The Solo Creator Playbook

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Platforms

Instagram

Summary

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Instagram is a social media app that allows users to share photos and videos.

Instagram was launched in October 2010, as a part of the social media platform Facebook. In 2012, it was spun off into its own company. It has since grown to become one of the most popular social media apps in the world with over 800 million active users.

There are many different types of content that can be shared on Instagram: pictures and videos, carousel posts, short clips, and stories (posts that disappear after 24 hours). There is also a live video feature which allows users to stream live videos from within the app.

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Types of Instagram Content

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Photo post

This is the original post type as Instagram started out as an app for photographers before quickly blowing up and becoming a platform for everyone. These days video posts get more love but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for your photo posts.

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Carousel post

This post type allows you to share 10 images or 10 60-second video clips. You can post an assortment of photos or a “slide-show” to provide more detail or context around a subject. This is also a way to post a 10-minute video although there will be breaks in between and the user must swipe between each clip. (Alternatively, you can post a full length 10-min video without the breaks as a Reels post

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Video post AKA Instagram Reels

Video posts are the highest priority for social media platforms, so they see even higher engagement rates than photo posts do. Whether it’s for a short-and-sweet video announcement or a longer, artfully shot vid with a narrative, video can be incredibly compelling.

On Instagram, video plays automatically in the news feed, so you’re all but guaranteed to catch users’ attention. It’s the perfect trap! You can pique even more interest and command more attention to your videos by adding captions. So even if a video automatically starts auto-playing on silent, the user has more than enough context.

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Instagram Live

If pre-recorded videos aren’t your thing, try dabbling with Live. Instagram Live video is a live-streamed broadcast, right on your Instagram account. When live your account image will show the same pink gradient glow that highlights your image when sharing stories, however you will also have a “live” label to indicate this is a live recording as opposed to a IG story.

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This medium is very, very popular — in spring 2020, Instagram live blew up with interviews shows, artist’s creating on stream, and musical performance from amazing artists worldwide. It even spawned the hit series Verzuz, where two artists compare catalogs by going track-for-track.

Live video is an intimate, authentic way to connect with followers. These broadcasts can be used for Q&As, behind-the-scenes tours, product demos and much more.

Creators can also invite up to 3 other accounts to join them on stream, leaving open even more possibilities for broadcasts such as interviews, podcasts, and other collaborations. As it currently stands Instagram Live sessions can be up to 4-hours in length and can be saved to your profile for up to 30 days for those who weren’t able to watch in real-time.

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Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories are photo or short video posts in vertical format that disappear after 24 hours. Photos appear for five seconds, and videos can be up to 90 seconds long.

Instagram Stories live at the top of the News Feed. This might be why more than half a billion people view Instagram Stories every day.

Instagram Stories last for 24 hours, or you can save them to a highlight reel so that people who visit your profile can view them any time.

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