to keep things fresh.
- Week 3 of the month, could focus on interactive content: user-generated posts, caption challenges, inspirational quotes, and how-to guides. This helps entertain and inform your audience while encouraging more engagement.
- For Week 4, think about ending the month strong with engaging content: exclusive deals, fun challenges, helpful tips, and key industry stats.
Improve your Instagram marketing strategy with a diverse content mix
Instagram is a visual-first social media platform, meaning that users can’t share text-only posts. Written content can be added as an Instagram caption and serves as an addition to the visual content that gets posted on the platform.
To keep your audience entertained, you’ll have to find a way to stand out from the average Instagram content creator. How? By diversifying your content mix.
Essentially, posting more than one type of content can help you attract a wider audience, and keep your loyal viewers connected to your brand.
Here are the reasons why a diversified content mix is important:
- It keeps your followers engaged.
- It allows you to reach audiences with various interests.
- It helps you explore new ideas and offer more value to your audience.
To connect with your audience on a deeper level, your posts must spark curiosity and emotion. Easier said than done, we know!
Posting different types of posts each week keeps your audience engaged and invested in your content, which will, in turn, help you become a popular creator on this social platform. By experimenting with content types, you will discover topics and formats your audience will interact with the most.
The top types of engaging content you can share on Instagram
Social media is all about the content you share. To keep your followers engaged and build your brand, it’s important to mix up the types of content you post and change things up regularly.
A good mix of video posts, carousel slides, and quality images works well on Instagram. And don’t forget to combine promotional content with posts that educate, entertain, and inspire.
Let’s go over some specific Instagram post ideas for each type of content.
1. Promotional Instagram posts
Without getting overly promotional, you have to get your audience’s attention towards your offerings. After all, that’s what’s going to make them buy and try out your products, which will, in turn, boost your revenue. Therefore, the first category of content we’ll explore is promotional posts.
Promotional content aims to drive your audience’s attention towards your products and services. Instagram allows brands to create shoppable posts to help customers make a purchase much faster. You can add product tags on images and lead your followers directly to your store.
Examples of promotional posts include product showcases, discounts, sneak peeks of your upcoming collections, or time-lapse videos of your processes.
2. Fun & interactive Instagram posts
These types of Instagram posts aim to be relatable to your followers, entertain them, and spark positive interactions.
From pics of cute animals to relatable memes, sharing struggles from running a business, doing pop quizzes, and offering exciting updates about upcoming events, everything that’s fun or interactive falls in this category.
3. Motivational Instagram posts
Motivational posts inspire people to do better and live a more meaningful life. Everybody loves these types of posts because they bring positive emotions. They also generate a lot of engagement, since who doesn’t want to share some positivity with their friends once in a while?
There are numerous ways you can motivate Instagram users with your posts, such as inspirational quotes, personal stories, professional advice, or spotlighting someone you look up to, just to name a few.
4. Educational Instagram posts
These posts aim to share knowledge that will add value to their lives and help them make the right decisions. As a result, you will offer a helping hand while establishing yourself as a reliable source of industry-specific insights.
For instance, let’s say you offer renovating services. In this case, a great example of an educational social media post could be an Instagram carousel that offers tips on how to decorate a room to make it seem spacious
You can also create a series with tips, post dos and don’ts, and share industry insights, among other creative ideas.
PRO TIP: Use SocialBee to easily plan a diverse content strategy
SocialBee‘s content categories feature allows you to organize your posts into folders (based on specific topics) and schedule them at different times during the week.
By keeping different content types (promotional, educational, quotes, etc.) in separate categories, you can easily ensure a good mix of content goes out to your audience. This helps avoid overwhelming them with the same kind of post and keeps things interesting.
Moreover, SocialBee can track the performance of your content categories, not only on Instagram, but on other social media accounts as well from your Facebook page to your YouTube channel, and more. This lets you see which types of content resonate most with your audience, allowing you to refine your strategy and tailor your content creation to what works best.
Creative Instagram post ideas for a one-month content calendar
Now that we’ve established four content categories that are a must-have in your strategy, let’s mix them up and put together a content calendar. We’ve filled it with Instagram content ideas from all four post types to make the creative process easier for you.
Week 1
Start off strong with a mix of promotional, fun, motivating, and educational content.
1. Create a weekly series for your products and services
A weekly product or service series is similar to a Throwback Thursday post because it repeats every week on a certain day. These types of posts drive curiosity and anticipation in your audience’s minds and make them connect to your brand on a personal level.
Make sure to write a compelling Instagram caption and detail the meaning of your post every time you share something with your followers. Rare Beauty’s post is a great example of this kind of series, as they use a fun fact about one of their beloved products.
Here are a few ideas for weekly posts that you can implement on any given day of the week that makes sense to you:
- Weekly unboxing videos
- Posting a featured product of the week
- Posting testimonials of your product
- Customer success stories or case studies
2. Post memes
Memes are a staple of the social media culture. As of 2024, memes have become a universal means of communication for Instagram users, especially for Generation Z. They are relatable, funny, spark lots of interaction, and they’re easy to implement in any feed post.
