40 cool things to post on Instagram for more followers and likes

You can use Instagram for more than just posting pretty pictures. It’s a great way to engage your Knowledge Commerce audience through images, hashtags, and captions.

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Brainstorming cool things to post on Instagram can seem like a daunting task, so we’ve done the hard work for you. Following are 40 things to post on Instagram for better engagement, sharing, and exposure.

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1. Behind-the-Scenes Shots 

Whether you work from the comfort of your bed, surrounded by cute pups, or you have a co-working space downtown, give your audience a glimpse of your work behind the scenes. It’s transparent and honest — two qualities that consumers admire in a business.

If possible, make the photo as impromptu as possible. Don’t style your office so it looks like an excerpt from the Pottery Barn catalog. Instead, show off your workspace in all its messy glory.

You don’t have to share photographs of your home or bedroom. Entrepreneurs who want to protect their privacy can work from a local coffee shop or other public space. The goal is to give your followers a glimpse of your process.

2. Your Why

What gets you out of bed in the morning? Why do you work so hard that you sometimes fall asleep at your desk?

Your “why” is your reason for being. Post an image on Instagram that encapsulates your reason for sharing your knowledge, whether it’s your child, spouse, or passion in life.

The concept of one’s “why” comes from leadership expert Simon Sinek. He believes that, when you make decisions based on your why, you’ll be more successful in business as well as in your personal relationships. Plus, you’ll attract people who share your values and beliefs.

3. Your Short- and Long-Term Goals

Many people use Instagram not only to announce their goals, but to track them. Whether you’re setting a goal for the day or for the year, keep yourself accountable by posting your objective on Instagram.

Goals keep us working toward something, whether it’s selling online courses or growing your email list to 5,000 subscribers. It could also be something more abstract, though goals work best when they’re measurable and achievable.

4. Your Morning Routine

What do you do when you get up in the morning? Do you pound four cups of coffee? Do you take a long walk to clear your head? Are you busy getting the kids off to school?

Entrepreneurs have discovered that sharing personal stories and information can prove just as effective as sharing business-related posts. When you give your audience a peek into your daily life, you let them know that they’re part of your inner circle.

5. Reposts From Fans and Followers

Nothing says “I appreciate you” on social media more effectively than reposting something a fan or follower has shared. You send the message that you’re not all about your business — you want to see others succeed, too.

Make sure to track your business’s name or branded hashtag on Instagram. If someone else uses it, give the post a signal boost. Not only will you earn the respect and gratitude of your follower, but you’ll also spread the word about your brand.

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6. Ask Your Audience to Tag a Friend 

The goal on social media is to increase your audience organically. Don’t buy fans or try to cheat the system. You’ll get caught. Worse, your engagement will suffer — along with your brand.

One way to increase your reach is to encourage your audience to tag their friends. However, you need a compelling reason for them to do so.

For instance, let’s say that you build online courses for photographers. You could ask your audience to tag their shutterbug friends who could benefit from a free lead magnet you’ve produced on landscape photography tips or a gear guide. It’s a great way to show off your generosity while expanding your audience.

7. Ask Your Followers to Share Their Opinions 

We all love to share our opinions. You can capitalize on that fact by asking your followers for theirs.

What do they think about your new mini-course idea? What topics would they love for you to cover in future blog posts? Are they interested in joining a membership site with premium content?

Make sure to use hashtags effectively and to ask a simple question that doesn’t require much thought. You’re looking for maximum engagement.

Additionally, invite your followers to loop in their friends on the conversation. They can tag other people on Instagram to give your post a signal boost.

8. Polls

Take the opinion idea a step further and host an Instagram poll. Give users two or three options (preferably written on the image you share) and ask them to comment with their response.

9. Feature a Customer

People love to feel appreciated and admired. Give that gift to one of your customers. Choose a name out of a hat or go with someone who has devoted significant time to your business or brand.

You might feature a customer who has earned a certification or other honor related to your industry and because of your online courses and other digital products. You could also interview a customer for your blog, then share outtakes on Instagram.

