Every Instagram Marketing Tip, Template, Tool, & Example You Need

Over 200 million businesses are on Instagram marketing their brand, connecting with customers, and more. Are you one of them? With this complete Instagram marketing guide, you can be!

While Instagram marketing sounds a lot easier said than done, it can be well worth it to take the time to get up and running on this flourishing social platform. Many Instagram users are constantly on the lookout for new brands to follow and buy from, making it the perfect outlet for your promotional content.

That’s why we’re covering everything you need to know to get started with Instagram marketing, and how you can optimize your strategy using free tools, templates, and more.

Contents

• What is Instagram marketing?
• Why market on Instagram?
• Types of Instagram posts
• How to get started with Instagram marketing
• Our top Instagram marketing tips
• Instagram marketing examples
• Free Instagram marketing tools
• Free Instagram marketing post templates

What is Instagram marketing?

Instagram marketing is the practice of using the social media platform, Instagram, to grow your business through tactics like organic (a.k.a. free) posts, Reels, Stories, follower interactions, account partnerships and more.

Instagram has different feeds available that allow users to browse and discover image and video content, which is how your customers can connect with your business on the app.

An example Instagram feed.

🧩 Instagram marketing is just one piece of your business’s brand awareness puzzle. Download our definitive guide to brand awareness to get more top strategies and examples for business growth.

What’s the difference between Instagram marketing and Instagram advertising?

Instagram marketing includes all your free, organic efforts on Instagram.

Instagram advertising is done through the Meta Ads platform and requires campaign budgets to pay for your ad placements across the Instagram network. That said, though, you can always “boost” a single organic Instagram post with a smaller, one-time budget—which can be done directly from the Instagram platform.

Unlike organic Instagram posts, Instagram Ads and boosted posts will have a “sponsored” line as well as a CTA button attached to them, like the above example.

While Instagram marketing might still require some budget to really take off, it’s generally cheaper than Instagram advertising—making it a no-brainer for every business type out there.

However, Instagram advertising allows you to tap into more audiences that might not necessarily be following your business but are more likely to convert into customers. That’s why it’s best to use a combination of both Instagram marketing and advertising to maximize your brand’s success on the platform.

You can learn more about Instagram advertising here, but for this post, we’ll be focusing on Instagram marketing. After all, your Instagram ads will be more impactful if you have your Instagram marketing solidified first.

💡 Already running ads on Meta? See how they’re doing using our free, instant Facebook Ads Grader!

Why market on Instagram?

Marketing on Instagram is a low-cost option for growth that any business can take advantage of. Aside from that, though, there are tons of other benefits to Instagram marketing. Consider these Instagram facts and statistics.

Instagram holds a captive audience

Instagram has a captive audience ready to pay attention to your business’s marketing. In fact, users spend about 34 minutes daily and 12 hours monthly on Instagram on average—which is part of the reason why Instagram marketing is such a popular strategy.

Instagram users like to interact with businesses

Did you know that 20% of Instagram users visit a business profile every single day? 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business on the platform. Not only that, but 33% of the most popular Instagram stories are shared by business accounts.

Instagram isn’t just favored for brand discovery, either, as you can use the platform to address customer pain points and improve the overall customer experience your business provides. In fact, 72% of Gen Z consumers are most likely to use Instagram for customer service over any other platform.

Instagram users are ready to convert

Instagram is the most popular platform for product discovery, with 60% of people saying they discover new products on Instagram. 29% of Instagram users make purchases directly from the platform, and 36% of people say they use Instagram as a search tool like they would Google.

Needless to say, Instagram users are ready to convert. 87% of Instagram users take action, like visiting a website or making a purchase, after seeing a business’s Instagram post.

Your competitors are likely already marketing on Instagram

Odds are, your competitors are already finding success on Instagram. After all, Instagram is the third most popular social platform and the fourth most visited site in the world. Over 80% of small businesses market their brand on Instagram, and 29% of businesses say Instagram yields them the highest marketing ROI.

Types of Instagram posts

There are a few types of Instagram posts your business can use to market to potential customers. Let’s review:

• Standard Instagram image posts: The original Instagram post type, which requires an image in order to be published.
• Instagram Reels: A short-form video post type that can be up to 3 minutes long.
• Carousel posts: This post type can be a combination of up to 20 different images and videos in a row that viewers can swipe through.
• Stories: Stories are a temporary style of an image or video post that only stays up for 24 hours. They are accessible by clicking on an account’s profile picture. However, note that you can also save a story as a “highlight” that stays at the top of your page. Or, you can go live on your story, too, and save any live footage as a story later. Check out some Instagram story ideas here.

All Instagram post types allow you to add a caption, hashtags, music, location, stickers, user tags, and more.

Where can your Instagram posts show up?

All your Instagram posts (no matter the format) will be shown in your followers’ home feeds, which will look like the example we saw above.

Your business’s posts and Reels can also appear on the Instagram explore page, where people can view your content regardless of whether they follow you or not.

