A strategic Instagram content plan is the best way to create engaging and relevant content for brands and businesses. An IG content strategy helps you create better content faster.
This article will teach you how to create an Instagram Content Plan that is strategic for your business. It’s easier than you thought and takes less time.
Create Your Instagram Content Plan
Do you agree that every great plan begins with research? You should do research before you invest any time in building an Instagram business account.
Do not worry, this doesn’t have to be a painful process. Consider it an opportunity to get everything in order.
It is easy to conduct research. Answer these questions to begin.
What are the actions of your competitors and industry leaders?
What resources or assets do you have to produce or repurpose content in your organization?
What is your main goal for the next quarter?
How often should you post?
After you have answered these questions, you can proceed to the next phase of planning. Document data when researching competitors or industries. You will be able to set realistic goals and benchmarks based on industry standards. The data that I would collect from at least 10 similar accounts includes:
- Account URL
- Posts
- Average Number of Posts per Month
- Number of Followers
- The Following Numbers
- Link to the Post with the Highest Engagement
- Feed Observations
You will have a solid foundation to plan. It will also help you to answer the above questions intelligently.
Plan Your Instagram Content Strategy
After you have peeled back the onion, you are in a good position to create a strategy for Instagram content. Most people will start designing at this stage.
Step on the brakes and Take a Breather
A strategic feed is about more than pretty pictures. The image should be the last thing on your feed. We do it a lot, so you can trust us.
Let’s not worry about aesthetics, but rather how the content you create will impact your business. You can now create a feed to support your primary goal. There are nuances to consider, but in general, your Instagram account is likely to have one of these primary goals:
- Build Awareness
- Build Authority
- Drive Sales
- Amplify your Influence
We like to create prompt patterns based on your goals. These prompt patterns will help you create a feed that tells a story and supports your business goals while taking into consideration realistic production capabilities. Ampfluence’s Social Calendar offers prompt types that you can use to design strategic feed patterns. Check out the below.
After you have created a prompt pattern, you can outline your content. Remember that you can repeat this process each month, quarter or year. Imagine it.
Establish Your Visual Identity
Establishing your visual identity via Instagram can be more difficult if you don’t have a brand guideline or lookbook. However, it is still possible. Start with what’s already there. If you already have a logo, color scheme and font, that would be a great place to start.
Your visual identity should also be consistent with your other branding assets, such as your website, your business cards or car stickers.
You’ll want to choose a theme or design motif at this stage. This process is described in a post we created a few years ago. You can find that post here. This post also includes some really good examples.
Prepare your calendar assets
Many people will tell that you can create a calendar of content using a software or tool. The opposite is actually true. You’ll be hunched over your computer all day if you try to install software before you have created your assets.
Use your prompts instead to create captions and images. Asking yourself these questions will help you create context for each design.
What is the value of this post to me?
What is the overall goal of this post?
What can I do to make my piece more creative?
This simple guide will help you to get the job done in less time if you have a copywriter, designer or team. Fewer edits = shorter production cycle.
Create Instagram captions before publishing
It is important to prepare assets before using a scheduling tool. When writing a caption for Instagram, there are a few things to remember.
1. Draft a few ideas
Instagram posts are ranked by the number of comments and likes. It is best to use another platform for writing drafts. You can edit your draft more easily before publishing, so you’ll be sure to get the caption right.
2. Start with the most important information
Instagram reduces the caption to 3-4 lines. You should put the most important information at the top of the page. You can also share exclusive offers, use interesting statistics or captions to evoke emotional reactions, or provoke your followers.
3. Include a call-to-action (CTA).
Include a CTA within your headline to get your audience’s attention. Your post’s goal will determine the type of CTA you use. You can ask your followers to share the post, tag a few friends or follow guidelines for a contest.
4. Limit the number hashtags
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags. Use at least 5-10 relevant hashtags to your topic. If the hashtag fits the sentence you are writing, then it can be included in the description. Otherwise, put the #hashtag at the end.
5. Change the voice of your Brand
Always keep in mind that you should always use a consistent tone and approach in your posts. This will allow you to reach a larger audience on Instagram.
6. Use emojis
Emojis can be used to draw attention to a message and are accessible to most smartphone users. Emojis are used by most brands around the world because they’re available.
7. Promote your Instagram account on other social media networks
Tweedledum & Tweedledee Use descriptions to promote other accounts to encourage followers to subscribe to your YouTube account, follow you on social networks and visit your site.
8. Keep it brief and clear
Your posts may be longer or shorter depending on the number of followers. Your captions should include the most important information and be organized to make it easy to read.
