We’ll walk you through the basics that every Instagram post and Instagram image should have. We’ll also give you tips on how to create the best content for your brand.

After years of posting content on Instagram, we were able to identify the common features of our most successful posts.

The 5 Most Important Elements of a Top Instagram Post

1. High quality content

This is Instagram 101 – visuals are EVERYTHING. Instagram photos are the most important part of your profile. If you’re not posting high-quality visual content, then you don’t have much to offer on this platform, and it won’t stand out in the sea of other branded content.

Not every brand will have the budget for expensive equipment, a professional photographer or a video team, to create high-quality Instagram images. Even renting a DSLR camera or hiring a freelancer can make a difference.

Choosing the right color palette is different for each brand. Some studies show that blue shades over red will get you more likes. But we’ve found that quality, significance, and consistency make the biggest difference.

Pro tip: Try using Photoshop or Powerpoint to edit your photos instead of just relying on the standard Instagram filters.

2. Emphasized title

While high-quality visual effects are the heart of Instagram, every worthwhile post will include a well-thought-out title. Your headlines should follow the basic principles of good writing: be clear, error-free, and include a clear call to action.

There is a trend towards long editorial-style Instagram captions. If that makes sense for a post, it’s worth a try. As a general rule, you should always exclude unnecessary words in order to be attentive to the audience’s time.

Pro tip: Include a call to action in your post that directs people to a link in your bio.

3. Relevant hashtags

Hashtags are an essential part of finding and engaging your Instagram community. If you make your content discoverable, you have a better chance of attracting new followers and getting more likes and comments. According to a study by Simply Measured, posts with a hashtag have an average of 12.6% higher engagement than those without a hashtag.

There’s no magic number of hashtags to use in a post, but if you use more than 10, it can start to look like spam. It’s always better to be selective and ensure that they are relevant to your brand, industry, and campaign. No matter how many hashtags you use, you should always hide them in the comments or use a line-break to avoid clutter.

Pro tip: Always double-check hashtags to make sure they mean what you wanted them to mean.

4. Community Engagement

If you want your community to be involved in the story, then you need to get involved. Instagrammers understand that building a community through reciprocal involvement in a story is one of the best ways to grow your followers. You should respond to all comments with as much useful information as possible.

Using Instagram to post big news is an effective way to build a community and engage your superfans. It’s something that celebrities do really well and something that more brands should be using.

Pro tip: Try to make a preview of the event or exclusive ”behind the scenes” photos and videos on Instagram.

5. Follow the recommended specifications and dimensions

If you’re making a video or taking photos for a social media campaign, then you should know some of the guidelines for the social network where you intend to post content. The content should be specifically designed for the channel to be as effective as possible.

Instagram provides the technical specifications that all posts should follow. Here are the best practices for Instagram videos:

• Length 15 seconds
• Up to 20 words per video-frame
• Square format
• Optimized for Soundless Viewing

Pro tip: Create your Instagram content for mobile devices.