If the majority of Instagram users are sharing reels back and forth with their group of friends, YOU want to create one of the posts that are being shared around, right?

Quality content will get engagement based on user behavior, but if you tell them what you want them to do you’ll get more. 

– Morgan Sutton

What IS Shareable Content?

So first what do we mean when we say “share” or “shareable content”? There is a little arrow in the corner of posts. It looks like a paper airplane. When a user presses this, they can share the post directly to another users (in direct messages) or in their stories (if they are tagged in it).

Ingredients of a Shareable Instagram Post

When it comes to creating shareable content on Instagram, there are a few key ingredients you need to keep in mind.

First up, Sharable content is content that appeals to and aligns so clearly with your ideal follower that they want to share it with their audiences on their accounts. It aligns so well with their values or thoughts or beliefs.

You want to be a thought-provoking, or funny, or entertaining. Also speaking about current events and trends is helpful in this space too!

The shareable post can also be educational. You are looking for someone to think woah this info/video/hack is so cool that I want to share it with a friend. This can also make a post save-able and we talked about that in a previous post.

So, if you want your content to get in front of more people, make it clear to people. Use share as a call to action. Suggest they share it with a friend, share it to their stories – we have to tell someone we want them to do! 

Quality content will get engagement based on user behavior, but if you tell them what you want them to do you’ll get more. 

Conclusion and Next Steps

If you're hungry for even more Instagram wisdom, be sure to check out our Strategy Guide: “4 Strategies to make Instagram your most successful place to market your business.” Trust us, you don't want to miss out on this.

So, what are you waiting for? Click the link above and get ready to take your Instagram game to the next level!

Today we are sharing a reel strategy that will get your save numbers up – which signals to the algorithm that your content is valuable and in turn will show your posts to more people.

Market Research – Why Would Your Audience Save A Post?

So first, we want to hone in on the reasons why we save posts. To really understand Instagram marketing we need to put ourselves in our audience's shoes.

What answers are your audience searching for when they are using Instagram? What are their pain points, or desires, and is there a list of information that would help solve some of them?

We asked Sue B. what she saves on Instagram, “I save posts that have workout routines and travel tips with destinations I’m interested in with a list of things to do there.

And that second one really hits the nail on the head when it comes to forming a post worth saving. A LIST! A list of valuable information that your audience can save and reference back to in the future.

As a business owner – think about how you can create a post that includes useful information for the future. A list of unique information that sparks, “OH, I need to be able to reference that later…”

What Do These Save-able Reels Look Like?

We’ll be showing you some Reels that got it right. Here on the first Reel (oh hey Morgan!):

We have a Hook at the top: “5 Reel Ideas to Educate Your Clients” … very fitting for today’s lesson! And a list of five ideas written out.

This reel is only about 8 seconds long, so probably not long enough to read the entire list. This is also part of a strategy! The audience, if hooked, will stay and let the reel loop (plays multiple times) so that they can read it, which also signals the algorithm that this is quality content.

In the caption (description text under the reel) we state a clear call to action, prompting the person watching to “Save this post for the next time you’re having a creative block!” Couldn’t be any clearer with what we want our audience to do!

Okay, so we’re going to share another example – one that isn’t from The Instagram Expert. This format displays a little different, but is really the same idea. A short video of B-roll footage, here you see Amy walking down her stairs (super simple right?), music is attached to this and I assume at the time of this Reel it was probably trending music, you can see the music down in the left corner.

She has her Hook that stays up on the Reel the entire video so it will catch attention. And then she puts her 3 ways to grow an email list on the screen about halfway through the video. Her caption goes into further detail for her audience to know about growing their email list in 2024.

So the pieces that put these Reels together are:

• Short b-roll video of you or behind the scenes business type things
• Strong HOOK
• A list of ideas or information
• Attaching music
• Call to Action

We always recommend adding in a short description with additional information and a call to action, telling the audience to save the post for future reference.

And that’s it! All of these instagram features require some practice to get it right. That’s why there’s a draft feature and a back button! You can get in the app and play around with these features, but keep it simple. The two videos we shared are less than 10 seconds long, with simple text and music attached and that’s it!

Simplifying is the best course of action and we can get stuck or overwhelmed when trying to do too much.

