Have you come across Instagram’s new feature called Instagram Guides? Wondering what guides are and how to use this new feature? In this blog, we will learn about:
- What are Instagram Guides?
- How to create an Instagram Guide
- Types of Guides
- Instagram’s stand on Guides during the pandemic
Table of Contents
What are Instagram Guides?
During the pandemic, Instagram wanted to help users with their struggles with being locked up and home and for those struggling with health issues. In mid-2020, Instagram launched a new feature called “Guides.” This feature lets users share their favorite content along with recommendations and tips.
During its initial launch, the app completely focused on wellness topics. The first-ever guide to be promoted was called “Mental Health and COVID-19” by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. However, in Nov 2020, Instagram expanded this feature to include different content types.
An Instagram Guide is similar to a blog post with images, videos, and texts representing a topic.
Creating an Instagram Guide
Steps to creating an Instagram Guide:
- Click on the plus icon on your profile page’s top-right hand corner.
- Select Guide
- Select any 1 from the 3 guide formats available
- Add photos and text and post.
Types of Instagram Guides
Guides allow you to include reels, IGTV posts, and your feed posts and videos. When you add any post to your guide, the posts appear in the sequence they have selected in.
Places Guide
When you select the Places option, you get to choose from the locations listed on Instagram. You can upload up to five posts related to your location. Remember that Instagram shows every post tagged with that location and not your posts alone. Local businesses can use this to their benefit by creating guides filled with posts tagged with their customers’ location.
Products Guide
When you select the Products option, you can choose products from the Instagram shop. You can scroll through the options or look for a specific account’s shop. Once you select the shop and choose a product you want to feature, you can select posts related to the product. Remember, you can select only one feature product per guide.
Posts Guide
When you select the Posts option, you can choose from your Instagram posts and saved posts from other accounts. In this option, you can share up to 30 posts per guide. Remember to save a post from another account before adding it to your guide.
How did it start?
As mentioned above, Instagram started Guides to help users struggling with mental health issues due to the lockdown imposed in many countries. Instagram got creators to collaborate with organizations and experts and share their resourceful knowledge. This included tips on looking after one’s mental health and well-being, managing anxiety and grief, and maintaining connections during this tough time.
Creators that participated in this campaign were @afspnational, @heads_together, @vitaalere, @klicksafe, @headspace_aus, @deepikapadukone, @sudahdong, and @eenfance. When you visit their profile, you will see an icon next to the reels and IGTV icon.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this blog has answered all the answers about what Instagram Guides are all about by now. If you haven’t created an Instagram Guide yet, go ahead and share your recommendations and tips with your audience and tweak them with your creativity.
If you are a business looking to grow on Instagram, it is time to inculcate this feature into your marketing strategy and gain more reach and traffic. As the marketing strategies are ever-changing and evolving, it’s time to adapt and use these features to reach out to your audience.
