A deep dive from our data scientist has uncovered some fascinating patterns in Instagram reach and engagement — and how they’ve evolved over the years.
Part of being successful on Instagram — whether you're a creator or a small business — means posting consistently. But what happens when you run out of ideas?
It happens — which is why it never hurts to get inspired by the great work other creators and brands are doing on Instagram. Here are 29 great Instagram post ideas, with real-life examples, to cure your writer’s creator’s block. A little creative prompt can do wonders in opening up new possibilities for your Instagram marketing strategy.
First, let's zoom out and take a look at the kind of content that performs well on the platform, then dig into some tried-and-tested examples from small businesses and creators alike.
Grab a handful from this list, put your own spin on them, and voilà — a jam-packed Instagram content calendar that entertains and inspires your followers.
What content performs well on Instagram?
Since Instagram is such a visual platform, high-quality imagery typically performs well, but raw footage has its place. It just depends on the type of content you're posting.
High-resolution, well-lit content with gorgeous imagery will help you show off the results of a crafty project or the beauty of your products.
But some less refined camera work will do if you're showing behind-the-scenes footage or opening up to your followers about a personal issue.
You'll see a variety of these types of content in the examples in this article to give you a clearer idea.
You've got five options to post on Instagram:
- Feed posts (photos and multi-photo carousels)
- Instagram Reels (short videos)
- Instagram Stories (which disappear after 24 hours)
- Instagram Lives (which can be saved for later if you choose)
- Messages in your Instagram Broadcast Channel (a one-to-many group chat for your most dedicated fans)
In a recent Buffer analysis, we found that Instagram Reels perform best when it comes to reach. They’re the top-performing Instagram content type for reaching new audiences — and growing your Instagram following — followed by carousels and then photos, both in terms of likes and comments.
Carousels, on the other hand, tend to get more engagement, followed by reels, then single-image posts.
The platform may be visual, but Instagram captions are still important. Interestingly, posts with super short (less than 20 characters) and super-long captions receive the most engagement.
When it comes to hashtags, the social media platform recommends no more than five, but the research from HubSpot found that posts that used over 11 hashtags seem to resonate the most with Instagram users.
At the end of the day, though, there are no guarantees about what will take off on the platform. The best thing to do is test out different kinds of Instagram posts and see what your target audience enjoys.
When you're stumped for creative Instagram post ideas, draw inspiration from small businesses and creators like the ones below who are nailing their Instagram content.
1. Share your expertise
Build trust and create extra value for your followers with content on subjects you’re particularly knowledgeable about.
One creator I love who creates educational content is Alexis Nikole, who nerds out on all things foraging. In this video, she teaches her followers about a specific mushroom and how to make jerky out of it:
Website builder Marie Brown of Beyond the Kitchen Table uses this kind of post often, too. In this video, she shares how your website might be preventing you from attracting new clients:
If you’re not a fan of talking to the camera (it’s not for everyone!), share your thoughts in a well-formatted post caption or as text over a video, like Marie has done in this video:
2. A list or round-up
Whether it’s a list of tips, top products, your business offerings, or favorite content from the past year, a round-up video or carousel will work well on Instagram.
Briauna Conino is a talented hair colorist, who used a trending audio to showcase three of her recent dye jobs:
Meanwhile, Lifetree Collection's reel rounds up breathtaking shots from some of their lodges and hotels, which can inspire bookings.
3. Before-and-after transformations
Everyone loves a good transformation story. If you're a brand, it helps showcase the results of your products or services. If you're a creator, it adds to your story by showing just how big of a change you made.
Side-by-side comparisons, carousel posts, and reveal videos are all great ways to share these transformations.
Netherlands-based tattoo artist Mymy shows how she brings new life to faded tattoos in before-and-after shots:
Home decor and DIY creator Cristen Perks records a before-and-after video of her three-year-old's bedroom:
Bonus idea: Don't just show the before-and-after — people love seeing the process, too. So you could include progress shots, behind-the-scenes clips, or time lapse videos. You could try building suspense by showing the process first, then posting the ‘reveal’ soon after.
4. Share your routine or part of your day
Sharing your routine or a glimpse into your day can help your followers feel more connected to you and humanize your content. That could mean sharing your morning routine, taking followers through your creative process, or showing what happens during a typical day serving customers.