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Your Reels can also be viewed by both followers and non-followers in the Reels tab. The Reels tab is where users can scroll through Reels similarly to TikTok.

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Instagram post sizes and specs

With so many options and flexibility when it comes to Instagram post placements, the sizing and specs you should aim for when creating images and videos will vary. Here’s a breakdown of Instagram sizing:

• Instagram profile photo: 320 x 320 px
• Instagram square image posts: 1080 x 1080 px
• Instagram landscape image posts: 1080 x 566 px
• Instagram portrait image posts: 1080 x 1350 px
• Instagram Stories and Reels: 1080 x 1920 px
• Instagram Reel cover image size: 420 x 654 px

As a bonus, if you want to plan out your profile tiles for a top-tier account aesthetic, try testing out how your images might look in the 161 x 161 px thumbnail size.

Note that there is also some flexibility with sizing on Instagram. For example, the Instagram profile picture minimum size is technically 110 x 110 px. Or, when creating a carousel post of images and videos slides in different sizes, there’s a square button that allows you to opt to have the slides stay in their original sizes rather than being automatically cropped to the same size.

Instagram also tends to compress images in posts that are uploaded in a larger file size than allowed, so try saving your Instagram content files in the most compact format possible without sacrificing quality. Read on for some tools to help with this.

How to get started with Instagram marketing

Ready to jumpstart your business’s Instagram marketing journey? Follow these six steps.

1. Create your Instagram business account

There are two ways you can create a new Instagram account. The first option is navigating to www.instagram.com directly and following the prompts to create an account. Alternatively, you could download the Instagram app and sign up that way.

For either of these two options, you could also sync your Facebook account to have your new Instagram account loaded up with your Facebook profile details. If you want to go this route, you’ll need an account set up on Meta via https://business.facebook.com/.

There’s no right or wrong account creation option, and they’re all equally popular, so it depends on what might be best for your Instagram marketing needs. For example, if your business is already well established on Facebook, it may be easiest to just sync your Facebook page. Or, maybe you’re launching a full Meta marketing strategy for a new brand, in which case you might want to get set up via the Meta Business Manager first.

Once you have your account, be sure it’s set as a business Instagram account by clicking the “edit profile” button at the top of your account’s page. Tap the switch to professional account prompt at the bottom of the edit profile page. From there, you can follow the prompts to select a category for your business, add contact details, and so on.

Here are some example Instagram business accounts to get some ideas of how to arrange your own account.

2. Decide what to track and set your goals

Your Instagram marketing goals will help you determine what types of Instagram content you want to focus on, how much of your marketing budget will be put towards your strategy, and more. The SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) goal structure can guide your Instagram goal planning during this step.

You might also want to check out industry benchmarks to see the average performance for key Instagram metrics in your industry.

Here are some Instagram marketing metrics to consider including in your goals:

• Likes: Total number of users who clicked the “heart” button on your post.
• Comments: Total number of users who commented on your post.
• Shares: Total number of times a user sent your post to other users via Instagram direct messages.
• Saves: Total number of users who saved your content to their archives.
• Views: The number of times your post or reel was displayed on a user’s screen.
• Profile visits: Total number of times users visited your business’s Instagram profile.
• Reach: Total number of unique accounts that saw your Instagram content at least once.
• Follower count: The number of accounts that follow your business’s page. Ideally, you want more or roughly the same number of accounts to be following you as you follow, known as your follower ratio. This makes your brand appear more desirable.

Of course, there are a ton of other actions and engagements you can track to measure your Instagram marketing results—don’t forget about end-goal conversions like website visits, sales, or leads. The point is to add a bit of structure to your strategy here.

3. Identify your target audience

Now that you know your big picture goals for your Instagram marketing strategy, you can start thinking about who you want to tailor your content to. Check out some target market examples, and don’t be afraid to creep on your competitors’ or ideal customers’ follower and following lists. That way, you can get an idea of what types of users might see your Instagram content and how to adjust your messaging accordingly.

4. Plan your posts

Time to start brainstorming what to post when. A social media marketing calendar can come in handy during this step. You may need to factor in seasonality, upcoming product launches, events, promotions, and sales to get your post ideation and planning off the ground.

📆  Download this free marketing calendar template here!

5. Create and publish your posts

This is arguably the most fun step in the Instagram marketing process: executing on your posts! You can click the plus sign at the bottom center of your Instagram screen to start posting.

Instagram allows you to create posts ahead of time and save them as drafts, or you can use third-party tools and marketing partners to do the heavy lifting for you when it comes to post creation, scheduling and optimization.

6. Track your performance

As you continue to post and engage on Instagram to promote your business, you’ll need to keep a close eye on how everything is going. You’ll probably want to use third-party tools and marketing partners for complete Instagram reports, but the first place you should go during this step is directly into the dashboard of creator tools offered within the platform.

From there, you can click into a few different insights pages.

Our top Instagram marketing tips

Once you get up and running on Instagram, keep these tips in mind.