Take for example this funny post that incorporates the popular Ken meme to both generate laughs and highlight just how good Poppi’s Strawberry Lemon drink is.
Use memes to share common struggles, relate to your audience on a more personal note, and show that you’re a fun and active Instagram account.
3. Share your professional journey through an Instagram carousel post
Many of your followers are likely going through struggles of their own, so much like the average person in their professional life, they could use a piece of advice.
Queenly Consulting used a carousel of images to share their personal journey, as well as a long caption to highlight just why it’s so meaningful to show others the path you’ve taken to success.
Assuring your audience that everything will be fine, that no one got to the top without hard work, and that you also had struggled to go through in your lifetime can be very comforting.
4. Post a sneak peek
Much like weekly series, sneak peeks boost anticipation. Let your customers know that you’re working restlessly to come up with new and exciting products or services and that you’ll be sharing everything with them as soon as it’s ready.
Paula’s Choice shared a photo of an upcoming product that they are hard at work creating, and increased people’s excitement for it by posting exclusive behind-the-scenes posts.
Not only will you drive up more engagement with these posts, but you’ll also create buzz around your future projects.
5. Posts about industry dos and don’ts
Industry do’s and don’ts are generally posts that aim to put a stop to the misleading assumptions of an industry, and also give great advice on how to not fall into common field-specific traps.
Like this post that helps people grow their Instagram account without making certain common mistakes:
For example, if you’re in the field of business and consultancy, you could offer your Instagram followers advice on what not to do, such as:
- Don’t buy securities and panic and sell them at a loss.
- Don’t go into business without proper research.
- Don’t underestimate the power of networking.
Week 2
Now that the first week of posting is done, let’s keep the ball rolling with even more great content.
6. Post video product tutorials
When you go into detail about how people can benefit from your offerings and explain how they can use your products in their lives, the chances of them buying from you grow so much more.
If you’re in the fitness industry, like Superpro Samui, a video demonstrating how to correctly execute certain exercises is a great example.
Create engaging content in which you detail ways to use a product you offer or recreate a situation, a look, or anything related to your brand that can be of use to your Instagram followers through Instagram videos.
7. Host a giveaway
Instagram giveaways encourage people to tag their friends and like posts, which helps spread the word and bring in new followers. More likes and comments also increase engagement, making the account more visible on the platform, as Instagram promotes content that users interact with.
Belmont Town Restaurant ran a giveaway for Family Day, offering a chance to win a Charcuterie platter. They made it even more engaging by allowing multiple comments for more chances to win, which got more people involved.
From small business owners to major brands, everybody uses giveaways to insert product photos in the form of gifts and free benefits. Plus, it’s super fun to organize, it boosts your social media presence, and your audience will love it!
8. Post an Instagram story about a person who inspires you
Sharing is caring, and when you shout out your favorite content creators or role models, you’re not only networking but also proving to your community that you’re looking to promote your products and grow by yourself.
Letting others be part of your journey is an inspirational thing in itself, and Instagram users will appreciate you sharing valuable content with them.
9. Offer your best professional advice
Regardless of your area of expertise and industry, everybody could use a piece of advice. Therefore, surprise your audience once in a while with your best professional advice from the industry you’re in.
Paige is a recovery coach, and in this post, she chose to share some gentle reminders for those who are too harsh on themselves. It can be very comforting for people to see that even professionals struggle, just like Paige says she does with setting realistic goals.
Start by providing them with your background story, then give examples of real challenging or inspiring situations from your journey, so that they avoid falling into the same traps you did and learn from your mistakes. This will build their trust in you and your services or products.
10. Explain industry terms
Don’t let your audience feel excluded by using terms that have yet to learn about. When it comes to explaining terms from your industry, be it finance, tech, science, or even from common fields like food and beverage or fashion, make sure your audience understands what you are trying to communicate.
I Adap You knows financial jargon can be tricky for most, which is why they created this great educational post that not only defines the concept of inflation, but also offers examples for easier understanding.
The more you let them in your world, the stronger your communication and connection will grow. Also, it’s a great way to diversify your posting content and draw more than just experts or well-versed connoisseurs in your circle.
Week 3
It’s time to implement some more cool posts, both self-made and user-generated.
11. Share user-generated content
User-generated content mainly consists of anything related to your brand that’s coming from your followers, customers, and other members of your community. UGC stands out from other posts due to its credible source: real customers.
Some examples of user-generated content are:
- Reviews and customer testimonials
- Tutorials or unboxing videos from other online creators
- Photos/videos of people using your product
When your customers post on Instagram about your brand, showcase their posts by featuring them on your profile, as it shows that you value their input, like Lush Cosmetics often does on their profile. User-generated content is social proof that your brand has built a community of happy customers.
Influencer marketing is also a practice that relies on recommendations. So, if you have an influencer campaign planned in the near future, try to generate as much UGC as you can from your collaborators.
