Do you feel like you put a lot of effort into Instagram but your engagement rates are mediocre?

Not sure how to better connect with your audience?

In this post, we will offer you 18 new Instagram post ideas that will delight your audience, increase engagement rates, and be hard to resist for your audience to re-share.

You’ll know these new post ideas are working when you see an increase in engagement, followers, and conversions. Sounds so good, right!?

The average Instagram user is on the platform for about 30 minutes per day. So let’s jump in and explore how you can capture the attention of all of these current and potential consumers on Instagram.

Behind the Scenes

Your audience wants to feel part of your brand. Instagram is a great place to give them the warm and fuzzies. 

Videos and photos of your company culture and how your business operates humanizes your brand. And who doesn’t crave more human connections?

You can also show how your products are made.

User-Generated Content

User-generated content offers social proof. Showcasing a happy consumer’s posts about their experience with your brand can put your brand in a positive light and since it’s a consumer’s content, it doesn’t come across like a sales pitch.

We love user-generated content here at Rossman Media and you can read a whole post on the best practices here.

Exclusive Discounts

Occasionally posting Instagram-only discounts can entice more people to follow your brand. It goes back to FOMO and will make people feel like if they don’t follow your brand on Instagram they’ll miss out on some great deals.

One strategy we recommend is to use your email marketing to announce to your audience that they need to follow you on Instagram so that they don’t miss any fantastic discounts.

Weekly Tips

Tips pertaining to your industry are quick to create but are highly engaging.

When filling in your editorial calendar, pick a day of the week in which you’ll share a tip every week so that your audience can count on it.

A Social Cause that Aligns with Your Brand

Consumers are increasingly becoming cause-minded. They love when brands match their enthusiasm for the greater good.

Join a cause and promote it on your Instagram.

Employee Features

Feature a different employee every week.

This can be a photo with a caption or a video. Keep it interesting and don’t just talk about what they do professionally but extract some fun information that makes them unique.

This is just another way that you can make your audience feel like they are part of your brand.

FAQs

You know the questions that get asked a lot about your product or service. Feature some of these questions in Instagram posts with the answers to these questions.

Chances are if you are hearing certain questions a lot, your current audience may have these questions too.

Tutorials

Show how your product solves pain points through tutorials.

Many consumers check out a brand’s social media channels before making a purchase decision and if you have helpful posts on your Instagram channel, you may just land some new consumers.

New Product Launches

Back to making your audience feel like by being a follower of your brand, they’re going to feel like they have exclusive access.

Before a product launch, excite your audience with a sneak preview and maybe even an early discount. 

Showcase an Influencer’s Experience With Your Brand

Influencer marketing is powerful but you’ll get the most leverage out of it if you promote influencer-generate content.

Partner with influencers to create awesome videos showcasing their experience with your brand and post them on your Instagram.

Ask Questions Pertaining to Your Brand

Polling your audience is not only a great way to gain business insights, it’s also a way to increase engagement rates.

Ask your audience questions that align with your brand for a great Instagram-focused conversation. 

Make them feel heard when they weigh in!

Engaging Quotes

Make an aesthetically pleasing graphic with a quote each week. People love to be inspired or humored so just have fun with it.

You don’t need to be a graphic designer for this strategy, Canva makes it really easy to create quote graphics for Instagram.

Statistics

People like making decisions based on data.

If you post industry-related statistics, these posts will resonate with the logical side of your audience.

Sometimes just one data point can move someone through the buyer’s journey.

Blog Content Teasers

When you post a blog post, announce it to your Instagram audience. Use the image you used in your blog post, write a little caption and direct your audience to the link in your bio to check out the blog post.

Thank Your Customers

You wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for your customers supporting your brand. Publicly thank them to show your appreciation and to portray a positive vibe at your company.

With their permission, you can post a photo of them and a story about their experience with your brand.

Giveaways

Giveaways on Instagram can increase followers and engagement rather quickly.

The gist is that you offer a chance to win something from your brand by performing certain actions such as following your brand on Instagram, inviting their friends to follow you, posting the giveaway on their own Instagram channel, etc.

We have a guide to running giveaways on social here.

Feature Like-Minded Brands

Give shout-outs to brands that align with your brand. Those brands may return the favor on their own Instagram channels which will expand your audience.

Social Media Holidays

There are so many fun holidays that you can post about on your Instagram channel. From National Donut Day to National Women’s Day, have fun with these holidays.

Don’t know when social media holidays are coming up? Here is a complete list.

Have a good post idea for Instagram that we didn’t cover? We’d love to read your insights in the comments below!