fbpx
Creative Tips

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business

December 18, 2020

Grey Loft Studio
We met online 10 years ago, fell in love, 3 babies, lots of cameras, and here we are. Want to know more about our story? 
Top Categories

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business is a truly underused new feature that people aren’t talking about enough. If you have a business we want to share with you how this tool can be used to bring your clients to the next level all within the app! Currently, if you have a guide you want to share you ask clients to go off the app into another platform.

What if you could simply just have them click on your stories to browse? You may be thinking but of course, I want people to go to my site or affiliate link to buy things. What if you could just easily round up all your favourite things with no work? That’s the beauty of guides, you can just pick posts that are all about a certain topic. It’s using content you’ve already created. What feels better than having your business featured alongside other amazing businesses?

Using Instagram Guides for your Business Marketing in 2021

Today we are covering how to create an Instagram Guide, what we use them for, and why you should be excited about using guides within your business. Sometimes new features can feel a bit overwhelming to a business owner. We get that. With all the changes and different features changing spots it can get overwhelming. We want to fix that. This is one of the easiest tools you can start using today that your clients will love.

How to Create an Instagram Guide

First of all, if you aren’t sure what a guide is this is the best way we can describe it. It’s a catalog of posts, similar to a blog that is featured on a separate tab on your Instagram. Now you won’t see this tab until you actually create a guide. You can see it looks a bit like a leaflet or a “guidebook” Icon that will show up after you first create one. I used my own Instagram Profile to create these posts. You can check out our website for more info.

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business - Instagram business - weddings - florists - Ottawa venue - Ottawa Wedding venues - local florists - wedding dress - instagram reels - how to create guides - how to use insta

To create on just hit the + button at the top of your home screen and you’ll be taken to a spot where you can choose what you want to create.

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business - Instagram business - weddings - florists - Ottawa venue - Ottawa Wedding venues - local florists - wedding dress - instagram reels - how to create guides - how to use insta

After you click the plus sign, you’ll be taken to a menu where you can choose from the following options:

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business - Instagram business - weddings - florists - Ottawa venue - Ottawa Wedding venues - local florists - wedding dress - instagram reels - how to create guides - how to use insta

Click on Guide and you’ll be able to start the creation process. You’ll have the choice of three options. Places, Products, or Posts you can create a guide around.

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business - Instagram business - weddings - florists - Ottawa venue - Ottawa Wedding venues - local florists - wedding dress - instagram reels - how to create guides - how to use insta
I chose places for this guide.

Once you choose, you’ll be brought to a spot where you can see all the photos that we’re geo-tagged to that place. For my profile it shows all the geo-tags that I’ve used on my profile. You can also search for a specific place as well.

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business - Instagram business - weddings - florists - Ottawa venue - Ottawa Wedding venues - local florists - wedding dress - instagram reels - how to create guides - how to use insta - how to add location - locations
Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business - Instagram business - weddings - florists - Ottawa venue - Ottawa Wedding venues - local florists - wedding dress - instagram reels - how to create guides - how to use insta - adding locations - location - location guides

Choose your own work or other vendors’ work to feature them

At this point you can start to choose your photos or other people’s photos if you wish to feature them. Now since I know I have taken photos and video’s at this location, I choose my own. The best is that you can choose photos or videos which is really a fun way to showcase a spot.

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business - Instagram business - weddings - florists - Ottawa venue - Ottawa Wedding venues - local florists - wedding dress - instagram reels - how to create guides - how to use insta - adding location - title

Once you’ve chosen your spot you can change the cover Photo and Add the title. Instagram uses a “greyed out” text to guide you on how to create your guide. It’s really super simple and straight forward. If you get stuck on what to write you can always head to the company’s website to grab descriptions they use. If writing is holding you back, don’t be afraid to ask a friend to help.

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business
Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business

At the end once you’ve completed writing and selecting your posts you have the option to share it or save as a draft so that way you can save it for later.

Select a Curated Guide that boosts Engagement and Client Experience

You can add your favourite photos or video’s to the guide and then add descriptions as you see fit. It’s truly a great tool for you to talk about your business. For instance, this venue Le Belvédère has many areas or spots that are unique just to this location. They have getting ready spaces, outdoor patio spaces, accommodations for guests.

These are all things that should be featured in the guides and shared with clients. As a client myself I know that I become obsessed. Sometimes binging their profile or website. Instagram Guides are a way for you to select the features you want to highlight without it feeling “sales-y”. The save feature is also hot. Make sure you ask couples to save. I find I have to ask people over and over to get results. It’s not always fun, but it’s worth it.

What we use Instagram Guides for in our Business

We’ve created only 2 guides so far but they’ve done so well. I get a lot of shares and feedback from clients about saving them. More engagement than I would get with a simple post. I always tag vendors involved and share it to my Instagram stories (with tags as well) and always get lots of shares.

If you aren’t using guides this way you should. We are also planning to do an about us section, our favourite poses section, organization tips for a wedding day for example. We want to curate a list of all the tips and tricks in our business so clients can easily find whatever they need, and perhaps what they didn’t need.

Why you should be excited about using Instagram Guides in your Business

Using Instagram Guides to Grow your Business in 2021 is such a great way to do something a little different with your marketing plan. Whenever social media giants introduce new tools and features it’s always a good idea to start using them as soon as you can. They will be favouring people who do and it’s a great opportunity to jump in before everyone else. It doesn’t have to be perfect and you can easily go in and edit Instagram Guides later. It’s time to do something a little different with your marketing for 2021 and this is a super-easy way to do it.

For more marketing tips on using Instagram to grow your business, check out our Youtube Channel where we dive deeper into using Instagram Guides for your Business.

https://youtu.be/IQLx0LCmbUQ

Add a comment
+ show Comments
- Hide Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Browse By Category

Wedding

Engagement

Studio

Podcast

On the Air

The Path to Business Podcast

We’re husband and wife team, school of Youtube graduates, full-time wedding photographer and videographer and share all our best strategies & experiences that we’ve learned along the way.

LIsten in
WORK WITH US

Our Services

We promise to guide you through the process in a care-free way. Our bright and natural style gives you that romantic feel with a splash of fun. The perfect reflection of your day.

WORK WITH US

Get on the list

Get exclusive early access to some of our seasonal sessions and more! We love to share about our life, tips & tricks, and our most recent work. You don't want to miss a thing.

Feel free to connect with us on Instagram 

yes, I'm in!

Get on our mailing list by completing the fields below

Instagram

We love to stay connected with our clients.
Follow us on Instagram and say hello!

@greyloftstudio