Guide: The First 9 Things You Should Post on Instagram When You Start a New Account
So you started your Instagram account for your small business - and now you are thinking, what do I post first? First of all welcome to the world of creating content on Instagram—a platform where visuals speak louder than words and a single post can catapult your brand into the spotlight.
As a small business owner, you're not just an entrepreneur; you're a storyteller, and Instagram is your stage. But since you're starting from scratch, you might be thinking how to craft posts that capture hearts, minds, and likes?
Diving into Instagram content creation can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re building your presence from the ground up. This you?
... "what should I post "
... "how often should I post?"
... "how can I stand out in a sea of content?"
Don't worry though... we've got some tips, tricks, a formula, and templates to help you out. Whether you’re showcasing your latest products, sharing your business journey, or educating your audience, having a robust Instagram content creation strategy is key.
Focusing on Your 9-Grid on Instagram
This might feel a bit counter-intuitive, but this strategy focuses on putting up 9 posts all at once. Why 9 posts? Why all at once? Well, when someone lands on your profile we don't want them seeing JUST one post.
And on most mobile devices, 9 posts will fill up the vast majority of the screen of the viewer. We want to give people enough content (and context) about who you are, what you do, and who you do it for as you start to grow your account.
This is where you SHOULDN'T over think it, and follow this simple formula instead:
Posts 1 - 3 will be feed posts and carousels introducing you and your business
Posts 4 - 6 will be Reels to dive a bit deeper and get you used to creating video content
Posts 7 - 9 will be strategically created to be pinned to the top of your profile
With this formula we aren't looking for a TON of engagement right away, but instead, we are aligning you with your ideal audience on Instagram and delivering them the information they need to hit that follow button!
Step One: Create 3 Feed Posts + Carousels as an Introduction
Your first three posts are going to be the easiest to make since we are simply introducing you, your business, and your story! There are so many different ways to approach this, and so many options to choose from, but we have a few recommendations for these first three posts.
Introduction Post
Let's hard launch you into the world of Instagram with an introduction post! This one could get super deep and personal through story-telling, or it could be super light hearted with fun visuals. You can lean into using a selfie as a feed post, a "photo-dump" style of post as an Instagram Carousel, or you can lean into using Canva to create something visually appealing to match your brand. Either way... lean into what resonates most with you!
What to Expect Post
It might seem silly at first, but we need to remind people what they are signing up for when they decide to hit that follow button and consume your content. So the next post you should create will set expectations, boundaries, and help potential audience members navigate your content a bit better. So you can tell a bit more about your content strategy, use this post to tell people how often to expect seeing your content, or literally tell them what you are going to post about. Word of advice: create an Instagram Carousel because it is much easier to pack in a ton of information.
Core Messaging Post
Now this is where you need to put your marketing cap on and start to let people in on your core messaging. This could involve your vision or mission statement, your framework and teachings, the reason why you created the product you sell... you get the idea. We need to let people in on the "WHY" and the foundation behind your business and your brand so they can start to connect with you on a deeper level. Pro Tip: This can be super chill post (and almost a bit of an engagement booster) by creating a quote style Instagram Feed Post!
Step Two: Create 3 Reels to Dive Deeper
Now that we have your first three posts done, and they all focused on images or graphics, it's time to maybe step outside of your comfort zone and create video content for Instagram Reels. We want to challenge you to show your face on camera to build connection, but don't worry we also have some suggestions of content you can create in Canva too!
Create a Talking Head Video
Let's get the hardest one out of the way first - you are going to talk directly to camera to your audience! This doesn't have to be a whole production, or involve a ton of editing. Simply open the Instagram app, record a 15-30 second video, and apply minimal edits! Wondering what to say? You can literally jump on camera and tell your story, welcome your audience to your page, or repeat your core messaging and what to expect from your account. Or... you could be bold and record your first Instagram Live and save it to your profile. Oh, and don't forget to add a branded Instagram Reels cover to keep everything easy to read and cohesive!
Create an Educational Video
Let's give people a taste of your expertise by quickly teaching them something! Of course you can talk directly to camera again, but you could easily create something in Instagram that follows a trend, add a simple video with text on screen, or create something entirely in Canva. Let's make it easy, and start small. You could quickly create a list style video, or give away one tip, or allude to your key strategies! Just start getting potential audience members into the mindset to consume your content, or potentially make a purchase from you.
Create a Humor or Inspiration Based Video
This one is actually going to be super fun... think about your brand and the emotion behind how you want people to feel. Do you want to lean a bit more into humor and wit? Do you like to motivate and inspire people? Or if you have a more professional brand, what kind of personality do you want to bring to the content you create? Now - create a Reel in that style. Again, so many options, so lean into what you are most comfortable creating!
Step Three: Create 3 Posts to Pin to Your Profile
These next three posts might be a strategy you aren't familiar with, but these are arguably the most important posts you are goign to create when first starting your Instagram account for your small business. Instagram has a feature where you can "pin" posts to the top of your profile, so that when you add new content, these posts will constantly remain at the very top of your profile.
These posts should be strategically picked! Why? Because when someone lands on your profile, this will be one of the first things they see, and are the first posts they will see as they continue to scroll down your profile. And there are two options that you have when creating these pinned posts.
Option One: Strategic Mini-Website
You can approach these posts like you would pages on your website. We want each post to tell people more details about who you are, what you do, who you do it for, what you sell, and more potentially. You could use all three posts to talk about your products, offers, or services. You can use these three posts to act as mini-sales pages. You can use these three posts to answer common FAQ or objections. Whatever you decide to go with, make sure it is easy for people to view from your profile so they will want to click on the post and learn more!
Option Two: Pinned Profile Banner
This one is a bit harder to pull off, will require a bit of design, but it truly has a wow factor when someone lands on your profile. We want these three posts to act like a banner at the top of your profile! This can be a fun way to show off your small business on your new account. This is easiest to design in Canva, and don't worry, we've got templates to help with that!
Now, we know how overwhelming it can feel to start a new Instagram account and create this much content. But if you strategically approach your first 9 posts, you are setting yourself up for success with marketing your business on this platform!
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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.