The Best Types of Instagram Posts for Engagement
The types of posts you can share on your Instagram feed have evolved over the years. Currently, carousel posts have the highest average engagement rate; however, average engagement rates have dropped for all feed post types over time. Due to the growing popularity of short videos and TikTok’s emerging success, competitors such as Instagram have prioritized Reels.
But don’t worry! For those who are not ready to jump into Reels, we still have carousel posts that have consistently outperformed image and video posts over the years. First, time spent is an indicator of Instagram’s algorithm, and people spend more time scrolling through a carousel post than a single photo. Second, albums appear in feeds more than once, increasing the opportunity for likes, comments, and shares.
These key interactions help the algorithm determine feed ranking:
- Time spent: Are you going to spend time on the post?
- Likes: How likely are you to like the post?
- Comments: How likely are you to comment on the post?
- Saves: How likely are you to save the post?
- Taps on Profile: How likely are you to tap on the profile after seeing the post?
Photo dump
Being consistent and building a genuine relationship with your followers is the most powerful way to “hack” the Instagram algorithm.
Lastly, the format encourages more authentic and personable snapshots, also known as the photo dump trend. Photo dumps are a great way to connect with your audience through authentic imagery rather than the pressures of “picture-perfect” filters and hyper-edited content.
One way to create engaging carousel posts is by reposting user-generated content. This increases brand loyalty, promotes products, and bolsters engagement.
Another way is to curate photo dumps, it is an opportunity to show a less filtered version of yourself or your brand.
A third way is to give a glimpse of behind-the-scenes. This humanizes you or your brand and creates a connection with your followers.
So even though Reels are the biggest focus right now, image, carousel, and video posts are not a lost cause. With the right strategy, people can still see huge results (especially from carousel posts).