Conclusion and Next Steps

These types of Reels allow you to get your ideas out there, and give your audience a taste of your genius!

Creating Reels that are helpful to your audience and encouraging them to save or engage in another way is so important. So If you’re looking for more tips and hacks for Reels – Download our FREE Guide For Business Owners: “Discover 5 Easy Hacks To Make Your Reels Go From Boring To Amazing In Just A Few Minutes.” Whether you want to increase your sales, followers, or reach on Instagram, this free guide will show you hidden tools that make it possible!

Today, we're diving into how to use the Align feature on Instagram to create higher-quality Reels.

What is the Align Feature with Examples

So, what's the big deal with the Align feature? You’ve probably seen it in use. The fun effect that has transitions, change outfits, or incorporate props to make your video more interesting.

Sometimes it's challenging to get your videos lined up perfectly, especially when recording multiple clips. That's where the Align feature comes in handy!

Here are some examples we've made using this feature:

And we’ll be honest, the birthday hats one took us a long time to get right. So many clips! It takes practice to make this feature feel easy. But the outcome is so fun and worth it.  

How To Use The Align Feature For Reels

First, open Instagram and create a new Reel. Record your first clip and note where you end the first clip is where you’ll start the second clip but with something changed – like a new outfit, a hat, a coffee mug – maybe a completely new background like you take the first clip inside and the second clip out in the sun… 

When you're ready to start your next clip, you'll see the Align button is showing up now that you already have a clip recorded. You will have to click on the down arrow to expand the different features on the left side of your Reel.

Once you tap on the Align button, you'll notice a shadow screen that looks distorted. Don't worry, this is where the magic happens! The shadow screen helps you line yourself up with where you ended in your first clip.

This ensures that you have smooth transitions between your clips and avoids any weird glitchy cuts that can disrupt the flow of your video. It's a game-changer for creating professional-looking content on Instagram!

So remember anything creative does take time, and it does take practice.

Click the next button to watch your aligned transition in action, or click the back button to try again!

Next Steps and Free Resource

That’s it for this tutorial, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out in the comments, or in the DMs @theInstagramexpert.

And that’s not all. If you’re ready to take your Instagram presence to the next level and attract more followers and buyers? We've got you covered with our free training! In it you will discover how to get customers from Instagram in just a few hours per week, without worrying about looking like a total beginner or saying the wrong thing.

So, if you're ready to elevate your Instagram game, click this link to register for our free training. We can't wait to see you there!

Wish you could post a Reel without spending all the time and energy it takes to get mentally and physically “camera-ready”? Using the voiceover feature can help you create relevant and valuable posts in a pinch.

Let's dive into an example of posts we’ve done that are using the voiceover. 

Notice how we're using a collection of videos where we're not talking directly to the camera. This feature can be used by both product and service-based businesses.

Ideas This Will Work For Your Business

Now, let's explore some ideas that may work for your business with voiceover: You could use it to explain a process, show a day in the life, share your experience, give motivation, explain a misconception about your industry, or provide a business update.

The opportunities are endless! And remember, you can “build a bridge” between what is being shown in the video and what is being said in the voiceover.

So how do you go about creating something like this? We are going to walk you through it!

Step By Step Voiceover Walk Thru

Select a video on your camera that can represent or relate to your business in some way. Consider the intention of your business. What value are you providing to the future viewer? The Intention can be entertainment, inspiration, or education. 

Once you decide on the video footage you’re going to use, you can go ahead and click the plus icon on your screen and tap Reel.

Click your photo library on the bottom left of your screen to select the video or video clips that you’ve decided on.

This is where you can trim any of the clips if needed. You can make these kinds of reels short and sweet, or longer depending on your intention.

After trimming (if needed) and clicking Next, select “Edit video” in the bottom left of your screen.

This opens up the video edit screen where you can once again trim your video, add audio, control the volume – and much more. Instagram keeps adding features to Reel editing so definitely look around.

Scroll to the right of the icons at the bottom of the screen until you see Voiceover. Tap it, and use the white button to record your voiceover. It will count down from 3 for you. Make sure you are starting at the beginning of your video (or wherever you want your voice to come in.) Notice how long your video is and make sure you can say everything you plan to say within that time.

