Kseniya I. Content Marketing Expert

Tips for creating unique creatives and content for Instagram

Instagram's main advantage over other social media platforms is its visual nature. Videos, images, and illustrations are all great content to use in Instagram, but it's important to determine what's appropriate to post and have a noticeable impact.

The basic theory for making creatives

1. Focus on the target audience

Creating a great advertising campaign requires a clear understanding of the target audience. What content do they like? What key messages should be added to catch their attention? Lack of understanding of the target audience can lead social media professionals to make bad decisions on Instagram that either don't resonate or create a negative impression of the brand. Before launching a campaign, make sure you have a clear idea of ​​who your target customers are and what matters to them.

It's also wise to make sure the target customer is someone who uses Instagram regularly, otherwise your investment will most likely miss the mark.

2. Smart image selection

Instagram is a visual platform. So if you're going to post something, it has to be pretty - or at least fun to watch. Even if you don't have professional cameras, try shooting in natural light or against a neutral background. It is better not to publish a photo at all than a bad photo. However, there are so many great (and free) editing tools out there now that there's really no excuse to post something of poor quality.

Sometimes it can be difficult to find or create a lot of photos to accompany each post with images. In this case, you can create a poster template in your brand's colors. Modify it a bit to match the topic you're writing about, and you'll have a great way to grab attention without having to re-select your photo every time.

3. Using Stories

Make the most of Instagram Stories. Stories are a key part of a good Instagram marketing strategy. Followers expect them to be more real and raw than your elaborate feed. How to best use Instagram Stories for business:

- convey your message in the first 3 seconds;

- give viewers valuable information or links to useful resources;

- use a call to action;

- use text if you need to publish some urgent message;

- use a consistent brand identity: Your Stories should fit with your brand's voice and aesthetic.

If followers tag you in their Stories, you can post them to your own Story. It can be an easy and seamless way to share user-generated content and thank your followers.

4. Interesting publications

Use types of content that are unusual for your feed. For example, a video with a loop, with the gradual disappearance of the video and music at the beginning and end. The longer your follower spends with your post, the more likely your brand is to make an impression.

5. "Catchy" text

In order to attract more subscribers and potential customers, it is important to use interesting and creative captions. What size should the photo caption be? There is no wrong or right answer - it all depends on who your audience is and what you want to include in your headline. Are you sharing a story? Or are you trying to educate someone on a particular topic? Or maybe just share news about your business? Use longer captions for this type of content, but otherwise keep them short and use emojis as they increase the likelihood that someone will stop and tap on your post. Test writing longer text to improve engagement with your 2022 Instagram strategy.

The voice of your brand is just as important as the look of your brand. It must be the same for all messages. Instagram captions can be up to 2200 characters long, so you can use them for anything from a short joke to a detailed storytelling. However, the news feed only shows the first two lines of text without additional tapping. Since people tend to scan texts rather than read them thoroughly, you need to put all the important information in those first two lines.

6. Attention-grabber

Add an element of fun. Instagram posts take time, effort, and planning. But that doesn't mean you can't have some fun! More and more brands are adding humor and pop culture references to their posts by incorporating memes and popular themes into their content. At the same time, engagement rates increase when something unusual and funny is posted. Of course, you need to consider the overall theme and tone of your brand - if the memes don't match your brand values, it is best to exclude them from your strategy and not compromise. But if you can incorporate a few fun moments into your strategy, then you can see the effect. You can read more about brands in social networks in our article.

7. High competitiveness

Instagram content should define a problem and show how a particular product or service solves it. By identifying the problem your potential customers are facing, you create an emotional connection with them. Focus on a single goal, it could be brand awareness, product education, or a “buy now” opportunity. Don't try to combine it all into one ad because then users will be overwhelmed with information and just scroll through the feed. If a creative contains too many products, it will look like a presentation. That is why target your customer base and create content based on their interests.

Ad creatives failures

1. Inconsistent visuals

If you have multiple people posting to your company page, create a style guide that helps everyone understand the brand's visuals. You can also use the post planner to preview how everything will look on the page before posting.

2. Boring commercial texts or no photo captions at all

Instagram is not only photos. Texts also matter. This is an additional element to attract your audience and increase sales. But if your caption isn't catchy enough to get the reader's attention, then it doesn't make sense.

The most common Instagram mistakes when it comes to texts are:

Boring texts that lack a call to action. You need to provide your subscribers with the latest information and add catchy phrases to motivate them to take action. To hook the reader, try starting your caption with a statistic, controversial issue, riddle, or real-life example.

Long texts. Photo captions are a must, but Instagram is not a corporate blog. Communicate your message concisely and dynamically to attract more subscribers and drive more traffic as a result. According to statistics, posts with 80 characters or less have 88% more engagement.

No text at all. In this case, you lose the chance to attract potential customers.

3. Too many posts

Posting too many Instagram photos in a short amount of time is the easiest way to lose followers. There is nothing wrong with posting several times a day. But posting content too often is a surefire way to scare your followers away. They'll just get bored and click "Unsubscribe". To prevent this from happening, try to divide your content throughout the day into equal shares.

4. Chaotic Stories

Even in Stories, it is important to retain branding elements.

Colors. Choose 1-3 colors and use them consistently in every post.

Font. Instagram Stories offers several different fonts to choose from. Pick just one font and use it consistently across every post to promote your brand identity.

Brand voice. Even though Instagram Stories should feel more casual than your regular feed posts, they still need to support a brand voice that matches your typical brand identity. Is your brand more reserved and formal? That “voice” still needs to match your tone on your Instagram Stories.

Conclusion

Brands of all sizes are already using Instagram posts to engage with existing and potential customers. To make this interaction as effective as possible, first make sure you have a clear idea of ​​your target audience and the type of content they prefer. This will give you the opportunity to create a clearer content plan and come up with ideas for engaging creatives.

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