Business mentor and content creator Jereshia Hawk shows snapshots of her day in this carousel post:
And fitness coach Adrian Williams shows a gentle movement routine to start the day:
5. Tutorials and how-to's
How-to content is great for inspiring your followers and showing them how you do what you do.
I'm obsessed with Abe the Nail Babe's unique nail looks, so I loved watching this step-by-step tutorial video with details in the caption:
For brands, it's a great way to show what's possible with your products and encourage your followers to buy them — or get more use of the products they already have!
Thrive Market posts drool-worthy recipes, like this vegan pumpkin loaf, using food items you can buy on their website:
6. Comparison content
Comparison content can help your followers understand the difference between things like products, techniques, or expectations vs. reality.
Makeup artist Dominic Skinner shows followers how different makeup tones can make a person's eye color look different.
Studio Neat, a company that produces precision-crafted office supplies, shows how their new pen weighs twice as much as the original for those who want a heavier pen in their hand:
7. Take on a challenge
Joining in on a viral challenge (or creating your own) can show your audience a playful side. You'll want to choose challenges that make sense for your niche, but think outside the box and get creative. You can make yourself stand out with an unexpected take.
Slime company Peachybbies has a ton of fun content, and they're worth a follow for other fresh ideas. In this one, an employee tries to beat a record for the number of slimes packed in seven minutes:
Visual artist Temi Danso took on a 30-day challenge to create mini paintings using gouache, a new-to-her medium, on Pantone postcards.
Creative limitations like this can open up new inspiration and also give direction for your content for a period of time.
8. Run an experiment
I love seeing what happens when someone I follow tries something out to see how it impacts them.
If you're a creator, you could try a science-backed morning routine or a "no-buy" month.
Sarah Chan shared how waking up at 5 am every day made her day better:
If you're a business, you could experiment with a new production process or materials.
Like Kikiz Cosmeticz, who tried out new lip gloss tubes:
Posting this kind of content can help you gauge your audience's interest before committing to production.
9. Draw inspiration from the calendar
Official and unofficial holidays alike (we're looking at you, Donut Day!) can guide your next Instagram post while keeping your content relevant.
On Earth Day, Dear Brightly shared how their thoughtfully designed products help reduce environmental impact:
You can honor special personal moments, too. Animal rescuer Henry posted a sweet photo on the anniversary that he found his dog Finn:
10. Answer audience questions
Your comments section is another great source for fresh Instagram post ideas. Don't just reply to the questions in the comments. If there's something interesting or a question you get asked a lot, make a post of it!
Metal and woodworker John Malecki answered a follower's question about epoxy durability in this recent post with a playful experiment:
You can also source followers' questions more actively by posting a question box sticker in your Instagram Stories, like brand designer Joel Sousa did here:
11. Fun polls and interactive content
Posting polls or asking questions in your stories is a great way to boost engagement while getting feedback from your followers. You can ask about their opinions (e.g., a "this or that" post) or what content they want to see next from you.
Makeup artist Laura Hohua posted a survey giving her audience a say in her makeup look for an upcoming live event. It's promotion and engagement all in one!
Katja, a pole dance coach, used the "Add Yours" sticker to prompt followers to share their first pole videos in her Instagram Story. This is a great way to actively incorporate your audience into your content.
12. Micro-interviews
Micro-interviews can be a fun way to share knowledge your audience might find helpful or put a human face to your brand. This could be an interview with you, a fellow creator, a member of your team, or a customer.
EvolveYou shared this interview with one of their trainers, which doubled as a behind-the-scenes look at a fun photoshoot.:
Meanwhile, the podcast Chew On This creates bite-sized interviews with helpful tips for their audience:
If ‘lights, camera, action’ is not something you have the budget or time for, no problem. You could turn your interviewee’s answers into a graphic carousel. In this post, we share snippets from our Creators Unlocked interview series on Instagram:
13. Hints and sneak peeks
Use Instagram to generate buzz for upcoming content or exciting business updates with a cheeky preview.
It could mean a black-and-white or partially obscured snap of a new product or a simple post that indicates that big updates are coming, like Move with Blue did here:
Vegan chef Ben Rebuck posted a sneak peek of his upcoming recipe in his Instagram Broadcast Channel:
What's more, he posted an additional teaser in his stories to encourage followers to join his broadcast channel for this exclusive content — genius!
