January 4, 2023
The Top 23 Instagram Tips Every Brand Should Master in 2023
Get ready to be ahead of the curve on Instagram in 2023 with these 23 Instagram tips and best practices that will set you up for success.
If there’s one thing all social media managers know for sure, it’s that Instagram is constantly changing. (And that there will always be an endless supply of Adam Mosseri Reels.) We’re going to let you in on a secret… there are a few bulletproof tips and best practices you can follow to ensure your brand’s success on the platform.
We’ve assembled them all here for you and divided them out based on content type. These tips come straight from STN Digital’s social strategists and best practices we use with our clients.
Of course, the most obvious tip is to ramp up your Instagram Reels strategy. You can read more on how to do that in our blog here. However, a successful strategy also includes static carousel posts and IG Stories to fuel engagement.
In this article, we’ll outline all of the Instagram tips you’ll need to focus on in 2023.
Let’s get started:
Tips for Instagram Reels
- Get clear on your Reel’s purpose. Is it to be entertaining and fun? To educate users on issues important to your brand? Or maybe you want it to be inspiring or experimental? Whatever your purpose, make sure you’ve identified it ahead of time and your Reels will be much more successful.
- Keep Reels between 7-15 seconds for maximum engagement.
- Incorporate trending audio and sounds in your Reels.
- Always add captions if someone is speaking.
- Turn your Story highlights into Reels.
- Create original content for the platform; don’t download TikTok videos with watermarks and post as a Reel (it’s not 2020 anymore).
- Consider how a static post could be turned into a short form video to maximize the algorithm boost Reels are seeing.
Interested in learning more? Read: How to Make Reels that Actually Stand Out
Tips for Static Images / Carousel Posts
- If you’re posting a static image, include it in a carousel with a CTA in the caption to boost engagement.
- Try utilizing Instagram’s new feature where you can add music to your static image.
- Make sure your photos are high resolution, user friendly, and consistent with your brand.
Tips for Instagram Stories
- Utilize Story features like polls and questions to encourage more engagement with followers.
- Use Instagram Stories to share behind-the-scenes content and give your followers a glimpse into your brand. This can help to build a personal connection with your audience and make your account more relatable.
- Use link features in Stories to direct users back to your website.
- Encourage others to tag you in their Stories and repost those that your brand is tagged in.
Tips on Type of Content
- Focus on authenticity. Your content should look genuine rather than heavily branded.
- Research what is trending and how it could be applicable to your brand.
- Utilize UGC whenever possible. Learn more about how brands can do that here.
- Test different types of content to know what works best for your brand and post consistently.
- Use a consistent color scheme, filter, and editing style in your posts to create a cohesive aesthetic for your account. This will make your profile more visually appealing and help you to stand out from other accounts. See the example below from brand Glossier.
Tips on Engagement
- Engage with other users by liking and commenting on their posts. This will help to build your community and create connections with those engaging with your brand’s content.
- Collaborate with other accounts, brands, and influencers in your niche to reach a larger audience and gain more exposure for your brand.
- Consider running paid advertisements on Instagram to reach a wider audience and promote your account to users who may not already follow you.
- Instagram is known for boosting engagement of content that utilizes their new features. So, try testing out their latest updates like adding music to static image posts in feeds or new audio trends on Reels.
Ratios and Sizing on Instagram
- Stories/Reels: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16)
- Portrait: 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5)
✨STN preferred size for feed✨ - Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1)
- Landscape: 1080 x 566 pixels (1.91:1)
- Supported aspect ratios:
Anywhere between 2:1 and 4:5
- Recommended image size:
Width of 1080 pixels,
Height between 566 and 1350 pixels
Tips:
- Static: JPG / PNG
- Motion: MP4 / MOV
- Max file size of 4MB
- IG Stories – 15 second video max
- IG Reels – 60 seconds video max