You can play back your recording and redo it if needed. Just click the play button to hear how it sounds, and discard it if you want to start over. Make sure if starting the recording over you move the white bar to the beginning of the video to indicate where you want your recording to start playing.

Another PRO tip is to select Volume from the bottom icon screen (right next to the Voiceover icon). This controls the different sounds on your Reel. You can have multiple sounds playing at once, or you can turn your camera audio down so the voiceover is easily heard.

Once you're happy with your recorded voiceover click Done, and you’ll need to determine your hook and use the text tool to add it. The hook is the first bit of text the audience will see and determines if they’ll want to stick around and watch the video, so it’s super important to include!

And if your voiceover is different or includes more than the hook, don't forget to add captions! A lot of Instagram users watch reels on silent, so you need captions to make sure they stick around for your entire video.

Next up is your typical Reel requirements – edit the cover photo – select profile grid where you can decide how your video and hook look in your grid. Then tag people or locations, add a description, and you're ready to post!

Next Steps

As we said before, the possibilities for this Reel idea are endless. It requires a bit of creativity and practice, but we believe that this is a great option for mixing up your content. It also gives you a different option than always being on camera, speaking to the camera.

Or maybe you want to highlight some pertinent info that doesn’t fit in the Bio section. If so, you're in the right place! Today, we're diving into the feature of pinning posts to the top of your Instagram grid.

What's this all about?

Instagram allows users to pin three posts at the top of their feed, making it easier for visitors to access key information. It's a feature that can benefit businesses and creators alike.

Strategically, this is a great place to feature an About Me post, highlight your main offerings, or showcase your highest-liked posts. For creators like artists or photographers, it's an opportunity to display some of your favorite work.

How to Pin Posts on Instagram

Let’s show you how to pin a post. Head over to your profile and select the photo or reel that you want to keep at the top of your feed. Click the 3 dots at the top right corner. And select “Pin to profile”.

You can always unpin something and change it out. To unpin them you just need to tap the 3 dots on the top right hand side of the pinned post, and scroll down until you see “Unpin from profile”. That’s it!

You can select up to 3 posts to pin and they will stay at the top of your profile for however long you want them pinned. 

Misconceptions of a Pinned Post

However, there's a flip side to this feature that we need to consider. Some argue that pinning older posts to the top of your feed could potentially confuse visitors. The date the post was originally published will still appear underneath, so if you have a pinned post from two years ago, visitors might assume you don't post regularly.

While that's a valid concern, I have a different perspective. Most visitors to your profile likely come from a current or newly made piece of content that brought them there. Whether it's a Reel they discovered on the Explore page or a post shared by someone they follow, it's unlikely they'll be deterred by the date of a pinned post.

It's all about considering the context and understanding your audience's behavior when navigating your profile.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Before we continue, we want to offer you a FREE strategy guide to help you drive traffic to your website, blog, or sales page and grow your online community.

Our strategy guide includes super easy-to-follow steps that you can start using right away! Click here to easily download. If you're ready to sell more with Instagram in 2024, this guide is for you!

In conclusion, pinning posts to the top of your Instagram grid can be a powerful tool for showcasing important content and making it more accessible to your visitors.

While there may be differing opinions on the potential confusion it could cause, ultimately, it's about understanding your audience and using this feature strategically to enhance your profile.

We hope you found this discussion helpful in navigating the world of Instagram.

Ever feel like your video looked way better before you posted it on Instagram? If you’re looking for a way to upload higher-quality videos and images, this tip is going to help your posts look more professional and get more eyes on your profile!

Higher Quality Videos and Images

Simple step by step:

Head to your profile and tap the three bars in the top right corner.

From there, go to settings and privacy and scroll down to where it says media quality.

Now, all you have to do is toggle the “High-Quality Uploads”  and make sure it’s turned on.

By turning on high-quality uploads, you're going to improve the quality of your videos on Instagram and help your posts stand out among the rest. It's a simple yet effective trick that can make a world of difference.

Imagine your videos and images looking crisp, clear, and professional. That's exactly what high-quality uploads can do for you!

Next Steps

Before we wrap up, we've got a special treat for you. If you want more easy hacks for your videos on Instagram, be sure to download our free guide “5 Quick and Easy Hacks For More Professional and Engaging Reels.” It's free and available in the description below.

