12 New Ways to Share Content with Instagram’s Updated Posting Feature
This post was originally seen on Medium.
We were excited to hop on Instagram late last week and notice that users can share more than one photo or video in a post! We saw this rumor floating around r/socialmedia recently and was happy that it actually came true. It’s obviously a technique to get users to share even more content on the platform.
Instagram realized that users were getting into the habit of only sharing their best content. Now users can highlight their best photo or video from a certain event and follow it with content that was previously thought to be of lesser quality.
While some of our friends do not think they will use this new feature, I know it will be a hit. We are huge fan of this because we are the Instagram users that swipe through ads we find interesting in order to see what else a company is selling. Additionally, we are the users who can never decide which picture to post when we have so many good ones. :)
We were thrilled to find that the new posting feature allows us to edit each photo or video with individual filters. However, we wish it was possible for each item to have its own unique caption. Is that too much to ask? Possibly.
If you are wondering how to use this brand new feature, keep reading!
Here are 12 ways you can use Instagram’s new feature of sharing 10 stories / videos in one post:
1. Recipes & Food Angles
While some of us will not take pictures of our food, there are plenty of Instagrammers who run accounts where thousands of followers anxiously await their next meal.
The new photo posting feature allows chefs to show each step of their recipe from prep to the finished product. Since we can tag different accounts in each photo, it is easier for chefs to shoutout the brands they are working with to prepare meals.
This is also great for food bloggers who take great photos from many different angles! There is no longer a need to post numerous photos back-to-back.
2. Birthday Shoutouts
Instagram users love to shout their friends and family out on their birthdays. For some, a birthday photo post consists of a collage or the best photo of many they can find with the birthday guy or gal. Now users can post up to 10 fun, or embarrassing, photos on that special someone’s birthday and users can actually see them without having to zoom in.
3. New Store Arrivals / Sale Items
We follow a few different clothing stores on Instagram that post new additions on a daily basis. It is great for them, but somewhat annoying on our feed (and wallet!). Now these stores can simply share their new arrivals, as well as items on sale, in one post.
4. Hair / Makeup Tutorials
There are numerous makeup artists, nail technicians and hair stylists on Instagram who love to show off their creations. However, some may not have video editing skills, enjoy being on camera or even like to hear their voice during playback. With this new posting feature, artists can share their content step-by-step, and really show details that video may not be able to grasp.
5. Behind the Scenes Content From Photoshoots
Professional photographers obviously love to share their best images from a recent shoot, but there are often plenty of bloopers that will obviously not be published. To seem more realistic, photographers can share their best shots in the early part of the sequence and then show behind the scenes or funny shots that did not make the cut.
6. Workout Progress Shots
Personal trainers can consider posting progress shots of clients using the new swipe feature instead of a collage. Posting more photos across a longer time span will show people the real deal! There is also the potential to show more detail without being annoying as trainers can better highlight the improvement of many different parts of the body.
7. When You Simply Cannot Choose Just One Photo
Think about the last time you had a selfie session or took photos with your friends. You probably had a good number of photos in the stash and either decided to post them all or simply had to choose the best one.
While it still may be annoying to your followers, and a little vain, it will prevent you from having to choose between photos that probably all look exactly the same.
8. Throwback Thursday
Instagrammers love Throwback Thursday (and Memory Monday, Flashback Friday, etc.) and typically use the day to show photos from their childhood, a past holiday, or a recent vacation. Now users can post all of their vacation photos at one time instead of waiting a few weeks and then using a caption along the lines of “Take me back to the most amazing trip ever.”
9. Promoting Events
We know a few event / party planners who often jam our feed up with continuous flyers and photos from past events. Now they can simply post the best photo(s) from their events and end the post with the flyer for the next event. It is no secret that Instagram users prefer to engage with photos that have people in them, and they are less likely to stop scrolling for a flyer.
10. Announcing a New Blog Post
Bloggers can also use idea number nine on their Instagram feeds as it can get annoying to continuously make a new text graphic announcing a new post. Try posting photos and videos of content that your users already enjoy and then place a call to action at the end of the sequence in addition to your caption.
11. Continuation Shots
While we have not seen this yet, we are looking forward to users and brands experimenting with photos that look like they are “moving” as you swipe left. An idea that comes to mind is a single person using the Abbey Road crosswalk in London and it appears they are walking across the street as we swipe. When you finally see this on Instagram remember where you read it first!
12. Spot the Differences
Last but not least, we can see brands running contests on Instagram with this multiple posting feature by sharing stunning eye-catching photos that have a few differences. By asking followers to figure out what is missing or what has changed between the two photos, marketers are gearing up for a high level of comments while showing that their brand can also be fun.
So what did we forget? We know there are so many other ideas and concepts us Instagrammers can come up with. Let us know in the comments!