12. Share a photo and let your audience write the caption
A way to address your audience in a friendly way is to share a picture and let them write the caption for it. As a result, your comment section will thrive, while everyone gets to have a little bit of fun on your profile.
Look at this adorable picture of Gus and Auggie. Who wouldn’t want to add a caption to compliment a picture of these cuties?
Such Instagram posts have a high potential of going viral right away! As for now, the #captionthis hashtag has more than 850,000 posts on Instagram.
13. Share inspirational quotes
Quotes are shareable content, and with the ongoing popularity of Instagram stories, the chances of you getting featured on different profiles grow significantly.
This post from the Motivation App inspires while also maintaining a minimalist aesthetic. It’s pretty and it makes sure your attention goes to the text.
You can post quotes about topics such as:
- Living a meaningful life
- The importance of consistency and determination
- Giving back to the community and being kind
- Working hard and being determined
14. Post about your company’s mission
In today’s world, people are no longer just looking at a brand as a source of products and services, but also as an entity that reflects their values.
The competition is fierce, and most likely, you have many competitors trying to dominate the market.
Customers have plenty of options to choose from and that’s why is so important to differentiate yourself from other similar brands. One way to do this is to relate with your target audience and post content that resonates with their beliefs.
Stating your mission clearly, like Deca Dental Group has, will not only boost brand recognition but also attract like-minded people who share your core values and will stand by you in your social media journey.
15. Create a how-to carousel
How-to Carousel posts are a great way to entertain your audience. Usually, they are short tutorials on how to do certain things. For example, if you’re a business that sells custom-made portraits or paintings, you could create a how-to carousel post where you detail how to draw a minimal portrait starting from a frame to the final product.
North and Rose created one of these educational posts to help their customers get the most out of their diffusers. It’s a fun tutorial, and it also minimizes the risks of someone using the product wrong and then complaining about unclear instructions.
You can use how-to carousels to offer a step-by-step explanation of something specific to your company.
Week 4
Finish the month with a bang with these last five post ideas.
16. Offer vouchers and discount codes
A great post idea for your Instagram feed is to offer your followers some benefits of being part of your social media community. By giving them exclusive access to your products and helping them save money by shopping from you, you’ll surely get one step ahead of other brands that might not do the same.
Wholemart used this promotional tactic on their Instagram and offered a promo code for 10% off on ice cream. A great plan for getting people to buy their cold treats from their shop on a hot summer day.
Some examples of financial benefits that you can offer as free content to Instagram users are:
- Vouchers
- Discount codes
- A free webinar
- Free shipping
17. Celebrate social media holidays
During the holidays, creating posts that align with the season helps your brand be timely and relevant to what people are looking for. You can celebrate by sharing festive content while also promoting seasonal offers.
Highlight your products as great gift options by showing how they fit into holiday traditions, like how @julesdelights did here:
To get access to a comprehensive list of holidays you can celebrate on social media, download our calendar below.
Boost your content creation with hundreds of post ideas, examples and Canva templates.
18. Post a “Fill in the Blank” post
“Fill in the Blank” posts refer to pictures that resemble puzzles, riddles, or wild guesses that your users have to debunk to find the answer, such as:
- The XYZ company opened its first branch in __.
- I’d love to see the XYZ company open a new location in __.
- My favorite product from XYZ company is __.
Tincture Tailor encouraged their followers to share their intentions for June, which coincides with the month they would be launching a new wellness product. This generates both engagement and hype for their upcoming product release.
19. Create a weekly series with tips & tricks
Tips & Tricks posts do well on Instagram because they target people’s needs and offer insights that users can save and apply right away. For example, you could share shortcuts, quick fixes, or simple solutions to common problems your audience faces.
For example, if your business revolves around finance, you could try sharing tips on how to save money, like @helpsavemoney does on their page.
20. Share industry statistics
Using statistics and facts on social media is an effective way to grab your audience’s attention and educate them.
For instance, if you sell sunscreen, you can share studies about the risks of sun exposure, like skin cancer or premature aging. This approach does more than just promote your product; it helps people understand why they need it.
You can use statistics in feed posts and Stories to talk about:
- How fast the industry is growing or changing.
- How customer preferences and behaviors are shifting.
- How well a product or service meets customer needs or solves problems.
- How the brand’s products or processes save time, cut costs, or boost productivity.
- Key trends in the industry that could shape future developments.
Frequently asked questions
Include new Instagram post ideas in your strategy
Now that we’ve explored 20 creative Instagram posts, you’re probably wondering where you should start. You’ve got the blueprint for a one-month content calendar, but how can you apply it?
Although the difficult part is to come up with the best Instagram post ideas and catchy captions while staying true to your brand, it can also be challenging to create a homogenous feed and a good posting schedule.
With SocialBee, you can create, schedule, and share content on all your social media platforms. No more missing out on important events or active hours on social media. Start your 14-day free trial today!
