Instagram Best Practice Guide for Brands

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May 2017
Instagram best-practice guide to content creation
www.november.digital

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Table of contents
1. Overriding principles
2. Understanding the visual principles
3. Ways of using video
4. Other formats to consider using
5. Approaching Instagram Stories
6. Writing on Instagram
7. Inspirational Instagram accounts
8. The Checklist
9. The Specifications Sheet

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Overriding principles
1

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Images Speak a Language Everyone Can Understand
They tell stories that engage
us on a human level
They arouse emotion, and
spark imagination
They transport us to places
we’ve never been to
They powerfully document
moments in time
They force us to
question established views
1 Overriding principles

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| Involve an element of craft, to make your posts intriguing
and eye catching. Instagram is a platform for art lovers - be
sure your content reflects this
| The content you create for Instagram must be tied to your
campaign goals
| Colours, composition or photographic style, are ways
to ensure your Instagram content is brand ownable and
instantly recognisable - no matter the format used
The 3 key factors to follow for when creating content
Symmetry
@ lastsuspect
@Gopro
Begin by aligning a creative concept to your
objective for the channel
@Oreo @Movember
Make your posts uniquely recognisable to
your brand
Ensure your posts are artistically well
put-together

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Key principles to understand
| Avoid simply pushing your product / brand onto your
audience
| It can be part of the image, but needs to add to the
story you are trying to tell
| Having a clear concept helps to make your content
recognisable, across a wide range of imagery
| Content that shows high levels of craft, experiences
strong user engagement
@muradosmann
 
 

What else helps make for a good Instagram post?
1 | A creative, artistic, perspective
2 | High quality images, that pack a punch even
when viewed small on mobile
3 | A clear visual story, achieved through the
consistent use of elements such as colour, crop
or exposure
4 | Identifiable brand colours, and using them
to compliment each other when used across
posts
5 | Images that are instantly recognisable as the
brand’s
6 | Get more bang for your buck by using a
portrait image or video
1 2 3
4 5 6
@Harisnukem@Royspeople @jasonmpeterson
@fromwhereidrone
@Anderson._paak Iconic Guinness

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What can make for a bad Instagram post?
1 | Unreadable overlaid text
2 | Unviewable assets - not following a
mobile-first approach
3 | Dry, boring corporate images
4 | Standard stock photography
5 | Images absent of any creativity / artistic
direction
6 | Images that do not speak the brand narrative
1 2 3
4 5 6

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The visual principles
2

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Symmetry
@ lastsuspect
@ humzadeas
Visit the Instagram Blog for more inspiration and tips from top photographers
| Focal points are important, as when you look at a visual your
eye generally needs a ‘resting place’ - something of interest to
really hold it. Without it, it’s all too easy for viewers to simply
glance at a visual and then quickly move on
| Obviously the more interesting the focal point, the better
| This takes into account how we view images - by breaking
it down into thirds (vertically & horizontally. This gives you 9
parts, revealing the central grid where the eye is drawn and so
where the important parts of the image should sit
| Not all images are suitable, but it is something to consider if
possible
| The human brain has a preference for symmetry - it is fine tuned
to detect it and so we’re attracted to it. Symmetry is therefore
engaging
| Always look to see if an asset can be centred or cropped to
make it symmetrical
2 The Visual Principles
Focal point
@iwwm @ lastsuspect
Rule of thirds Symmetry

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Symmetry
@ lastsuspect
@__darkwhite__
| Using elements of a scene to your advantage to draw focus
into a single narrative
| This can be done in various, and infinite ways but traditional
ways are focusing on silhouettes, contrasts and graphic shapes
to create a natural path for the viewers eye to follow
| Shooting from unexpected angles arrests the attention of
the viewer as it shows a very familiar world, from a completely
unfamiliar vantage point
| The devil is in the detail, and this can be true for visuals. A close
up focus on a part of an image can transform the visual into an
unexpected piece of art
| Visuals must be high in resolution to do this
Framing
@jacobsantiago @ lastsuspect
Unexpected shooting angles Detail

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@ christopher.james
| Like shooting from unexpected angles - this technique is
about disarming the viewer by showing them a scene from a
very familiar world, but in a completely unexplainable scenario
| It creates incredible intrigue and engagement
Out of the ordinary / Disarming
@ christopher.james