10. Provide a Tip or Trick

You don’t want to write an entire blog post as a caption for an Instagram post. However, you can share a cool tip or trick that you think might help your audience overcome a problem or achieve a goal.

Think about little hacks that have made your life easier. It should relate to your Knowledge Commerce business in some way, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Include a photograph that illustrates the tip or trick well. You don’t need pro photography skills. In fact, many of the most-shared photos on Instagram have a very amateur quality about them.

11. Share a Tutorial

Use a series of Instagram posts to share a tutorial with your audience. Each post is a step in the process.

Remember to number the posts so your audience understands that each one is part of a series. Use each photo to illustrate the step, which will help your followers keep up with you as you complete a goal or process.

12. Inspire Your Audience With a Quote

 An inspirational quote can get your audience in the mood to learn and grow. It can be a famous quote from someone famous or something you’ve said that has resonated with your followers.

Consider including your quote not only in your caption, but also on your photo. These types of Instagram posts often get the most shares because they’re easy to spread to other audiences.

13. Remind Your Audience About Your Blog

If you have a blog (and we recommend you start one), remind your audience it exists by sharing an Instagram post that mentions your latest article. You can include the words “link in profile” so your audience knows to check out your profile to get the link.

Just make sure you update your profile link so that it goes to your blog’s main page or to the latest post in particular. That way, your followers won’t have to hunt down the post they want to read.

14. Talk About What You’re Reading or Watching

Are you reading a fascinating new book that would interest your audience? Share a photograph of it and leave a brief review as the caption. You can use hashtags like #nowreading to make sure that your posts show up for book lovers.

The same goes for #nowwatching or #nowlistening. Share television shows, YouTube channels, music, examples of courses, and other arts that have inspired you lately. They can relate to your industry or niche or simply provide entertainment or inspiration.

15. Mention Your Favorite Tools

Have you discovered a brilliant new tool that makes your life easier or more manageable? Don’t keep it to yourself. Instead, promote it to your so they can check it out, too.

16. Spread the Word About Cool Apps

Apps sometimes take massive promotional efforts to get off the ground. If you stumble across one that solves a real need or helps improve efficiency, give it a signal boost through your Amazon profile.

Often, promoting other people’s digital products can result in a quid-pro-quo situation. That’s not the only reason to help spread the word about another brand’s products, but it’s a side benefit that can help you grow your business. Plus, you associate yourself with that brand.

17. Post a Reminder to Join Your Email List

Want to grow your email list? Ask your Instagram followers to sign up. Make sure to explain the benefits of subscribing, such as getting coupons and free tips and advice. Include a link in your profile to your email opt-in form.

18. Showcase Someone You Admire

Is there someone in your industry who consistently delivers amazing content, inspires other creators, or brings cool things to the industry? Celebrate that person on Instagram. You’ll associate your brand with that person and perhaps even connect at a later date.

19. Post Really Cool Statistics

Statistics get shared on Instagram and elsewhere because they’re usually shocking. To that end, you don’t want to post a boring or lackluster statistic — you want to share something that will capture your audience’s attention.

How much is your industry worth? How many people participate in your hobby? You can use websites like Statista and Statistic Brain for quick research. Just type in a keyword or phrase related to your niche or industry to find related statistics. Then incorporate the numbers you find into a compelling image.

20. Change it Up With Timely Posts and Newsjacks

Newsjacking is when you steal a topic from the headlines and spin it to relate to your industry. For instance, if there’s a news story about craft bloggers, and you create online courses that teach people how to do crafts, you could link to the story and add your own spin.

Newsworthy and timely posts won’t last long in terms of readership, but they’re great for fast-moving feeds like those on Instagram. Plus, you can take advantage of the news story’s searchability. Just make sure to use this tactic responsibly. Don’t newsjack a tragedy, for instance, to benefit your brand.

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21. Add a Dose of Humor

If you’re funny, use that quality to your advantage. Humor works well on Instagram, especially if it’s easily demonstrable in graphic format. A funny photograph or video can get shared hundreds or even thousands of times.