Be active and engage with content

A critical step in the Instagram marketing process is interacting with your followers and the people you want to follow you.

If you’re already posting follow-worthy content, then start liking, commenting, and following others. For instance, search popular hashtags and like away! Write complimentary comments on people’s posts and repost from others to gain attention.

Pro tip: You can opt to get notifications when accounts you’re targeting share a new post, so you can interact with it sooner rather than later.

Test out different types of content

You might find that certain post types resonate best with different audiences. Don’t be afraid to flex your content and test as needed. For example, Reels tend to double your reach as opposed to standard posts. So, if you’re prioritizing reach, you could post more Reels instead of image posts.

Set up an Instagram Shop

For businesses promoting products, an Instagram Shop is a quick and easy way to sell on Instagram. Users can click on your Instagram Shop to make purchases without having to leave the platform. You can learn more about Instagram Shops and how to set them up here.

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Sync your Instagram strategy with other marketing channels

Consider how your Instagram marketing could impact your other promotional channels, and vice versa. For example, you’ll likely want to be promoting your business’s Instagram account across other placements like your website, YouTube channel, and more. Additionally, always be thinking about how you can recycle other marketing materials into Instagram posts.

You should be striving to provide a seamless cross-channel experience for your potential customers, so be sure that whatever you’re posting on Instagram aligns with what you’re promoting elsewhere.

Use hashtags carefully

Hashtags can be a game-changer when you’re trying to get found on Instagram. However, there are some outdated hashtag practices you’ll want to avoid. It’s best to prioritize only the most popular or relevant hashtags in your post captions, as stuffing your captions with tons of custom hashtags is a thing of the past.

Not only that, but you might consider moving your hashtags down in your post caption so they’re not as apparent. Today, users are much more aware of how hashtags help businesses gain more traction on social media. Using them too prominently in your post captions could come off a bit “desperate” for views and likes.

Try using AI

There are a ton of different ways you can use AI to optimize your Instagram creative, brainstorm captions, and more. Whether you’re using the Meta AI features within the Instagram platform or trying out third-party AI tools, be sure to give any AI-generated content an extra edit manually to maintain brand consistency and credibility.

10 Instagram marketing examples

If you need some Instagram marketing inspiration, check out what these 10 businesses are posting on Instagram.

1. Burr Law Offices

This legal practice leans into popular hashtags and relatable content to attract its target clients.

2. Reverie Hair Co

This personal services brand shows it cares about its employees with custom Instagram image posts.

3. The Dental Bar

The Dental Bar has a well-built profile that includes pinned posts and Story highlights.

4. Sorella Sunless Tan & Permanent Jewelry

This small business Instagram account promotes its BOGO deals in an interactive way by enticing users to swipe through the below carousel post for more information.

5. OB Health and Fitness

You can always feature customer testimonials in your Instagram marketing content, like OB Health and Fitness did in its podcast-style Reel below.

6. Suffolk University

This higher education organization showcases alumni highlights in its posts to remind potential students and families of the success they could find post-graduation.

7. Wally’s New Hampshire

This funny Instagram marketing example shows how a business account can have fun with captions while remaining promotional.

8. Eastern Boarder

You can leverage Instagram marketing to boost your employer branding, like this brand did with its high-quality image post about open positions.

9. Sugarloaf Mountain Resort

This story example is the perfect instance of how a business can give a behind-the-scenes look at its products or services via Instagram.

10. The Goat Bar & Restaurant

The Goat has a well put together profile, complete with a cool username, along with keywords and locations listed in its Instagram bio.

Free Instagram marketing tools

Need help with your Instagram marketing? That’s okay—you’re not alone! Most businesses do use some form of Instagram marketing assistance as it can be a huge undertaking. Luckily, there are a ton of free and low-cost Instagram marketing tools out there for you to take advantage of, like these ones below.

Meta Instagram Creator hub

Meta has its own Instagram marketing hub for businesses and creators looking to get started on the platform.

WordStream copy-and-paste social media marketing calendar

Check out this free social media marketing calendar template, complete with hashtags and post ideas, need-to-know statistics, and more to help you build out your Instagram marketing strategy for the whole year.

Canva

Canva is a go-to for many Instagram marketers looking to create and edit post content, since it offers tons of easy-to-use design features, AI-powered creative optimizations, free post templates, and more.

Hootsuite Instagram hashtag generator

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to come up with buzzworthy hashtags, this free hashtag generator might be just what you need.

Instasize

Instasize gives you the ability to map out your Instagram post images and videos to various placements.

Free Instagram marketing post templates

Use these free Instagram post templates to start creating ASAP!

Get the templates here.

Jumpstart your #winning Instagram marketing strategy

Instagram marketing is a lot to tackle, but if you follow these strategic steps to success and lean on the right tools, tips, and examples along the way, you can set your business up to be an Instagram star. For more assistance jumpstarting your Instagram marketing campaigns, see how our solutions can help!