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Ways of using video
3

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Symmetry
@ lastsuspect@ underarmour
| Videos can be up to 60 seconds in length. But videos 15 seconds
long tend to perform the best
| Make sure the user can understand your video when the sound is off
| The thumbnail of the video is critical in attracting viewers. Make
this the most important frame
| Within the first 3 seconds is when you’ll either lose or keep a
viewer. Get the message of the video across in this time-frame
| Be aware that videos auto-play and auto-loop in users feeds.
Something to consider with how your video begins and ends
| A still photographic that has minor elements moving
| Within Instagram it will appear as a seamless animation, which
like videos auto-plays and auto-loops
| Brilliant way to transform video footage into a new highly
engaging format
| An effect to apply to photos that isolates the different layers of
a photograph, and then moves them at different speeds
| Much like cinemagraphs, a Parallax video brings still images to
life making them far more interesting to the viewer
3 Ways of using video
Standard video
@ohjimmyfilms @ wjgbcreations
Cinemagraphs Parallax

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Symmetry
@ lastsuspect@framelapse
| Timelapse videos are an effective way to show a series of
moments over a period of time
| The action is a scene is sped-up and the camera is either static
or very slowly moving
| Timelapses allow users to quickly digest a scene played out
over a longer period of time
| Scenes with lots of movement and animation lend themselves
well to Timelapses
| A Hyperlapse is just like a Timelapse but with a broader range of
motion
| The camera can be moved across considerable distances, and
follow complex motion paths and camera angle changes
| Instagram has a standalone app that lets you create this type of
content. The app stabilises the content you capture to give it a very
professional finish
| This is a brand new technique which allows a still photograph
to be transformed into a completely moving video on an infinite
loop
| It works in a way where it redistributes key pixels on a time-line
to give the effect of motion
3 Ways of using video
Timelapse
@ benpossible @ keahideaboitiz
Hyperlapse Plotagraph

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Other formats to consider using
4

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Boomerang
It’s not a photo, it’s not a gif. It’s a short fun video.
Boomerang takes a burst of photos and places them
together into a high quality mini video that plays forward
and backward.
Layout
This app lets you place together a collection of
images into a single post.
Avoid messy collections - make sure the photos
are all similar in style.
4 Other formats

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| Live stories can be accessed through the ‘Stories’ camera. Once in here, simply swipe to the ‘Live’ mode
| The live broadcast will not be saved as a video. So users can only view the content when it is being broadcast
live
| When someone is broadcasting live, their Story icon will have a ‘Live’ badge placed over the top
| Much like Facebook Live, viewers can interact with the content by leaving comments, and likes etc.
| Given it is live, it is a video that cannot yet be edited. Therefore it’s worth considering the moments you are
broadcasting live - it’s advisable to avoid particularly important events
| Users can find Live videos (of the accounts they are following) at the top of their feed, and also in the
explore section (of the accounts they are not following)
Instagram live
@thebodycoach
4 Other formats

| This format takes advantage of the view of a users
profile page.
| As shown in the examples to the right, a large image
can be created by placing together a collection of
other single images.
| Given the format, it is crucial to try to ensure the
individual posts (that make up the large image) can
hold their own as individual visuals - with unique copy
too. Remember users first see single pieces of content
in their feed first - only when they click onto the profile
will they see the full collection of visuals.
@Anderson._paak@orhganic
Photo grid takeover
4 Other formats

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TO NOTE:
| Some brands have recently avoided doing the larger
image split between squares as a grid takeover, and
gone for line takeovers (by uploading similar themed
creative in three images to take up a full line)
| This is because grids will break when new content is
published, so they can quickly lose their effectiveness
| Again, this highlights the importance of images
needing to be able to standalone
@veuveclicquot
@nikelab
@ greygoose
Photo grid takeover
4 Other formats

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Approaching Instagram Stories
5

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| Taking inspiration from Snapchat, Instagram Stories is a feature that
allows users to post content that will vanish after 24 hours of being
published
| The introduction of Stories, has seen brands publishing high quality
content in their feed, and using Stories to publish rougher, more
real in the moment content. Behind-the-scenes views, takeovers
(employee or influencer) and real-time events are all popular ways
brands are using the feature
| Content needs to be uploaded to a Story by using a devices camera,
or by accessing existing content in the device. To note, the content
must have been captured in the last 24 hours
| To use content that has gone past the 24 hour window of use, just
simply re-download or save the content as a new file
| Additional features are always being added to Stories, to enhance
the content you are capturing. To date, you can add text, stickers,
filters, drawings, emojis and location tags to the photos and videos
you make. You can also use Boomerang, add in navigable URL links,
and mention other accounts
| At the moment, viewers on an Instagram story cannot like or
comment on the content
@NASA
5 Instagram stories

