If you’ve spent a lot of time marketing your business on Instagram, you’re probably sitting on a wealth of material you could be using to build out blog posts.
Blog posts are still a very relevant way to engage an audience.
Short-form content is definitely the IT girl of the moment, but don’t skip out on its bestie, long-form content because it’s useful for different reasons. Long-form content is still relevant because it allows for an in-depth exploration of a topic and provides valuable information for readers. It can also help establish expertise and authority in a particular niche, leading to higher search engine rankings and increased traffic to your website.
And not to mention, it’s important to create content for a platform you actually own, like your website. You don’t own your Instagram account. Not the be the Debbie Downer here or scare you, but your feed could get hacked or disappear (or get banned!), so it’s important to not only diversify where you’re posting (by starting to post on additional platforms like Pinterest) but also to post on platforms you own, like your website.
So, let’s leverage that existing content you’ve already created, and get it over on your website!
Here are some tips for creatively using your Instagram feed to build out blog posts.
1. Sort through your Instagram posts and look for common themes.
One of the easiest ways to find inspiration for a blog post is to look at your Instagram feed and find common themes. For instance, you may find that you have shared multiple posts on the same topic, such as healthy eating or travel destinations. You can then take these common themes and combine them to create a robust blog post.
For example, if you’ve shared multiple pictures and captions about your travels to Japan, you can combine these existing posts to create a robust travel guide for Japan. You can write about the top places to visit, local cuisine, and what you can skip.
I also did this quick exercise for a client who had a content pillar of hormone health and she had multiple Instagram posts on her feed about each phase of your menstrual cycle – how to eat, workout, and live your life according to them. I went through and found all of the similar posts and broke them down into multiple blog outlines.
2. Use your captions as blog post intros
Your Instagram captions can be a great starting point for a blog post. They can provide a brief introduction to the topic you want to explore further in your blog post. Take a look at your captions and see if there are any that could be expanded into a full blog post. You can even use the same or similar wording to create consistency between your Instagram and blog content.
For example, if you shared a post about how to stay motivated to exercise, you can use the same caption as the intro to a blog post on the topic. You can then expand on the tips you shared in the caption and provide more detailed explanations.
When trying to figure out how to expand, think about:
- Personal examples
- How it can specifically be implemented: step-by-step details
- What would be helpful to expand on? Don’t just add words to add words
3. Break down carousel posts with multiple points into a blog
Carousel posts on Instagram allow you to share multiple pictures or videos in one post, and you can use them to your advantage when creating blog content. If you’ve shared a carousel post that covers multiple points on a topic, you can break down each point into a separate blog post.
For instance, if you shared a carousel post on IG about the 5 different ways to style a little black dress, you can break down each styling tip in a blog post with a similar title. You can then embed your carousel into the post to make it more dynamic.
4. Look at analytics for your top posts. Is there a topic that is the most popular? Expand on it.
Looking at your Instagram analytics can provide valuable insights into what type of content your audience enjoys the most. Take a look at your top posts and see if there is a common theme or topic that your audience engages with the most.
You can use this information to create more content on that topic – or simply use your posts as an outline and expand on them in a way that works for a blog.
For example, if you’re a beauty blogger and your most popular posts are about sunscreen, you can create more blog posts on the topic. You can write about the best sunscreen products for different skin types, tips for achieving healthy and glowing skin with sunscreen, and common sunscreen mistakes to avoid. Use the content that is already working and go deeper.
Your Instagram feed can be a great source of inspiration and material for your blog posts. By sorting through your posts, using your captions, breaking down carousel posts, and analyzing your top posts to leverage what’s working, you can build out your blog content and engage your followers on multiple platforms. So don’t be afraid to leverage the power of Instagram to grow your blog and engage your audience.
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