Use our Caption Catalog to create captions. This catalog contains a few thousand captions to save you time, eliminate doubt, and increase your Instagram influence.
Create Instagram Layouts
We have provided a few examples of how to create a layout for Instagram.
Simple Grid
Upload images using the grid according to your requirements. Keep your filter and color consistent to make sure that you post stands out.
Check out Michele Blanchard Instagram profile. She is a photographer who posts a variety of images, from bright to dark.
Diagonal Grid
A diagonal grid follows an object diagonally. It’s easy to preview and creates an overall sense of simplicity and balance.
Instagram’s feed was used as an example, since it has a diagonal grid that is a good reference.
Grid of Picture Quotes
A picture-quote grid’s idea is to create a visual contrast, which can be enhanced by combining an image-quote arrangement. The picture-quote grid provides a double focus of the content while leaving space between images. This layout is perfect if you need to highlight certain posts or have less content.
A grid of picture quotes is used in the profile for young female entrepreneurs.
Rainbow Grid
Photographers or those who are interested in art, photography and other visual media may find it useful to mimic rainbow lines.
Danielle has only recently joined Instagram, but her first few posts are perfect!
Get creative and explore the many layout options. The team’s brainstorming and research can help you come up with unique and appealing posts that will promote your brand. After you’ve planned the layout, it’s time to prepare the written content.
Plan and schedule Instagram posts
After everything has been set up, the next step is to plan and schedule all your Instagram posts. Below are some tools for scheduling Instagram Posts.
Canva
Canva Pro has a content planning feature. This is a one-stop-shop where you can create your Instagram layout and schedule your Instagram posts.
Canva is simple to use, even for beginners! Why not give it a go?
Then,
Later works with Instagram and Pinterest. It also supports Facebook and Twitter.
Later offers free up to 30 scheduled postings per month for free users. This is great news if you post once every day. If you’re looking to add video to content, then you need to upgrade to a premium plan.
Agorapulse
Agorapulse assures that its host of publishing features will make it easy to publish content and maximize ROI.
Start a free trial of their platform to determine if it fits your brand. You should always try to find the best way to plan Instagram content.
How to create Instagram content that your audience will love
It’s not easy to create content that your audience will love. Empathy, creativity and social value are required. Don’t let this challenge stop you.
You’re already in the game, so why not go all the way?
Here are some ways to get inside your audience’s head and create content that they will gravitate toward.
Discover Your Community
Before planning Instagram content, it is important to learn about the audience that follows you. Check out the list of followers and each account. Attention should be paid to followers who have a large number of followers. Check out their bios to get a better idea of who they are. This simple research will give you a better idea of what content to create.
Instagram Insights is another way to find out the demographics of your followers. Remember that demographic data about your followers is crucial to the Instagram marketing strategy. This is the most important information to know in order to determine what type of content will appeal to them.
Marketers rarely discuss the keywords of their audiences. Create a profile of your audience to help you remember the type of content that should be posted.
Manage collaborators centrally
If user-generated-content (UGC) is your thing, or if you work with photographers to make your feed stand out, keeping track of all the media may be a bit of a challenge.
Many marketers use multiple media sources. You run the risk that you will post the same image more than once or have no material to use while waiting for contributors. Plan a solution that is risk-free and will save you from this inconvenience.
Curating content is social
It is impossible to create the perfect Instagram strategy. It is important to plan ahead. Consider using a grid format when you are planning your Instagram account. This will help to create a wow effect.
The overview of your profile will be cluttered if you post random images. This is especially true if your profile has a lot of dark or bright images. Always keep your feed visually appealing by maintaining a balance.
Downloading the Preview app on your phone is highly recommended. You can choose the layout and colors for your Instagram photos. This will help you to create a visual that is unique and specific to your brand.
Post at the Right Moment
Instagram does not have “optimal time” for any brand. Each brand may have its own optimal time. You can find out when the best times are to post for your brand by visiting Insights.
You will be able to see the breakdown of your followers once you open Instagram Insight. You can also view the day of the week and time your audience is most active. Notify the option, and post each week in a different timeframe for a whole month. Compare the engagement numbers and time slots.
Voila! Now you have a personalized optimal posting time on Instagram!
Last Thoughts on Creating Instagram Content Plans
It takes investment and time to be successful on Instagram. To achieve the best results, you need a vision, a strategy and an action plan. Always create quality, interesting and useful content to help grow your Instagram. Plan your Instagram posts so that audiences are excited every time they view them.