6 Ways to Use Instagram Guides
Instagram Guides has officially rolled out to consumers as a tool that brings content together in a manner that may remind many of Twitter threads or a Pinterest board.
We are a fan of Guides so far because the content used to create them does not have to be content that you specifically own. This makes it a great tool for curation, collaboration, and general inspiration outside of your immediate feed.
Guides can be focused on Places found on Instagram, Products from Shops on Instagram, or Posts that you have shared or saved. Once they are live, Guides will appear on your profile in between your IGTV and Shopping tabs and can be shared to your Story.
Below we have outlined six creative ways to stand out with Instagram Guides based on the types available regardless of the industry you are in.
[PRODUCTS] Gift Guides
Consumers love gifts regardless of the cause for celebration and curating gift guides with your products is an easy way for your customers to find exactly what they are looking for. Consider making Guides for birthdays, holidays (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, etc.), graduations, weddings, anniversaries, promotions, and everything in between.
If you are a magazine or newsletter hosting the Guide, curating it will be super easy as you will have the opportunity to pull the products right from the pages of all of the brands included.
[PLACES] Travel Guide
Are you a constant jet setter or the hometown hero? Create Guides with your favorite bites and sights so your followers have easy access to the Guide while on the go!
However, the trick to creating this type of Guide is selecting places that have a location tag on Instagram and then selecting all of the photos under the tag. If you have a lot of photos in a general area, but they are not under the same location tag, retag them before launching this guide or make a Posts Guide instead.
[POSTS] Food Guide for Bloggers and Restaurant Owners
Let’s eat! If you are a food blogger, organizing a Guide with foods and drinks related to a particular season, diet, or food group could help your followers find your best recipes without having to sort through years of photos and Instagram Stories.
Additionally, new visitors to a restaurant undoubtedly want to make sure they have the perfect meal complete with everything the place has to offer including libations, an appetizer, the main meal, and dessert. Constructing a Guide that shows the best ways to order based on portions and what pairs well together (think wines and cheeses) will help diners get excited for the different experiences you have curated for them.
4. [PRODUCTS] Outfit Guide for Clothing Brands
While many consumers enjoy online shopping, there is always a major gripe when a piece of clothing that is paired with our desired item is not mentioned in the website’s description or easily viewable on the page. However, clothing brands can make shopping for an entire look easier for consumers by listing each item from the hair clips down to the heels in a Guide. Be sure to have all of the products you want to tag included in your shop before creating!
5. [PLACES] Packing Lists
If you have visited popular destinations like Disney World, Coachella, or Yacht Week, create a packing list Guide that details everything visitors should bring along (including the easy to forget items), to help others better understand what the experience at the destination will be like.
6. [POSTS] Real Estate Listings
Agents and brokerages should create Guides highlighting the homes they are selling. Each post in the guide can be a different view of the home in addition to content from the local school system’s accounts, a local event page, and other information that will allow buyers to understand what else that community can provide.
While we hope Instagram will allow Guides to evolve and provide users with analytics and tagging features, we still hope your brand takes it for a spin. Let us know your thoughts on Guides below!