14. Behind the scenes content
If you typically post highly polished content, add a human element by sharing the goings-on behind the scenes. The possibilities are near endless with this type of content.
Musician Kayko shares a video of himself practicing before a show and then the same moment during the performance:
Krissy Cela, founder of EvolveYou and Oner Active, shares behind-the-scenes snaps and videos from both personal and brand Instagram accounts, giving followers an inside look at what it takes to run not one but two successful businesses simultaneously.
"Get ready with me" (#grwm) videos like this are a fun way to handle behind-the-scenes looks and a straightforward post format to follow if you’re comfortable on camera.
15. How it's made: Your production process
Creators and businesses alike can show what it takes to get to a final product.
Painter Christopher Remmers shows his painting process in this Reel while asking his audience a thought-proving question:
And creative content producer Nini Creatives showcases the video editing process in this video:
16. How it works: Your offering in action
For small businesses, you can give your potential customers an inside look at how your product or service works.
Business coach Noé Khalfa saved an Instagram Story Highlights album to his profile that describes what it's like to work with him. It's a quick, engaging way to understand his offering — particularly for new followers.
Source: @noewtj
17. Product shots
Another idea for all the brands out there: feature your products! While high-quality product shots will look great on your IG feed, some more authentic snaps or clips you take on your phone will do just fine — particularly in Instagram Stories if you’re cultivating an aesthetic feed.
Soap maker Skunk has curated a beautiful feed of both polished product shots and more spontaneous snaps of their wares in surprising locations, like the one below.
Bonus: Unpolished product pics will help build trust with your Instagram followers and potential customers with an unedited, unfiltered view of your offering.
18. Test and review products
Sharing your honest take on a product can build trust with your audience while helping them find something they'll love.
As a creator, this can be a gateway into brand partnerships. Just remember: your audience wants to know what you really think. They'll trust you more if you give a balanced review that notes drawbacks (if there are any).
Beauty influencer Golloria tests out Jordana Ticia's bronzer in this video:
19. Meet the team
Brands: Spotlight the people who make your product possible and show your appreciation for their hard work as Rize Up Bakery does:
Like behind-the-scenes posts, this can also humanize your brand and build trust with your audience.
20. The gift of giveaways
There’s nothing that will drum up engagement quite like a giveaway. Sure, there's the standard "follow us, comment on this post" approach. But you could also shake things up like Huel did in this video:
They pinpointed a past comment from one of their Instagram followers and got in touch to share their appreciation with a gift. Sharing a video of the process encouraged other followers to interact with their content in the same way, without explicitly telling them to do so.
If you're a creator, you can partner with a brand on a giveaway or offer up items you've tested or received in PR.
Fitness creator Emma Flynn partners with LARQ to gift one of her followers a water bottle:
21. Pop culture mash-ups
Draw inspiration from the news that's making waves in the broader world and tap into that excitement. Last year, Barbie fever took over, and brands and creators everywhere painted their Instagram pages pink — proverbially speaking — to get in on the action.
Here’s how the Fiit app turned one of their trainers, Gede, into a Barbie-inspired doll:
Similarly, on the creator side, when Netflix released the show Is it Cake?, bakers everywhere were hopping on the challenge to create cakes that looked like real objects.
Cake artist Celine can't get enough of this trend — and neither can her audience. Playing the "real or cake?" game while watching her videos is super fun:
22. Trending sounds
Trending audio can be a great way to get inspired about what to post next.
If you find a Reel with audio you like, tap at the top of the Reel (right under their Instagram handle), where you'll see the name and artist of the music or sound. You’ll be taken to an audio page showing how other Instagrammers have used the sound bite. From there, hit the "Use audio" button, and you'll be able to create your own video with that sound as the background.
That's how accessories brand Emily + Me made this fun Reel featuring their cross-body bags:
Lip-syncing someone's words from their original post in a new context is a popping Instagram trend, too.
Kayla Noel borrowed a sound bite from a motivational speech for her video:
23. Templates
Ever struggle to time your video edits perfectly with the music? Similar to trending sounds, you can use a reel's entire template — meaning their sound and clip edit timing — if a creator has made it available. No need to fuss around with your timing.