Trust us, you don't want to miss out on all of the hidden features like this one today! You can download it by clicking the link HERE!

We hope you found this tip helpful!

We wanted to dive into exactly how she got these results. Highlighting the Instagram tactics that she has embraced and workflow strategies that are helping her succeed!

Lisa with @FlyingGoatFarm has really grown her understanding of Instagram. She has more than doubled her Instagram following, launching lead magnets, and growing email lists… Lisa's been busy! And has put in the work.

We are so proud of what she's accomplished. Her reach is really impressive, but what's even more fun to watch is the personality in her posts, the valuable content she shares, and the community Lisa is building.

We asked Lisa to share more of where she was before PRO and about her accomplishments since being in the program:

I’ve been in PRO since August 2023, so almost 6 months.  I have gone through most of the lessons at least once, some of them I’ve watched twice. Since that time, I have more than doubled my following on Instagram. I also launched a lead magnet last month and added 66% more subscribers to my email list.  I feel like all of the advice that I have received has led me to make the changes necessary to find my audience. 

Lisa shared a little more about the transformations she’s had:

I’ve been in business for a long time, but I was just treading water. It wasn’t growing. I knew that I had to change my mindset and do everything that the program offers.  If I didn’t do that, I would never know if this was money well spent or not.

The biggest transformation that I have had is being focused on who my ideal clients are and what they want from Instagram.  I have honed my message with help from the coaches. I have consistently shown up on Instagram and to my email subscribers.  

My workflow has also changed significantly. I’m following the tips and tricks to be able to have consistent posts, reels and now stories over the last few months. 

This consistency has brought me a huge uptick in followers and engagement of those who follow me and those who haven’t followed me yet. 

We love that she brought up a mindset shift. It really is the foundation for positive change. Then defining your messaging and being so super clear about it, calling in your right audience.

We asked Lisa what her favorite tip from PRO that she’s learned, and that others could benefit from:

My favorite tip so far is to use batching of your posts.  This way I spend less time per post to compose scripts, descriptions, hooks and CTA’s. I have more freedom knowing that for the next 2-3 weeks, my posts are ready to go.  I can now spend more time on other business projects. 

What Lisa would say to someone on the fence about joining PRO:

Pro offers so much content. When you are ready to receive the advice and ready to embrace a different  mindset, you will be able to make big strides in your business.  There is the extensive video library that gives you a good foundation, but it is the weekly office hours with the coaches and the weekly PRO call with Sue that gives so much benefit. 

I’ve gained so much confidence in the past 6 months. I don’t worry about being on camera. And I have the support and guidance of my coaches every step along the way.

Highlighting success stories can show someone who's maybe feeling discouraged or second guessing themselves, that this is possible. No matter your age, your niche, if your selling products, or have a service offering… you can be successful with marketing and growing using Instagram as a tool.

Curious about PRO and want to dip your toes in? Register for our FREE training!

If you're looking to learn more about Instagram Reels, this one's for you. Today we’re talking about audio for Reels.

Alright, let's start with the basics. There are two types of audio you can use in your Reels: what we call Instagram audio and original audio. Instagram audio is music or sounds that you can search for in the Instagram app. You can also use your own original audio by simply recording a reel and publishing it.

Instagram audio is really a creative treasure trove of sounds available on the platform. It could be music loaded into the Instagram audio library, snippets from TV shows, or even audio from other users' Reels.

Every Reel has an audio file associated with it. It is located in the bottom left corner of the Reel. It is clickable, and the audio opens up into its own little hub, to show information about the audio and the other posts that have already used it.

Identifying Trending Music

When an audio is “trending” it means lots of users are using the same audio. 

Identifying trending audio is pretty simple. While scrolling through Reels, look for the little arrow next to the audio—if you see it, that means the song or sound is trending. If you click on the song, it will take you to the song's hub – where you can save it for later use, or select “Use Audio” to create a Reel using the song.

But this is important – what's trending in one place might not be the same in another. We’ve found that different users can sometimes see different songs trending at a given time. This is most likely location-based, for example one of our clients might have a trending song in Canada that isn’t trending here in the US.

That does bring me to the fact that trending audio is a cool feature and could be a way to get seen by more people, but don’t hang your hat on this being the most important thing.  Trending audio won't save you from bad content. Focus on quality hooks, and engaging content, and let the trending audio be the cherry on top. 