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| Stories will not appear in a users grid of content. Instead their profile
picture will have an Instagram ring of colour around their profile icon
| Instagram Stories from users followed appear in the stories feed at the
top of the page. They are ordered algorithmically
| Instagram Stories from users not followed appear as circular avatars at
the top of the Explore screen
Stories feed
Explore feedUsers feed
5 Instagram stories

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Content considerations
How brands should be using Instagram stories
| Stories is not the channel to use really stylised post within, instead use natural real-time content.
| Share behind-the-scenes content. Especially live experiences such as an event.
| Avoid creating content that looks like an advert / sales pitch.
| Focus on the lifestyle associated with your brand, something which can be done by capturing an
experience not just the product.
| Place CTA’s within your stories to further motivate viewers to act on the feeling your Story is giving them.
| Allow *influencers to take over your Stories. This provides you with the opportunity to reach a new
audience, and to create content that you know the target audience will be interested in.
@mancity
*Influencers are a great way for brands to reach a larger audience. Influencers
are able to create relevant content, for the right kind of people in an authentic
and engaging way - their audience already trusts them.
5 Instagram stories

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Writing, on Instagram
6

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| Use copy that enhances the story the visual is telling
| Avoid longer captions. Let the visual tell the story, don’t allow the
copy to steal its thunder
| Instagram crops the copy on mobile. Be sure to include the key
messages within the first three lines of text
| Avoid placing text on images to help to tell the story. Trying to do
this is normally a good indicator that the image being used is not
strong enough to tell the desired story
| You cannot place clickable links within Instagram captions.
Therefore ‘link in bio’ is the accepted way for getting around this
| However, you can use clickable links in paid posts by using a CTA
button
6 Writing on Instagram

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Using Hashtags
The Why
| Hashtags help to increase the reach of your posts, as users often
discover content by clicking on or searching hashtags of interest
| The chances of new users being exposed to your content can be
greatly increased through the use of hashtags relevant to their interests
| Hashtags are another good way to provide meaning to a post. For
example a hashtag could reveal that the post is related to a wider
campaign
The How
| Hashtags work best when they are relevant and targeted. Using vague
generic hashtags, such as #InstaFood are largely ineffective
| Identify Hashtags that you can own - both branded hashtags and
campaign specific ones
| Avoid overusing them within the accompanying copy to the post.
Good practice is also to include additional hashtags within a comment
of the post

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Tagging
| Like using hashtags - tagging other people in your content, or tagging a
location greatly increase your chances of discovery by non-followers
| Tag other Instagram handles when relevant either in the caption, using
“Tag People” when drafting, or after posting by tapping the image
| Add locations to photos as appropriate to appear on image maps of
that destination

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Inspirational Instagram accounts
7

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Symmetry
@ lastsuspect
@ adobe
| Their product is something that aides creativity
| So their account is set up to inspire the potential of creativity
by showing amazing creations using their software
| This takes into account how we view images - by breaking
it down into thirds (vertically & horizontally. This gives you 9
parts, revealing the central grid where the eye is drawn and so
where the important parts of the image should sit
| Not all images are suitable, but it is something to consider if
possible
| The luxury fashion house doesn’t rest on it’s laurels when it
comes to being an innovator in the way it markets itself.
| They recently commissioned a competition amongst the design
community to come up with the best ‘meme’ about their newly
launched watch.
7 Inspirational accounts
Adobe
@nikelab @ gucci
Nike Lab Gucci

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Symmetry
@ lastsuspect
@gopro
| Naturally, the creator of an extreme-sports camera is going to
have amazing content. But their platform is great at showcasing
more than the product benefits - it focuses on a specific
lifestyle, and a type of person which on the whole most people
would aspire to be a little bit more like
| LA-Based musician has an instagram which is treated as an
ongoing piece of art
| Each mural blends seamlessly into the last, to create an
almost infinite canvas of beauty
| What could be deemed as a potentially tough ask to make their
business ‘look sexy’ comes easy to GE - with super slick visuals
showing off the amazingly innovative projects they’re involved in
Go Pro
@ anderson._paak @generalelectric
Anderson.Paak General Electric

