3 Types of Content to Create to Get a Boost in Instagram Engagement
Oh the dreaded Instagram algorithm - a true love/hate relationship.
It always seems like we have to play this fun game of “WILL THIS POST PERFORM WELL?!” and you may be frustrated with engagement (or lack thereof) after you post a piece of content.
While you shouldn’t feel the need to have EVERY single piece of content have the highest amount of engagement possible, I know how it feels to have a nice boost in engagement.
While I can’t guarantee engagement on certain posts, there is certain content that ALWAYS performs really well for me, no matter the subject, topic, content pillar, or account I post on.
And you can take some of these content types with you, and create them on your own!!
Number One: Reels Quotes
Quote posts have notoriously performed well across most accounts for quite some time now, and if you throw Reels in the mix, you can get a nice boost in likes, comments, shares, and saves!! Reels are SUPER powerful on Instagram right now and seem to be the content type with the highest amount of engagement right now - so you need to leverage that!
Example One - Tweet Graphic Reels
This is a powerhouse when it comes to content creation for Instagram in regard to short-form videos. Combine the power of a quote, the visual aspect of a Tweet, and the strategy of posting a Reel and you have a show-stopper!
These types of posts are often the highest-performing posts on both of my accounts!! These often have a ton of likes, views, and shares. When you add in a controversial statement, an opinion, or a thought leadership quote, your target audience will be more likely to engage with this piece of content.
Example Two - Moving Messages
This type of quote requires a bit more creativity… but when done correctly, it will immediately stop the scroll of your followers and potential new followers.
These are the perfect Reels to help you promote and sell products too… without feeling too sales-y. Whether you choose to create a profound quote OR address your customer’s pain point, this type of Reel is eye-catching!
This type of post requires a bit more advanced editing in Canva, so if you don’t want to tackle that all on your own… I can help!! I have created these for you, and you simply edit the text, and then post. Watch the video tutorial below to see exactly how to edit these for your brand!
Number Two: Educational Carousels
Educational Instagram carousels have some of the highest save ratios compared to other types of Instagram content. People are more likely to save carousels that give them a quick way to tackle a problem they are dealing with, or if it teaches them something they can implement right away in their life. Either way - you need to think of these posts as ways to educate your audience, and give them content they want to SAVE to come back to later.
Example One - Step-By-Step Pro Tips
You are the expert in something. That’s why you run a small business around that expertise and knowledge. Find a small something that you can educate your audience on, and give them a step-by-step tutorial on how to accomplish that!
Hair Stylist? Show a process of how to create a simple updo
Accountant? Show a process of how to create an invoice properly
Jewelry Maker? Show the process of how to clean jewelry without ruining it
I often like to talk to the Social Media Managers in my audience and address pain points they often deal with when working with clients on content. They are such a large part of my audience and fit within my ideal client avatar… so I want to provide VALUE for them through my content!
Example Two - Guide or How To
This is perfect to give people the ability to save your post and execute something VERY specific for their business. You can also think of these as mini-blog posts… or even use this to supplement and promote your current blog posts, podcasts, or other long-form content!
This was one of my highest-performing posts to date… EVER. When everyone was freaking out about the new Instagram post formats, I used my knowledge of social media and Canva to create an entire guideline on how to post in the new formats. By creating such a valuable resource I was giving back to my community in a direct way and I attracted NEW members to my community by creating such a powerful carousel.
Number Three: Infographic Lists
These types of posts show up ALL over the explore tab, as a suggested post in your feed, and are used by some of your favorite creators and business owners to explode engagement and account activity.
Example One - Reels List
This post combines the effects of a Reels Quote AND an Educational Carousel… so you get double the power in this post. By leveraging the potential of a viral Reel and a way to quickly provide value to your audience, the Reels list can be a way to connect with your audience and stop them from scrolling.
The best part about this Reel is you can use a former high-performing post as the framework for creating a Reel list!!
Did you already share a powerful education carousel with tips? Put those tips in list format for this Reel!
Did you already share a powerful image with tips in a long-form caption? Take that caption and repurpose the copy for this Reel!
Example Two - Feed Post List
The format is similar to the Reels List… but rather you are creating a static image. While Reels tend to perform higher, these still outrank just posting a photo to your feed!
PRO TIP: Create the SAME graphic in multiple colors. This will allow your audience to choose a color they like to share in their story. In doing so, you give them more options to make sure it fits into their brand or their vibe. It just increases the likelihood that they will share your content with their audience… which is SUPER powerful!
Now that you have learned ALLLLL about 3 types of content for a nice boost in Instagram engagement, it's time to put it all into practice. And you don’t have to do it alone.
I have an entire shop full of Canva templates that are proven to help stop the scroll and encourage your audience to engage with your content!! Each set of templates is strategically created with engagement in mind, with ideas and formatting to make content creation easier for you!
P.S. If you are a member of Your Template Club, you can find all of these templates when you log in to the portal.
check out our best-selling canva templates help boost your engagement!
You can grab our favorite Canva Templates inside of the shop that you can customize for your business to help you batch create Reels content!
want access to 1,500+ templates?
Join Your Template Club to get access to Canva templates designed to grow engagement and sales!
Manu Muraro is the founder of Your Social Team, an Instagram training membership and template shop that help social media managers and Instagram-savvy small business owners to grow engagement and sales using Instagram and content marketing, without the overwhelm. Born and raised in Brazil, Manu moved to the U.S. in 2000 right out of college to work for Cartoon Network, where she made an award winning career in creative and strategy. In 2021, Manu started Your Template Club, a Canva template subscription service to help social media professionals and Canva-savvy business owners to create content that performs on Instagram, add more Instagram features into their strategy, such as Instagram Lives and Reels, and save time.