Trending Music Library

Instagram's made it even easier to know what audio is trending.  There's a list of all the trending audio accessible in the app.

We’ve found it in a few places. Head to the Explore page, scroll through Reels, find that arrow pointing up, click on the audio, then hit the Trending arrow at the top. This will take you to Instagram’s library for trending music, and this is a relatively new feature.

How to Use Trending Music and Sounds

So, now that you know where to find it, how can you use Instagram music for your Reels? One way trending audio can be used rather easily is by adding it to what we call a “reality” Reel. This is a Reel format that we’ve named. These Reels use videos that show you in your real life.

These are so easy to create! You can use a video of you working at your desk, getting coffee, taking a walk, playing with your dog… and then add the music over the video with a Hook.

Conclusion and Next Steps

You now know more about audio in Reels, where you can find trending music, and hopefully have some ideas on how to use it…we hope this makes posting way easier!

Now, If you’re interested in learning more about Reels – we have a free resource so you can discover 5 Easy Hacks To Make Your Reels Go From Boring To Amazing In Just A Few Minutes

If you’re looking to increase your sales, followers, and reach on Instagram using the power of Reels, then this free guide will show you hidden tools that make it possible! You can click the link HERE to download it!

We can’t wait to see how you use the Instagram Audio for your Reels!

If you're a business owner navigating the Instagram landscape, this one's for you. Keep reading because we're about to break it all down: Personal vs Professional Accounts. And how to make the decision between the Creator vs Business accounts.

How To Tell If You Have a Personal or Professional Account?

If you're running a business on Instagram – you should not be using a personal account. Instead, you should use what Instagram calls a Professional account. You want to do this because there are special features that are available for professional accounts that business owners will love to have…we’ll go over that in this video.

When you navigate to your profile on Instagram and if you see a Professional Dashboard – this means that you already have a professional account setup. However, if you are logged in on your phone and you don’t see this, that means you have a personal account.

Where to Find the Setting to Change Your Account Type

1. Go to your profile
2. Tap the 3 lines in the upper right corner
3. Then tap settings and privacy
4. Account type and tools 
5. You’ll see the button “Switch to professional account”. 
6. Then you’ll pick a category that best describes your account (we have a hack for this)
7.  Choose between Business or Creator account. 

Which we’re going to get into now!

Business vs. Creator

According to instagram – a creator account is best for public figures, content producers, artists and influencers, while a business account is best for businesses looking to grow and reach customers.

Instagram's ever-changing, and our opinions on these accounts can be a bit like a rollercoaster. All professional accounts have some really cool features, including a contact button, and access to insights which gives you important information about who your followers are and the performance of your content. It also gives you some options to organize your direct message inbox. 

But if you are wondering which account you should be using – it depends if you use a few specific features. For us, we love a business account.  Why, you ask? Well, a few reasons. For a long time, it's all about scheduling posts.

Third party apps were not able to connect to creator accounts, only business accounts. And scheduling is a game-changer, saving us time and transforming our Instagram workflow. It is a deal breaker. We specifically love Planoly for it. Not only for the scheduling feature but for the planning. Recently, we’ve seen this may be evolving to include both account types…so we’ll see. 

We actually recorded another video on our channel that walks you through scheduling your Instagram posts for free on the app! You just need one of the Instagram professional accounts.  We’ll link that video below if you are interested.

Main Differences Between Creator and Business Accounts

Creator accounts automatically get access to Instagram's full music library because they don't face the same copyright limitations as businesses. Business owners need to use one of a few specific account categories to unlock the same settings. So I get it can be annoying but the fix is one of my favorite hacks.

Another important feature to know is that while both accounts allow users to add their preferred email address and main phone number on the profile, Business accounts have an extra option to add their location—their headquarters, storefront, restaurant location… You get the idea. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, you want that.  But, if you’d prefer to be contacted through DMs, both account types can remove their email address and phone number from their public profile, and simply have a “message” button instead. 

The last difference relates to those fun, call-to-action buttons that sit sandwiched between your profile bio and Story highlights. Business accounts can choose to include buttons that allow followers to order food, book now, or reserve, while Creator accounts don’t include the former. Like most of these features, they aren’t required and can be toggled on and off within your account’s settings. 