Just remember that humor should always be appropriate. If your audience consists primarily of conservative women, for instance, you don’t want to post an off-color joke about female rights. That would just alienate your audience and result in a negative brand image.

22. Admit Something That Didn’t Work

Own up to your failures when you need things to post on Instagram. Share a story about something that didn’t work out, whether it cost you thousands of dollars or simply resulted in disappointment.

Others can learn from your failures just as they can learn from your successes. Plus, when you’re willing to admit to a situation that didn’t work as you’d planned, you add transparency and honesty to your brand image.

23. Share Compelling Illustrations

You don’t have to be an artist to share illustrations. Scrawl an interesting image on a napkin, take a photograph, and post it on Instagram. Hand-drawn images often get lots of shares and reposts because others can connect with them.

24. Launch a Co-Campaign

Struggling to find things to post on Instagram? Partner with someone else. Start a co-campaign with another Knowledge Commerce professional or an influencer whose work relates to your industry. You can combine your audiences, which might result in more exposure.

25. Engage in Content Promotion

When you create a piece of content, don’t forget to share it on Instagram. You want it to get as much exposure as possible, and Instagram offers a new platform of potential audience members.

26. Don’t Forget Product Promotion

Your digital products can prove valuable for Instagram fodder. Use images related to your Knowledge Commerce industry, then use the caption on your Instagram post to feature one or two of the most powerful benefits that users can derive from purchasing that product.

You don’t want to overwhelm your audience. Choose one product and just one or two benefits at a time. Dig deep into the reasons people should purchase that product and how it might affect their lives.

27. Showcase Your Products in Action

You can also demonstrate your products’ features in an Instagram post. For instance, if you teach people how to play the piano, provide a video of one of your customers playing part of a piece. If you teach spirituality, ask your audience to submit photographs that mean something to them spiritually.

This is also a great way to attract user-generated content. When people take the time to create an image or video that relates to your brand, it means that they find your products particularly valuable. It sends social signals to others, too, that you’re someone who creates worthy products.

28. Talk About Upcoming Events

Are you attending an event in the near future? Did you just return from an event? Post about it on Instagram! It’s easy to connect with your followers in the online world, but you can also remind them that you exist in real life.

Not only that, but promoting events can get you more exposure. People who are searching for that event on Instagram might discover your post and begin following you because of your shared interests. Additionally, the event’s hosts or organizers might repost whatever you write to promote the event, which brings even more exposure.

29. Share Cool Videos

Remember that Instagram isn’t just for images. Videos often get shared and viewed more because they’re highly engaging.

Share videos that you’ve found around the Internet or create a video. Don’t worry if you’re camera shy. You don’t have to appear in the video — a screencast or an audio clip while you film beautiful scenery can work well.

30. Make a Hyperlapse Video

Hyperlapse videos are relatively new to Instagram. They allow you to create timelapse videos with your smartphone. Use this feature to provide increasingly engaging content and to demonstrate something that would normally take longer than an Instagram video.

31. Make a Statement With Animated GIFs

Animated GIFs can be just as engaging as videos. They have the added benefit of being funny. Add your own text if you want to participate in a meme or just let the GIF speak for itself. Use the caption to add your own unique commentary.

32. Host Contests and Giveaways

Contests and giveaways work particularly well on Instagram. People love to win free stuff, and the people who don’t win might buy your digital products after they see how much buzz they’ve generated.

The great thing about Knowledge Commerce is that you don’t have to worry about inventory. Giving away free access to your online course doesn’t cost you anything. Plus, you don’t have to take the time to box it up, ship it, and track the delivery.

Both giveaways and contests are also great chances to promote user-generated content. Ask your followers to mention your brand or branded hashtag in their entry posts. You’ll get more exposure as well as interest in your digital products.

33. Add Visual Interest With Mosaics 

Mosaics combine multiple photos into one post. They often prove more engaging than single images, and you can use those images to tell a story. Add a unique caption that encapsulates the story you’re telling through the images.

