29 Scroll-Stopping Instagram Post Ideas to Fill Your Content Calendar
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.
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 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:
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.
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.
5. Tutorials and how-to's
How-to content is great for inspiring your followers and showing them how you do what you do.
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.
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.
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.
If you're a business, you could experiment with a new production process or materials.
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:
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!
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.
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.
13. Hints and sneak peeks
Use Instagram to generate buzz for upcoming content or exciting business updates with a cheeky preview.
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.
15. How it's made: Your production process
Creators and businesses alike can show what it takes to get to a final product.
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.
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.
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.
19. Meet the team
Brands: Spotlight the people who make your product possible and show your appreciation for their hard work
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.
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.
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.
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.
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