What Makes a Good Instagram Post in 2023

If you want to stand out on Instagram, knowing the building blocks that make a good Instagram post is essential. 

That’s because, in 2023, Instagram users will settle for nothing less than the best content possible. 

With more brands committed to giving audiences what they want, it’s no wonder users are becoming increasingly choosy about the content they’ll consume.

So, think about it; what do you think makes a good Instagram post? A sleek, modern design? Professional photos?

An obsession with following specific trends?

In 2023, the answer is no. In 2023, users are craving personalization, relatability, and tremendous value — along with a few other traits.

If you’re wondering how to captivate your audience’s attention on Instagram every time you post, you’ve come to the right place. 

In this article, we’re revealing the top 11 pillars of a good Instagram post in 2023.

Pillar 1: Value, Value, Value 

Pillar number one is if it’s not going to add value, don’t post it. 

When it comes to Instagram, sharing value is crucial. It’s what keeps audiences curious, engaged, and coming back for more. 

When considering what kind of value you should include in your post, ask yourself:

What’s one key takeaway my audience can walk away with that will benefit their lives?

Can you teach them something they’ve always wanted to know? Can you solve a common audience pain point? Can you create an ebook, a guide or a tool they can use to improve something they care about?

For instance, if you take a look at stock trading app profiles Robinhood and Webullglobal, you’ll notice Robinhood has significantly more followers. 

Why do you think that is? 

The answer lies in the intrinsic value Robinhood conveys. 

If you pay attention to Robinhood’s posts, they’re highly focused on teaching users key trading tips they’re eager to know:

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On the flip side, Webullglobal’s posts are more promotional about their stock trading services and therefore don’t convey as much value to their audience:

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Bottom line? Focusing on delivering value versus being overly promotional is the most important component of a good Instagram post.

Pillar 2: Personalization 

The second key aspect of a good Instagram post is personalizing content with your audience in mind. 

Your audience isn’t interested in hearing about how awesome you are all the time — or why they should buy from you. Your audience wants to know that you’re attentive to their needs, you see them, and you care about what they want. 

Personalization is about:

• Refining your message, so it aligns with your audience’s preferred communication style
• Covering topics your audience cares about most
• Using data to enhance user experience 
• Creating content your audience has asked for

Pillar 3: Relatability 

If building meaningful connections with your audience is important to you, then you’ll love witnessing the power of relatability.

When your Instagram posts are relatable, you not only connect better with your audience, but you also humanize your brand in a profound way.

How?

Because when you’re relatable, your messaging comes across as authentic, honest, and transparent. You’re no longer just a logo, a product, or a storefront — you’re a living, breathing person.

To breathe relatability into your posts, follow these tips: 

• Bring up topics your audience cares about or are currently talking about 
• Highlight ideas, solutions, or thought leadership points your audience has shown previous interest in
• Ask your audience what they’re currently thinking about or going through
• Express your frustration with common audience pain points and provide solutions to each one 

Pillar 4: Intentionality 

Posting for the sake of posting is an ineffective strategy and poor use of company time.

To truly stand out on Instagram, commit to being intentional with each post you create. 

When planning your posts, ask yourself questions like:

• Why should we post this?
• What’s the purpose of this post? 
• Why is this post important to our brand and our audience?
• What do we want our audience to do after reading this post and why?
• Will this post benefit our audience? Why or why not?
• What goals do we have for this post, and how can we achieve them?

Pillar 5: Inspirational 

The fifth pillar of a good Instagram post is inspiring your audience with thought leadership or positive content. 

Your Instagram posts in 2023 should be filled with content that your followers feel good about seeing on their feed. 

For instance, in a world where everyone is comparing their social lives and net worth to celebrities and wealthy influencers, @TheFinancialDiet has created a safe and inviting space on their Instagram page:

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If you take a close look at its content, you’ll notice it’s uplifting and encouraging — which says a lot for a finance company. Talking about money in an inspirational way not only makes @TheFinancialDiet more approachable, but it also empowers users to make smart financial decisions without feeling overwhelmed.

In other words, thought leadership content can empower us to take inspired action while gently pushing toward conversion.

Pillar 6: Accessibility 

If you’re interested in reaching a wider audience, making sure your Instagram posts are accessible is crucial.

Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind when making your content more accessible:

1. Consider censorship 

Before posting anything, double-check that it doesn’t contain sensitive content that could be blocked by parental control technology or censored by Instagram.

2. Consider the hearing and visually-impaired 

Make sure your posts are accessible for the hearing and visually impaired by adding closed captions and sound to narrate each post. You can also include a transcript, an audio description, image descriptions, and alt text to improve accessibility even more. 

3. Consider your graphics and visuals 

Keep your posts accessible by making sure your visuals are clean and easy to understand. For instance, use emojis sparingly in case you have audience members who use screen readers. It’s also important to stay away from any distracting or fancy fonts that could harm your posts’ readability.  

Pillar 7: Engagement 

Great content isn’t about posting and then walking away. It’s about creating an environment that sparks conversation and engagement — an environment that builds relationships and community.

When planning your posts, always ask yourself:

• How can we get our audience to respond to this post?
• Why is our audience’s response important?
• What kind of engagement should we expect to see from this post, and why?
• What does our audience have to gain by engaging with our post?
• What kinds of questions should we ask our audience?
• How do we want to respond to our audience in the comments section?

For instance, creating contests and challenges is an effective way to create shareable posts that encourage heavy audience engagement. 

Another way to encourage engagement is by infusing games into your posts, like lead scoring platform Breadcrumbs does, here: 

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And finally, you can also just keep it simple with a call to action like “what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.”

Pillar 8: Honoring the Algorithm 

The eighth most important pillar of a good Instagram post is honoring the algorithm and using it in your favor.

To take advantage of this tip as best as possible, be sure to build in algorithm research into your marketing tasks. That way, you’ll always be in the know if something changes.

For instance, the current Instagram algorithm favors creators who post Reels. 

Reels offer better visibility and boost shareability, which makes them a great addition to your Instagram content. 

For example, this reel posted by the company Tailor Brands has over 10,000 plays.

Short-form informational videos like these are much more likely to get the attention and “follow” of new users than traditional static content. This is not only because this type of content is more engaging, but also because reels are featured more heavily on the platform through both the main feed and the reels page as well. 

Pillar 9: Supportive Visuals 

When it comes to adding visuals, focus on using ones that support your storytelling and capture your audience’s attention. 

For instance, if you’re planning a post about your latest product launch, consider including a video that shows off your new product suite.

Or, consider using a how-to video to demonstrate how to use your new products. Or, take it one step further by creating a Reel featuring five happy customers who have tried and are gushing about your new products.

To make sure your visuals always stay on brand, consider using a photo editor like Picsart. If you need a more robust editor, check out Adobe Lightroom. You can also find professional images and graphics on sites like Canva and Pexels.

For more information on what Instagram content tools you should use to ramp up your Instagram, check out our guide here.

Pillar 10: Potential For Repurposing 

The best Instagram content is the kind you can repurpose for other campaigns and social media channels. 

Content marketing can be absolutely exhausting when you’re always creating brand-new content. In other words, why create once and walk away when you can use that content ten times over?

When planning your Instagram content, always ask yourself:

• Can we use the visuals in this post somewhere else?
• Can we repurpose this post for use in Stories or Videos?
• Can we break this post up into a series?
• Can we share the text or message from this post somewhere else?
• What other ways can we churn out this content?
• What specific ways can we repurpose this post?

Pillar 11: Don’t Forget About Your Bio 

And finally, don’t forget about utilizing your bio, too. 

While perfecting your posts is essential, it’s just as important to create a bio that sells. 

Why? 

After your audience digests a post, they may decide to visit your profile to learn more about what you do and to check out your other posts. 

By making sure your Instagram bio reflects what you do, why you do it, and who you can help, you can encourage more audience members to take action and move closer to conversion. 

If you need some inspiration for your bio, we have over 1,050+ examples you can check out here.

Wrap up 

With countless brands committed to giving audiences what they want, users are becoming increasingly choosy about the kind of content they’ll consume.

That’s why knowing the building blocks of a good Instagram post is essential to standing out on Instagram.

By focusing on the 11 pillars we shared today, you’ll be on your way to captivating audiences and delivering tremendous value on Instagram.

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