Some people may see Instagram as a place to post their holiday snaps or stalk their ex from years ago. But if you’re an aspiring creator, it’s important to view it as much more than that. Your Instagram grid not only shows off your personality, but it also acts as your portfolio and the place where brands you may want to work with get their first impression of you.
Stories capture immediate everyday moments, but grid posts have a permanent place on your profile. A strong, focused feed tells visitors who you are and why they should stick around.
But knowing exactly what to post can be a little bit confusing. Fortunately, there are certain themes that are pretty much sure-fire hits. If you’re running out of ideas, read these.
1. Introduce yourself
Never assume everyone knows who you are. You’re (hopefully!) getting new followers all the time, so reintroducing yourself is never a bad shout. Post an introduction to yourself (even if you previously did so at the beginning of your journey), what you create, and what followers can expect from your account. It’s also a good idea to do this if you’re branching out from your niche. Influencer Holly Gabrielle, for example, made her name with a study-focused YouTube account, but she has slowly changed her focus to fitness. Here she reintroduces herself on Instagram.
2. Before-and-after transformations
Transformation posts naturally encourage people to stop scrolling. And although fitness influencers regularly post before-and-after shots, they don’t have to be purely aesthetic. If you’re a drawing influencer, show the blank page before you make your next piece. If you’re a beauty influencer, do a before-and-after hair or nail shot. You could post a personal development transformation, too, like founder Verity Park did to mark her 32nd birthday.
3. Create a carousel tutorial
Carousel posts let you break down information into easy-to-digest slides. They’re perfect for teaching a skill or explaining your creative process one step at a time. “A carousel lets you pack more content into a single post without overwhelming your audience,” Colleen Christison writes for Hootsuite. Lauren Kay, for example, regularly posts carousels that show the process of applying to a book agent. Here she posts about the “unhinged” things she did to get her book deal.
4. Answer a frequently asked question
If followers keep asking the same thing, turn the answer into a post. It saves time, and it will also always be on your feed. Author Anam Iqbal, for example, answers how she landed a publishing deal with Penguin Random House and pins it to the top of her feed.
5. Post a Reel to your feed
Reels have taken over Instagram. They’re a great way to bring people to your profile, but they can also have a permanent place on your feed. Grace Beverley, for example, regularly posts video content on her main feed to update her followers on her new business ventures.
6. Tell a personal story
Stories draw people in, so why not use your Instagram feed to tell your viewers something personal? Whether in Reel or post form, it can be a great way to connect with people. Influencer James Warnock, for example, has a story about how his dad’s unexpected death changed his outlook on life pinned to the top of his page.
7. Share your routine
Morning routines, “what I eat in a day,” editing workflows – all of these routines give your followers an insight into your daily life and make great posts for your feed. They don’t have to be your everyday life either. Influencer Ruby Granger gave her followers some insight into what she got up to on her birthday with this post.
8. Share your work
You may be a chef, a writer, or a knitter. Whatever your talent, your Instagram feed is a great place to showcase your work. Photographer Alex Cameron uses her feed to showcase her headshots, while comedians such as Ania Magliano post segments from their live sets.
9. Do a “dump” on what you’ve been up to
Another use of the carousel feature is to update people on what you’ve been up to recently. Influencer Crip an Dip used it to post her food highlights from one month, while Lucy Watson posted a dump from her family holiday.
10. Tease a big announcement
If you’ve got something major coming up, a grid post is a good way to build excitement. Elizabeth Day recently posted a teaser for her podcast, How to Fail, prompting people in the comments to guess what she may be gearing up to announce.
11. Use it to store important information
Have an important date you don’t want people to forget? A feed post is the perfect place to mark it. Comedians like Joe Kent-Walters do grid posts to update people on their tour dates, while author Annie Lord posted a picture to show when her new novel is coming out.
12. Milestone update
If you reach a follower milestone or have a big life event, post about it! Misha Grimes’ grief community page, Just Grieve, did a grid post to mark reaching 20,000 followers, while Faye Ellaby showed off her recent wedding with a post.
Remember: Instagram is a visual app, so get your creative brain working and think about how to present your feed.
Keep these things in mind:
- Always lead with a strong first image.
- Write captions to be inclusive.
- Post consistently (both visually and most days).
- Encourage conversation by ending your captions with a question.
- Use hashtags on your posts to reach new audiences.