The answer to the question "What should I post to Instagram?" isn't always clear — even for professional content creators whose careers depend on what they post.
But over the last several months, Instagram has tried to give some creators more concrete guidance, meeting with influencers (as well as managers and agents) through group presentations and one-on-one sessions.
During some of these meetings, Instagram even shared rare advice about how frequently and what type of content to post, three creators previously told Insider.
One recurring key takeaway from these sessions: use all of Instagram.
The Facebook-owned platform has evolved in many ways since it first launched over 10 years ago and posting single photos on the feed is no longer enough for many creators to thrive. With new features and tools, Instagram's current lineup includes five major features: in-feed posts, Stories, IGTV, Live, and Reels.
Rachel Reichenbach, an artist and small business owner, said that in a November one-on-one session, Instagram recommended she use the following posting schedule:
- 3 in-feed posts a week (including in-feed Reels or IGTV posts)
- 8 to 10 Stories a week (and at least 2 a day)
- 4-7 Reels a week
- 1-3 IGTV a week (including Instagram Live)
While Instagram has privately been telling some creators how often and what to post, the platform has also been teaching creators how to actually use its features, according to a recent Instagram presentation whose slides were leaked to Insider.
An executive at an influencer talent agency, who asked not to be identified to protect their relationship with Instagram, told Insider that they met with Instagram employees in November. In the session, Instagram gave a presentation suggesting what types of content creators should post. The executive shared the presentation with Insider.
In one slide, Instagram breaks down how creators can post video content using each of the five features. First, the slide outlines the time lengths for each category. For example, Reels can be up to 30 seconds long, while an IGTV could be one minute to an hour.
Then, Instagram details what creators should post, under a column aptly titled: "What should I post?"
Here's what kind of content Instagram suggested creators post, according to the presentation:
- Stories: "Behind the scenes of your daily life" or "In-the-moment updates"
- Reels: "Entertaining, short videos" or "Your take on trending content"
- Feed video: "Your highlights"
- IGTV: "Series" or "Longer-form storytelling"
- Live: "Direct conversations with your audience" or "Invite friends"
Micro influencer and content coach Lissette Calveiro said she saw a similar slide during an Instagram workshop in October, too.
Some of these tips from Instagram have been addressed on the official "@creators" account, which regularly posts short tutorials, tricks, and trends on Instagram. Others have been included in blog posts by Facebook that outline what small businesses should know about every feature.
Instagram declined to comment for this article, but previously said in a statement about its recommendations: "People want to hear from their favorite creators and businesses on Instagram, and an engaged community can drive meaningful business growth. That's why we encourage businesses and creators to connect with their audience and build their brand by telling their story across Feed, Stories, Live, IGTV, and Reels."
Instagram's "tips and tricks" for key features like in-feed posts, Live, IGTV, and Stories
Instagram also outlined a collection of recommendations for creators about posting content to the platform, according to screenshots of several presentation slides.
Here's a slide-by-slide breakdown of what Instagram shared for each content category:
Feed posts:
- "Post a mix of videos and photos"
- "Go vertical (4:5)"
- "Always use hashtags or geotags"
- "Use carousels for more engagement in one post" [Carousel posts can feature up to 10 slides]
- "Stay active in the comments to stay engaged with your community"
Live streams:
- "Give followers advanced notice using Feed and Stories"
- "Make sure you have a strong connection for a high quality stream"
- "Give your Live a title"
- "Share to IGTV"
- "NEW! Badges in Live" [Badges is a tipping feature on Live that allows creators to earn money through badges purchased by viewers]
IGTV videos:
- "Engage the viewer in the first 3 seconds"
- "Publish original content"
- "Use sound, editing, and graphics techniques to make your IGTV videos stand out."
- "Use the Series tool to share episodes themed into playlists on IGTV." [Creators can add videos to new or existing "Series"]
And for Stories, Instagram encouraged creators to use all of the interactive buttons and tools available in the feature, such as polls, questions, music, and countdown stickers.
