My challenge to try out every type of Instagram post
Last week on Instagram (IG) I challenged myself to try out all of their different content types. IG has a ton of different ways of uploading media and I’d only ever used two of them. So what better way to push me out of my comfort zone than to set myself this challenge!
The types of media that you can post on Instagram are feed posts, stories, reels, live and IGTV. Although I completed this challenge on IG, many of these post types are similar across other social media platforms. I thought I’d offer a few thoughts on how I felt about each content type.
For IG, feed posts are the classic picture post. I enjoy picture posts whether they’re a graphic or a photo because they’re eye-catching and can be used to emphasise a point. I feel very safe with these. I create posts with a carefully constructed caption and a consistent branded design. I love the fact that I have complete control over the post. This is the type of post that most people focus on too.
Stories are a little more specific to IG. They allow you to interact with your audience directly, perhaps talking about your life or offering educational advice. They can be more casual than other video types as they disappear after 24 hours unless they’re saved to your highlights. I find these pretty easy to do as there doesn’t feel like too much pressure and you can redo them if you mess up a take!
A new content type from IG is ‘reels’ and this one surprised me the most. These are basically IG’s version of TikToks. I thought I was going to dislike making these, but I actually found it fun and have been drafting a bunch of them since I tried my first one! I like the creativity and humour they allow. I don’t like the straight-up dancing ones that people do, but I enjoy the clever use of audio. I’ll definitely keep making these.
IGTV is a long-form video. IG doesn’t let you post very long videos on the feed so if you want to post a longer video, it has to be done on IGTV. I didn’t enjoy this one as much. I had to sit and plan out the content and do it in several takes, editing it together. Some people may have been able to do it in one take, but not me! I think they’re great for more narrative content or if you want to communicate more detailed information. They’re just not something I think I’ll use that much in my situation.
Finally, we come to the ‘live’, which I haaaated! I didn’t like the fact I only had one take or that I was live for anyone to join. I’m an actor, so I’m used to performing live on stage but when I do that, I’m usually playing a character and I have a script I’ve learnt and that has had all the creases ironed out. I could do that for live content, but then it wouldn’t feel authentic. I will not be doing this again in the near future! I do, however, think it could be a great format if you have a large audience that’s excited to hear from you. I liked the real time interaction, reading comments and responding to them, but they’re just not for me.
So there you go! I definitely feel more able to advise clients on how to use the different formats and what is likely to work for each format, and that was the aim of the challenge! I also feel like I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and learnt from the experience.
I would definitely recommend trying the challenge, but don’t be afraid to come to the conclusion that certain formats are just not right for you or your business. We’re all individuals and authenticity is our greatest strength.
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