I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again for those in the back: Instagram is my favourite platform. 

It’s changed so much over the years with ever-evolving features to meet the needs of small business owners like me, which makes it stand out above the rest. 

If there is a feature that you love on another platform, you can bet that Instagram will figure out how to make that same feature work for them, meaning you can have it all in one place. 

This also means that this single powerhouse platform functions in 7 ways for your business, so you can invest your time into growing your content diversity without needing to pander to multiple platforms. 

Here are the 7 ways you can use Instagram for your business: 

1. Instagram Feed

The Instagram feed is the function that most people are aware of as all platforms have one. It’s the place where you post your actual photos, add a caption, hashtags and interact with your followers.

What works for the feed? 

• Bright, crisp, colourful photos

• Short videos

• Multiple photos as a carousel

• Reposted ‘Reels’ (more below) 

2. Instagram Stories

Stories are 15-second video or still images that live in your ‘story’ for 24 hours. That’s the bubbles at the top of your app as soon as you open it. You can also find them by clicking on a user’s profile image if there is a ring around it to highlight the presence of a story. 

You can use stories to create permanent highlights on your instagram feed as well for things like ‘About you’ or ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ or even to highlight your favourite products or services. 

What type of content works best for stories: 

• 15-second videos

• A series of 15-second videos

• Still images

• Boomerangs

• Custom graphics

3. Instagram Live 

Going live on social media has been around for a few years, but you’ll find that Instagram took it to the next level by making sure you could create your own mini-tv series with IGTV. You can download an IGTV after your Live event has ended and use it on your main feed or in your stories as well. 

You can go Live on Instagram for up to 4 hours at a time, which makes it the longest form of content on the platform. 

What type of content works best for live: 

• Pre-planned live shows 

• Random appearances 

• Tutorials

• Walk-throughs 

4. IGTV 

Speaking of IGTV, this is what Instagram created to compete against YouTube. It is pre-recorded videos that are between 15 seconds to 10 minutes long. It has its own designated spot on Instagram. 

The benefit of IGTV is that even though you don’t have 10,000 followers on Instagram you can upload your IGTV videos as a swipe up.

What type of content works best for the IGTV: 

• Past live videos that you saved, 

• pre-recorded videos 

• in the moment videos.

5. Instagram Reels 

Reels is what Instagram created to compete against Tik Tok. It is pre-recorded videos that are between 15 seconds and 30 seconds long. It has its own designated spot on Instagram and can be shared to your feed or stories.

What type of content works best for reels: 

Video clips that are set to music or sound clips with special effects, stickers, texts or captions. 

6. Instagram Direct Messages

Messaging is a private messaging option built into Instagram. It’s a place where you can send a private message to a follower or someone you are following without others seeing your conversation. This can be done via the messaging tab or someone replying to your stories. Direct Message is very popular on Instagram, especially for business and collaborations.

What type of content works best for messaging: 

You are able to send pictures, clickable links, stickers, articles as well as voice messages in a private format without having to get someone’s email or phone number.

7. Instagram Guides

Guides are the newest function of Instagram. Guides are a brand new way to share and consume content on Instagram. They allow users to follow a curated flow of posts with commentary — which is great for step-by-step guides, tips, and recommendations. You can choose from 3 different Guide formats:

• Places: Recommend places in your city and beyond

• Products: Recommend your favourite products

• Posts: Recommend posts you created or saved

What type of content works best for guides:

This is a great tool for brands/businesses looking to add extra context or commentary to their shoppable products on Instagram. It opens up new opportunities for partnerships, as anyone (including influencers and brand ambassadors) can use this tool to curate a list of recommended products. Places are perfect for sharing your location-based recommendations, from city guides to restaurants and cafes.

Have questions about how to use these amazing features for your business specifically? Set up a 1-on-1 training call so we can plan what kind of content you can create and how to use Instagram to reach your biggest audience ever.