The Hack For Business Accounts to Have More Access

Back towards the beginning of this article we include steps to update your account type. During those steps, if you simply add “Entrepreneur” as your Category on step 6. This will allow a business account to have access to the entire music library that the Creator account has.

Conclusion

So, there you have it—the breakdown of business vs. creator accounts. 

The bottom line, it depends on how your business makes money. If you are a brick-and-mortar store – a business account is a must-have. If you are online only, a  creator account could work for you! 

What's your choice? You really can’t go wrong when you are getting to connect and engage with so many amazing potential customers on Instagram!

Reels are like your secret weapon for growing your business. They have great placement on the app, and often have more reach than your regular posts or stories. Today, we're getting into the nitty-gritty of building a process, specifically for creating Reels for your business.

Getting clear on what your commitment is to Instagram and making a few key decisions about your posting schedule can pay off big time.

As a business owner who has so many roles in your business, without concretely defining what you have to create on social media, you’ll probably end up feeling like you are caught on the social media hamster wheel. Let's dive into the 3 questions you need to answer to get started on setting up a Reel process.

The First Question to Ask Yourself

With clients in our PRO program and on our training, we always kick this off with this first question – How many Reels can you realistically do each week?

First, your current bandwidth. Assess your resources. Consistency is key in social media, so it's important to commit to a schedule that you can realistically manage. It’s better to post fewer times a week and show up reliably than to post and then ghost. 

It's crucial to maintain a balance between the quality and quantity of posts. High-quality, relevant content is more likely to engage your audience than a large quantity of low-quality posts  Now, this doesn’t mean that high production is required for high quality…or that every post should take you hours to create. 

Finally, know that you will eventually want to plan for a variety of content types and themes (educational, promotional, engaging) to keep your audience interested and engaged. There are different types of Reels, AND Reels will probably not be the only posts you are creating. So when determining what you commit to it's important to consider how much effort or how comfortable you are with the steps. 

Exactly, Often time with clients in our PRO program, we suggest you start with posting just 3x a week if you are brand new to Instagram. If you have more experience on Instagram and have the bandwidth to create more, great! But when you are learning the mechanics and a new process, the important thing is to START.  Go ahead and put in the comments below the number of posts you are going to start with? 2, 3, 4 – I want to see you declare your plan!

Question 2: Committing to a Posting Schedule

What days are you posting? Maybe it's twice a week, like Mondays and Wednesdays, so you can handle comments and engage with your audience. Choose days that work for you, and don't forget to share those Reels to your stories. 

This is important because you are probably doing a lot of different things in your business…so you control what days make most sense for you.  

We’ve found with our clients who didn’t grow up on social media, that it is best to first decide what schedule is going to work for you. There is so much to learn when you are first trying to understand what to post and how to post and so if we also overcomplicate things, it can often mean you end up quitting before you even start to see results. 

That is why making this commitment reasonable at first is the most important thing…especially if you are just starting out. You can always increase your posting frequency when you are acing it! 

Question 3: What types of Reels will you make? 

There are SO MANY OPTIONS on how to create on Instagram, picking and sticking to something can help decrease decision fatigue. 

We split Reels into two different types for our students. Reels with Original audio, like talking to the camera, and “Reality reels” with Instagram Audio. If you watch us on youtube (link at the top) we show a couple different Reels with the types to help clarify.

An account can get a good amount of traction by starting with these two formats. 

You can mix it up—to present your business in different ways to attract viewers. But deciding briefly on a format can help you get posting faster. If these types are new to you, we've got a whole video on Instagram audio dropping soon, so stay tuned!

Once your schedule is set—how many posts, what days, and what type of format—then you are more clear and more organized when you post.  You’ll be able to batch these posts, and make more than one at a time to work smarter. 

Next Steps

Putting together a process that works for you is so important. It will help tremendously with showing up each week, growing those followers and buyers from Instagram. And to do that, your posting plan has to fit into your life and make sense to you!

That’s just the start – if you're eager to explore more ways to get customers from Instagram in just a few hours per week, check out our free training!

You’ll walk away with 5 features any small business owner can use today to drive traffic and start making sales (even with a small following)… and so much more!

See you there