How To Use Instagram Guides

July 7th, 2021 by Socially Powerful

Instagram launched in 2010 as a visually-focused platform. Instagram’s features disrupted the social media scene and sparked a photo-editing and styling movement. Since then, Instagram has added in video but has maintained it’s one-off visual experiences. However, this has led marketers to wonder how they are able to provide context to their audiences.

Typically, marketers will focus on using long captions, Stories or creative posts to create a content series. However, Instagram has introduced new features to introduce long-form content.

The Instagram Guides feature was introduced to Instagram in 2020 but has slipped under the radar for many users. It was introduced alongside Instagram Live, Shops, Reels and a new home screen, so it’s introduction wasn’t as impactful or noticed as it could have been.

Ironically, Instagram Guides were designed to help content get noticed even when not posting at the best time to post on Instagram.

What are Instagram Guides?

Guides on Instagram are a combination of Instagram carousels and traditional blog posts. Instagram Guides can either be made using pre-existing and published posts, places or product listings from a creator or brand’s account. In a similar way to a blog post Instagram Guides include a cover image, title, introduction and optional descriptions.

Instagram Guides are a new tool for content discovery. They include a string of consecutive Instagram posts that can reintroduce helpful information to your audience.

The new Instagram feature was initially created for users to showcase travel inspiration, but as worldwide COVID restrictions were put into place, Instagram Guides launched with a wellness theme.

Once Guides are created, they appear in a dedicated Guides tab on an account’s profile. The Guides can be shared in Instagram Stories or direct messages to increase Instagram engagement. Guides can be edited and have content added or removed whenever the account owner desires, making inspiration Guides very easy to update with the newest content.

Furthermore, since the introduction of Instagram Shop, Guides are now a featured tab within the Shops section. Users can browse through curated Guides from both influencers and brands.

Examples of Instagram Guides

Influencer Instagram Guides

Fashion, lifestyle and sustainable influencer Chloe Plumstead uses Guides to share tips and recommendations with her followers. She has created Guides to help her followers decorate rented spaces—which included links to her own pre-existing content—and her favourite sustainable and independent brands. For these she was able to drive further engagement to her existing content and remind her audience of affiliate discount codes she had been given by brands mentioned.

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A post shared by Chloe Plumstead (@chloeplumstead)

Influencer Sophie Floyd has used Guides to curate the jewellery items in a collaboration with jewellery brand Staxx. The Guide provided direct links to products so her audience were able to make a purchase directly from Instagram. To further support the collaboration, Staxx also created a Guide to showcase the products created with Sophie.

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A post shared by sophie floyd (@sophfloyd)

Wellness and fitness nutritionist Cameron Edwards used Guides to curate her favourite non-toxic, reusable and sustainable home products. All items were shoppable products within the platform.

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A post shared by Cameron Edwards (@camiedwards)

Brand Instagram Guides

GoPro used Guides to give their audience a starter-pack of all the items they will need for outdoor activities when using a GoPro camera. The Guides feature a range of products to show how users are able to purchase everything they need for a trip from GoPro.

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A post shared by GoPro UK (@goprouk)

Book publishers Random House used Guides to curate book recommendations from Black authors. As part of Black History Month, the publishers amplified the work of talented authors for new readers to discover.

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A post shared by Random House (@randomhouse)

The Body Shop are active Guide users and have created different Guides for specific calendar holidays (Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day) in addition to general skincare Guides. They educate their audiences by using Guides to explain their products, while providing shoppable links.

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A post shared by The Body Shop Official (@thebodyshop)

How to Make Instagram Guides

As previously mentioned, there are three types of Instagram Guides users are able to create: posts, products and places.

How to create an Instagram Guide with posts

From your profile, click the plus symbol in the upper right corner and select “Guide”.
Tap Posts and select a post from your feed or a saved post published by another public account.
Tap Next and add a Guide title and description. You can also choose to change your cover photo.
Tap Add Posts and repeat steps 4–8 until your guide is complete.
Tap Next in the upper right corner. Tap Share.

How to create an Instagram Guide with products

From your profile, click the plus symbol in the upper right corner and select “Guide”.
Tap Product and search by account for the product listing you’d like to include. If you’ve saved the product to your wishlist, you can find it there also.
Tap Next and add a Guide title and description. You can also choose to change your cover photo.
Tap Add Products and repeat steps 4–8 until your guide is complete. You can include multiple posts for a single entry if available and they will be displayed like a carousel.
Tap Next in the upper right corner. Tap Share.

How to create an Instagram Guide with places

From your profile, click the plus symbol in the upper right corner and select “Guide”.
Tap Place and search for a place by geotag, in your saved folder, or use one of your pre-published posts. If you search by geotag, select the post you would like to include.
Tap Next and add a Guide title and description. You can also choose to change your cover photo. Double check the pre-populated place name, and edit as needed.
Tap Add Places and repeat steps 4–8 until your guide is complete.
Tap Next in the upper right corner. Tap Share.

Tip: If you would like to include specific images in a place guide, create a folder for them first. For this to work, these posts must include geotags.

FAQ’s

What are Instagram Guides?

What are the benefits of Instagram Guides?

Instagram Guides allow users to curate interesting, informative or creative content in one place. Guides can be used to showcase product collaborations between influencers and brands, including providing shoppable links to increase sales. Guides can also help drive engagement to pre-existing content that may not have initially performed as well as it could have; a Guide could remind a user about the content and they will re-engage.

Do Instagram guides show on feed?

Instagram Guides do not show in Instagram feeds. They have their own dedicated tab under an Instagram account’s profile. They are shareable within Instagram Stories or through direct messages.

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@ Socially Powerful

Posted in Social Media Marketing News, Social Media Platforms