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Ideas for Creating Your Most Effective & Engaging Instagram Posts for 2025

ideas for instagram posts

Both Carousels (multiple slide posts) and Single Posts are still important on Instagram for building rapport with your existing community - even though Reels have recently stolen their thunder in terms of reaching new people.


This post is to guide you through some ideas of how to create engaging posts which generally do well in each of the formats, and they are applicable to most small businesses, especially those in health and wellness, or where you have a personal brand.


I also have a post which does the same thing for Instagram Stories, if you'd like that info too!


Ideas For Instagram Carousels:


⭐ Step-By-Step Storytelling: 'I started here, then did this, then this happened, and that's how we got here...'


⭐ Photodumps: Carefully curated images that fit well together! Popularly used for 'this month' or 'this week' or even one particular event. Help people feel like they were there!


⭐ Before & After: Most of us cannot resist a transformation... ideally photographs, but words from clients and customers will work too.


⭐ How-To Guides: Share a skill or process, either for your community to try, or to give an insight into how you do things.


⭐ Product or Service Details: A chance to showcase it upfront, and then focus in on your favourite details and features. Invite questions, too!


⭐ Sharing Reviews: Screenshots or quotes from happy clients and customers, grouped by product or service (i.e. they all loved 'x')


As of 2025, some people have an update where you can share photos of varying size in one carousel, but check that this is the case for you and that your slides won't be cropped when you post!


Also, bear in mind that the second image will sometimes be shown first in people's feeds (which is a good thing, because it means it's getting featured twice!)


Ideas for Single Posts:


  •  'People' photos of you and your team or collaborators - a personal touch goes down really well, including pets!!


  •  Celebratory announcements and teasers - not sales or discounts, but joyful news that you're sharing with your community, like a milestone, new location, or a birthday!


  •  Infographics - saveable, useful information that is also visually appealing. Something that people want to come back to.


  •  Relatable quotes - if a meme makes you go 'YES, THIS' then sharing it it a great way to show your community the wavelength that you're on. The ones who relate will be able to align themselves as 'your kinda people'.

ideas for instagram posts

What To Avoid:


  •  Overt Sales Content


  •  Heavy Filters


  • 'Wide' Landscape Images (unless there's a good reason for it, like being a landscape photographer!)


  • Videos which aren't in the reels dimensions (they'll get shared to Reels feed, be cropped, and look odd!)


Any questions, just message me on Instagram or comment on this post and ask. Someone else is probably thinking the same thing and will be grateful you did!


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