Remember when we told you Instagram is here to stay and you should really, really consider this platform for your business? Well, it’s half a year later and this social network is only getting stronger.

Not only is Instagram a way to shape your brand’s personality and identity, it’s a powerful visual tool for an increasingly visual audience. And when I say increasingly visual, I mean that 90% of info transmitted to the brain is visual, and 40% of people respond better to visual information than plain text. It’s no wonder Instagram is so popular!

90% of info transmitted to the brain is visual & 40% of people respond better to visual info over plain text!

Similar to other social networks, posting regularly on Instagram (at least three times a week) is a best practice. Sharing a variety of posts—like nutrition, recipes, fitness and DIY— casts a wider net to grab the interest of your entire audience. To help provide some inspiration, here are seven types of posts you could share:

Recipe inspiration

Instagram is filled with beautiful photos of scratch-made recipes and food concoctions. Show off your website’s best recipes by making and photographing them, or use the recipe image straight from your website (if it’s high-res). And unlike your website, you don’t need to spell out the entire recipe. The picture and corresponding caption with hashtags will do all the work!

For example: Let’s say you grow mushrooms, and you’ve just made a scrumptious mushroom soup. Only, you completely winged it and absolutely do not remember the recipe. Not a problem! Post the picture with a caption like “Hit with the desire to make homemade #MushroomSoup” and accompany the caption with hashtags like #homemade, #soup, #healthy, #mushrooms, etc.

DIY/Pro-tip

This is a fun way to show your followers (and potential new followers) that you are a valuable source of helpful info. Create a beautiful table setting and snap a pic. Use a drinking glass to peel a mango (or share any other produce “hacks” you may know of). The point is, Instagram is a very visual way to show off the many ways you can cut, peel, prep and decorate with your products.

Example:

Natural Delights, recently shared the fun idea to reuse their container as a plant holder! Who would have thought of that?

Another example: Fall is on its way. Now’s your chance to make that homemade candle you’ve seen on Pinterest, post it on Instagram, and let it provide DIY inspiration for all your followers. Make sure to use hashtags like #DIY, #Fall, #decoration, etc.

Product placement

Consider product placement within Instagram as a sort of real-life advertisement.

See the difference between Taco Bell’s Instagram photo below on the left, and the traditional ad on the right? The one on the left is perfect for Instagram because it looks real.

You can do this too. Show your clamshell container by an office desk with a hand reaching in. Show your juice bottle laying in the sand while you’re out on the beach. See what I’m getting at here? Showcasing your products and packaging in a subtle way (like Taco Bell has done in the bottom left of the Instagram photo) gives your audience a little sneak peak of what you have to offer.

Farm photos

As a niche marketing agency that services fresh food brands, let us let you in on a little secret: farm photos on social media are really popular. Consumers—particularly millennials—want to see where their food comes from, and they care just as much about a brand’s story as their products.

For example: Chipotle recently shared a farm photo on Instagram where they’ve tagged Earthbound Farm. This shows an incredible opportunity for produce brands to connect with foodservice while still resonating with consumers.

Contest or Promotion

This can be an extension of an existing contest or promotion you have going on, or you can create an entirely new promotion that is just on Instagram.

Example: Are you encouraging your Facebook fans to enter a contest or sweepstakes? You can do the same thing on Instagram too. Just make sure to use hashtags like #win, #prize, #giveaway, etc.

Spontaneous

Spontaneous photos are another great way to humanize your brand and build your Instagram personality. Maybe there’s a monsoon outside, maybe Sheryl’s husband just walked in with their new puppy. Whatever it is, why not share it with your followers?

For example: Our coworker Brock Nemecek will be riding at Tour de Fresh this October, right before Fresh Summit. When his official cycling jersey arrived to the office, we were all so excited that we had to share it on Instagram. Nothing fancy, nothing formal. Just a fun way to connect with your audience!

Inspirational

The same content that inspires you to get up and ready for a busy day is likely to inspire your followers too. You can share a favorite quote, a powerful image, or even craft your own motivational content.

For example: September 11^th is coming up. Snap a picture of a flag, a field, or anything else that seems applicable, and use a photo-editing app like Aviary to overlay an inspirational message over that photo. Maybe it’s a quote from the president, maybe it’s your own message. Either way, your audience can appreciate an image that’s meant to support and inspire.

Regardless of which tactic you try first, remember that you don’t always have to talk directly about your product or brand. You shouldn’t, in fact, because the same 80/20 rule that applies to other social media applies to Instagram too. It’s a new platform that businesses are adopting, so best practices are an ever-evolving, gradual process. But now that you’re informed with ways you can connect with your followers, it’s time to grab some supplies and start photographing!

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