In 2020, Instagram created travel guides (or tips, guides). This is a selection of publications, products, or places. We will briefly explain how to create them and offer ideas on how to use the guides for brands and bloggers.
How to make an Instagram travel guide: step by step instructions
Instagram travel guide ideas for brands and bloggers
How to make an Instagram travel guide: step by step instructions
You can create a travel guide on any type of account : business, author, and personal, but only in the Instagram app. In the web version, you cannot create, edit or delete created guides.
Step 1. Creating a guide. Go to the account in which you want to create a guide. Click on the plus sign icon in the upper right corner and select “Travel Guide”. Next, select the type of Instagram guide:
Places
The best option for tour guides, travel agencies, establishments with many branches or bloggers. An example of a guidebook with locations . Select the desired geotag: you can use geotags from your publications or saved ones, as well as find any using the search bar. Next, mark the posts you want to add to the collection and click “Next”. This will add the first post to the collection. Then click “Add location” and add posts to other geolocations in the same way as in the previous steps.
Products
This type of travel guide is ideal for selecting products from your own or someone else’s accounts that have the Shopping Tags function enabled. Such a guide will be useful for shops and, for example, stylists or beauty bloggers. An example of a guide with a product.
Select “Store – product” – and up to 5 photos of each product. For example, a photo of a product in different variations: on the model from different sides, large fabric and stitching to demonstrate the properties of the product, etc. Click “Finish”. Then add other products in the same way.
Publications
A universal version of the guide that will suit everyone. You can collect your own or someone else’s saved publications into it. To do this, simply select posts (up to 30). An example of a guidebook with publications .
Step 2. Cover. The photo for the cover of the guide will be installed automatically, to change it, click “Change cover photo”. Next, select any publication from the guide, your posts or saved ones (even those that you did not choose for the guide). Unfortunately, you won’t be able to download the cover separately.
Step 3. Title. Write a title for the guide that accurately reflects the meaning of all publications and will interest subscribers. When you select a guide of the “Place” and “Products” types, the name will be automatically pulled from the geolocation or the name of the product (you can change it if you want). In the description, open the content of the collection and indicate the benefits that the reader will receive.
Step 4. Title and descriptionfor each post in the collection. If you want to add posts to the guide, click “+ Add places / products / publications” at the bottom. If you need to change the order of posts or delete one of them, click on the 3 dots to the right of the post and select the desired action.
Step 5. Publishing. Once you’ve added titles to all posts in the guide, click Next – Share to post the guide to Instagram, or Save to Draft if you want to post later or make some changes. After publication, the guide will appear in a separate section. To edit or delete a guide, open it and click on the three dots in the upper right corner. You can also upload it to stories or send it to Direct.
Instagram travel guide ideas for brands and bloggers
Previously, collections of publications had to be combined using branded hashtags or posted in “Actual”. The new section “Guides” is designed to facilitate navigation through posts and account. Here are some ideas for what guides you can create to get your subscribers interested and increase engagement.
Thematic selection with goods
Combine them with one theme. For example: gift ideas for the new year, winter care cosmetics, the best dresses from the spring-summer collection, etc.
Merge branches
In the profile header, you can specify only one address, and with the help of the guide, tell about all your branches. For example, for a chain of coffee shops, you can make a selection of your establishments, show the interior of each place, tell a story and show employees.
Tell a story
For example, how did you get into the profession, how did you start the brand. Or devote a guide to the company’s employees, in which you tell about each member of the team and their role.
Selection on one topic
For example: TOP places to visit in the city or the itinerary of your trip, useful books, interesting films, recommended skin or hair care products, instructions, recipes, etc.
Make a memo
For example, if you run marathons, master classes or online courses, then in the guide you can collect instructions on how to purchase / participate, what conditions and program, etc.
Collect reviews, cases or portfolio
This is especially true for the service industry to demonstrate their professionalism and build trust.
Collect news and updates from your industry on an ongoing basis
For example, every Monday, monitor posts for updates on Instagram and save them, and then collect it in a guide. Gradually, you can accustom your subscribers to such a kind of digest that they themselves will come to you to read the news.
Collect Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
For example, how to order, how much does delivery cost, your ongoing promotions, etc. Then such a guide can be easily sent to the client’s Direct if he has any questions.
A travel guide is one way not only to diversify Instagram content formats and make it easier to navigate topics, but also one way to increase engagement and reach . For example, you can make a selection with posts published six months or a year ago, but which have not lost their relevance. An ordinary subscriber is unlikely to browse to them, so the guide will give these publications a “new life”.
Also, a travel guide can become one of the ways to promote and increase coverage. For example, you can negotiate a mutual PR and recommend a selection of related products from other brands, thus exchanging audiences.