Instagram has become a practically essential social network for any company, all due to the importance and uses that users give to social networks. The different content formats on Instagram have changed a lot since it started on October 6, 2010.
At that time, it was a simple social network that aimed to share your photos or videos and little else. There were no stories, featured stories, reels, store, direct, or IGTV, among other features.
Little by little, like all current social networks, it evolved to become one of the networks with the most users of the moment. In this post, we will discuss the different content formats, what they consist of, and when each appeared.
What is Instagram?
We start by making a brief and quick summary of what Instagram is, in case you are a little confused and still don’t know. Instagram is a social network owned by Meta, very popular among young people that is mainly used to share photos and receive comments or likes from your followers.
In the same photo caption, you can add any comment or interesting hashtag that you see conveniently so that your photo reaches more people and has more likes. The photos you share can reach only your followers, or if you have a public profile, they can reach anyone who wants to visit it. This depends on the privacy preferences you have in your profile.
Content Formats on Instagram
Instagram has been evolving and adapting to what the public has asked for over the years to continue growing and becoming the fashionable social network among young people. Little by little, it has been adding new functions, and there are currently different content formats that we can use in our profile:
- Stories
- Reels
- IGTV
- Store (if you have a company profile)
- Publications
Stories
Instagram stories appeared in 2016. It is nothing more than a simple publication but only temporarily (24 hours). Once that time has elapsed, that publication automatically disappears from our profile. These stories can also be edited with emojis, photos, surveys, gifs, questions, questionnaires, etc… Within the stories, we have:
Featured stories: it is a format in which once the 24 hours have passed since you have uploaded your story, it is not deleted and remains in your profile feed
This type of story is the only way to save a story on your profile as if it were a publication.
Reels
Reels on Instagram are a relatively new format if we consider those mentioned above. On August 5, 2020, Mark Zuckerberg’s company launched this new format for uploading videos to Instagram.
These videos are usually very visual and have a maximum duration of 60 seconds. This format competes with Tiktok, which, thanks to the pandemic, gave the ‘boom’ and was the social network that grew the most in 2020.
IGTV
Instagram TV, like Reels, is a video format, but with many differences. This format, which arrived on Instagram on June 20, 2018, focuses on long videos of up to 60 minutes.
It is much longer if we compare it, for example, with Reels; this format is designed to upload more professional content, an interview, a talk, etc…
Live
Created in 2016, the live videos are better known as direct. They are transmissions that the user makes live for his followers. These directions can be shared with a viewer in the same order; questions can be answered if the one who does the direct allows it.
Also, if you have a smartphone with IOS, you can share photos or videos from your gallery directly for viewers to see. Once the live is over, you can leave your live uploaded to Instagram stories for 24 hours.
Store
Since 2018, the possibility of being able to sell directly on Instagram has been activated on Instagram. In this section, we have an essential requirement to take advantage of this function, which is to have a commercial or creator account to market your products.
The purpose of uploading this content in that format is none other than to sell your products. This function is used in any company profile today because it gives your website visibility and can also sell a product.
Publications
Who does not like to upload a photo of a site they have visited or a photo with their best friends? Yes, we know that you like the posture in your publications, and this content is still the main one on this social network.
All of the above are different content formats, but they are still complementary to the main posts we see in the feed. The publications have been made since Instagram began, and they have undergone modifications like almost everything, but it is still the basis and the beginning of this social network.
Instagram in your Company
You already know the different content formats. As you have seen, you have numerous options to decide and assess which one you want to use for your company. Not all functions are equally important, nor do they all have to benefit your company.
Remember, you don’t have to use all the formats to upload content; use the one you think will attract your audience.
Conclusion
You have reached the end, and yes, we know that you already knew many of these formats to create content, but indeed you have learned some more tricks that never hurt. Remember that the content must have an order, be well structured, and have a clear idea; it is not enough to publish a lot for a while and then leave the account.
Now is the time to create content on Instagram, and since you know all the formats, it’s up to you to choose. Which do you think is the best for your company?
Also Read: This Will Be Instagram In 2022