34. Repost From Your Employees

Reposting from your customers’ accounts can be great, but don’t neglect your employees. They’re part of your brand, so repost their Instagram posts to give them signal boosts and to show that you’re united in creativity and knowledge.

In addition to gaining more attention on Instagram, you’ll also show your employees that you care about them. A solid team behind your brand can mean the difference between success and failure.

35. Share How People Can Connect With You Elsewhere

You probably use other social channels besides Instagram. Maybe you’re on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and WhatsApp, as well. Let your followers know so they can connect with you on other platforms.

Don’t forget to mention your Kajabi sales pages, landing pages, and blogs. Do this in individual posts.

36. Cross-Promote Another Social Media Account

By that same token, you can often cut your social media time in half by cross-posting. Just because someone follows you on Instagram doesn’t mean that he or she also follows your Twitter feed. Post the same content on Twitter and Instagram so the post does double duty.

Just remember to change up your caption, image, or other elements to suit the medium. Twitter posts are, by necessity, very short, so you might want to add more meat to your Instagram captions.

37. Share a Blast From the Past

You’ve heard of Throwback Thursday (#tbt), right? It’s a hashtag trend on social media that encourages people to post old photographs on Thursdays. Of course, you can have Throwback Monday if you prefer — just post an older image when the inspiration strikes.

Consider relating it in some way to your business. For instance, if you teach online courses on music, you could post a photograph of you at your first piano recital.

38. Make a Recommendation 

When you can’t think of other things to post on Instagram, recommend something to your audience. It could be a piece of software, a book you think people would love, a fantastic restaurant in your city, or anything else.

39. Hold a Hashtag Contest

Who doesn’t love coming up with new hashtags? Host a contest for the best branded hashtag for your business. The winner gets a super prize, such as one free month of access to your membership site or free access to your mini-course.

40. Announce That You're Hiring

Maybe you’re ready to grow in new ways. Let your audience know that your Knowledge Commerce business is hiring and that you’re accepting applications.

Make sure to mention the precise positions that are open for new applicants. You can also include any requirements for candidates so you don’t get resumes from people who lack the necessary qualifications.

You can also ask your followers to share the post with their networks. Maybe one of your followers isn’t looking for a job, but one of his or her friends would be perfect for the position.

Do you want to monetize your social media with digital products? Take this quiz to find out how.

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Conclusion

Instagram is arguably one of the most powerful tools for reaching your audience in creative, engaging ways. The mobile-first platform prioritizes users who check their accounts on their phones and tablets, which adds another dimension to the culture. But, you can also post to Instagram from Mac or PC - not just your phone.

Knowledge Commerce professionals can harness Instagram to humanize their brands. It’s not just for e-commerce entrepreneurs and lifestyle influencers.

You have build your business on the knowledge you possess. Instead of sticking to the traditional methods of dispensing knowledge, find new ways to help people understand the concepts or skills you teach them.

Instagram can help.

From posting behind-the-scenes photos and videos to sharing animated GIFs and recommending other Knowledge Commerce professionals you trust, there are dozens of ways to leverage Instagram for your brand.

To challenge yourself, consider devoting one day for the next 40 days to each of these different things to post on Instagram. Let us know how it goes!

Use Kajabi to Turn Your Knowledge and Content Into Products You Can Sell 

You can’t beat Knowledge Commerce when it comes to making money online. It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry that keeps growing by the day.

That’s why we built Kajabi. We’ve provided you with an all-in-one platform that allows you to create Knowledge Commerce products, promote them to your target audience, and grow your following.

However, you can also use other tools that might help you build your brand for free. Instagram is just one option.

Best of all, you can repurpose the things you’ve created in Kajabi when you run out of things to post on Instagram. Share a clip from your latest webinar, a photo that someone took of you while you were creating your online course, or a screenshot of something new you’re working on.

The possibilities are endless. That’s why we at Kajabi have devoted our lives to Knowledge Commerce.

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