There are two ways to do this:
- Create a new reel by hitting the "+" at the bottom of the screen, selecting reel, and choosing "Templates" at the top of the screen. There, you can browse trending options.
- Alternatively, if you come across a video you like during your daily scroll, tap the ellipsis button in the bottom right of the screen to see if the "Use as template" option is available. If so, tap it, and you’ll be taken to a page where you can replace the video clips with your own.
I found this one using the first method:
24. Green screen
With Instagram’s green screen effect, you can superimpose yourself over another photo or screenshot, making it easy to show what you're talking about without losing your expressive face and gestures.
To do that, tap the "+" at the bottom of the screen to create a new Reel and tap the "Camera" button at the top. Then, on the left-hand side of the screen, click the down arrow to open up more options. Tap "Green Screen".
From there, you can choose the image you want to appear in the background and record yourself with the front-facing camera.
Personal styling service Fashivly leans on this feature a lot, to great effect:
25. Repurposed content
Work smarter, not harder, and reuse your most engaging content from other platforms. Instagram’s Threads makes it particularly easy to repurpose text posts back on its primary platform by tapping on the paper airplane icon beneath each thread, then "Add to Story" or "Post to Feed."
To share text content from elsewhere, a simple screenshot of a post on X or LinkedIn atop an aesthetic background (we recommend Canva) makes for a great Instagram feed post.
When it comes to short-form videos, the opportunities for repurposing are too good to be ignored. We recommend creating your video using an external video editor (Veed.io, Canva, and Capcut are all great options). Then, cross-post it on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts simultaneously with Buffer. You can even tweak the caption for each platform to tailor it to the specific audience you have on each.
Here's a post we created in Capcut and shared across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Artist Kim Krans has been making the podcast rounds lately and shares clips of these interviews on her Instagram Feed for some low-lift content:
26. User-generated content (UGC)
For brands, show off how much your customers love your work when they tag you in their content — aka UGC. This is particularly easy when they tag you in their Instagram posts or Stories.
If their profiles are public, you can repost their content by going into your DMs (any stories you’re tagged in will appear there) or hitting the paper airplane button below the post.
It’s always good to ask permission before posting, but it’s a must if their profiles are private and you plan to screenshot their content.
Bacon Bikinis regularly reshares content from their customers (and is lucky enough to have some influencers with sizeable followings sharing their wares, too).
27. Honorable mentions
If you’re lucky enough to be featured in any media or win an award, share the good news!
For PR company Tori Porter Communications, press features for her clients are a top priority. In the Reel below, she shares her achievements with snippets from the various newspapers, websites, and magazines her customers have been featured in.
Meanwhile, content creator Chase Reeves celebrated his milestone of reaching 100k YouTube subscribers with his Instagram followers:
28. Success stories
For brands, social proof marketing is tough to beat — and it makes for some great Instagram content. When customers share positive feedback, consider turning it into a post (again, with their permission, especially if you’re naming them).
You could use their comments as a caption in a regular post or turn them into a graphic that can be used as the post itself. Alternatively, screenshot reviews and share them via Instagram Stories like Brave Little Baby has.
29. Add to someone else's content
If the original creators opt-in, you can add to their content with the Remix or Sequence features.
Remix lets you add to their content with a side-by-side, green screen, or your own text or audio. Sequence lets you add content to the end of a Reel.
This can allow you to build on (or, if you feel like stirring up a debate, challenge) someone else’s content.
Tap the three dots on the Reel or post, then tap "Remix" or "Sequence." The original video will appear in your editing window as any other clip, so you can add your own spin to it.
Work ahead so you're not posting last-minute
And there you have it: 29 ideas for scroll-stopping content to share on Instagram.
Now that you have plenty of Instagram post ideas to work with, plan ahead and create your content in advance so you're not left scrambling at the last minute to keep up your posting cadence.
Buffer makes it easy to schedule posts on Instagram — and across your other social media accounts. You can find the best times to post for your profile — rather than when you randomly remember to post during dinner. And you can track your analytics to see what kind of content is working and double down on it.
Try managing your social media content with Buffer so you're never left with an empty queue.
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