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Symmetry
@ lastsuspect
@financialtimes
| Clever uses of format (illustrations, infographics etc.) married
with excellent copy which create powerful content which are
consistently thought-provoking
| An ice-cream brand so confident in the thickness of their
product they base their whole instagram account around the
‘upside-down’ - as a link to a brand promise of ‘if it isn’t served
upside down, your next one is free’
| Their paid-for ads on the platform were served upside-down
and had great success
| Their account is largely focussed around influencer partnerships
from the world of elite sport
| They have super-slick video content showing the no-frills
training regimes these superstars go through behind the scenes -
and obviously with Under Armour being a big aide in the training
Financial Times
@dairyqueen @underarmour
Dairy Queen Under Armour

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Symmetry
@ lastsuspect
@ thebodycoach
| The original and still one of the most successful fitness and
food accounts
| His personality turns traditional recipes into comedy which
makes the content extremely ‘shareable’
| He’s obviously serious about his subject matter, but he
doesn’t take himself seriously at all which resonates well on
instagram
| Love Magazine has embraced digital media whilst others have
worried about it’s impact on traditional print form
| Their instagram offers behind the scenes content from shoots
with the world’s biggest models
| Their truly innovative Advent calendar (where they release
a themed video of one of the world’s biggest models each
morning in December) has made them a massive success story
on the platform
| BBC-3’s popular sit-com ‘People Just Do Nothing’ is based
around a Pirate Radio Station called ‘Kurupt FM’ who boast they
have listeners well “into double figures” these days
| Well their relentless use of Instagram to show the group never-
out-of-character gives an additional element to the show - to the
point where the audience actually question whether these guys
are for real or not...
The Body Coach
@ thelovemagazine @kuruptfm
Love Magazine Kurupt FM (People just do nothing - BBC3)

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Symmetry
@ lastsuspect
@abikiniaday
| What started out as a blog reviewing bikini’s - these two girls
have become insta-famous to the point of launching their own
brand of swim and active wear
| Their success comes from amazing imagery of their seemingly
perfect lives of being on remote beaches in paradise
| They’re relatable in the fact that they’re not traditional
models
| Here’s an example of a larger-than-life person becoming a
brand in their own right
| He uses Instagram as a way of giving fans a behind-the-scenes
view of his extravagant but hard-working life
| Although he is dead serious about his craft - he’s less so
about his persona. Even the most ridiculously posed shots of
him, you know that he’s ‘taking the mickey’ out of himself
slightly
| A strange concept if we’ve ever seen one (reviewing a suit and
motorbike once a week) but...
| Talk about a single-minded creative idea being executed into
consistently brilliant content
| Whilst being completely unlike anything else on the internet.
Completely unique, ownable and therefore recognisable
| A modern-day social media superhero
A bikini a day
@thenotoriousmma @thesuitedracer
Conor McGregor The Suited Racer

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xxx
@ lastsuspect
| Although this might be obvious to include as one of the
world’s biggest brands - but they are that for a reason
| Their Instagram channel is full of mini-stories. Each
commissioned in feature film style production featuring some
of the world’s biggest names
| Like everything Chanel does it’s consistent in its quality and
craft
@ chanelofficial
Chanel

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Creating Instagram Content: Checklist
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
Is the content brand ownable? Is it instantly
recognisable as a post that has come from your
brand?
Does the post follow key visual principles? Is the creative concept in the post clear?
And is it tied to a campaign objective?
Does the post provide value to the viewer?
You’re not just shouting about yourself now
are you?
Does the post show high levels of craft? And is
it artistically well put together?
Is the accompanying post copy as short as it
can be? Is the key message within the first 3
lines?
Are the hashtags specific to your audiences
interests? Are you using brand owned
and campaign hashtags? Have you placed
additional hashtags within a comment?
Is this the best format for the content to be
posted in? Could what was originally captured
be transformed into something more engaging
using the latest production techniques?
Has this content been created from the
learnings gained from other posts? Or is this
new content being experimented with?
It should be one or the other.
10Could the content you are
planning to post be a story better
told through Instagram stories?
11The ultimate question:
Is this a post that you would like
to come across in your Instagram
feed? Would you engage with it?
8 The checklist

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9The Specifications Sheet

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Images
Organic
| Should be high resolution, no less than 1080 pixels x 1080 pixels
| Can be Landscape (1.91:1 ratio) or Vertical (4:5) where the width is no shorter than 1080 pixels.
| Photos need to be uploaded from the mobile app. Have clear process in place for doing this, especially when working with highly crafted professionally created visuals
(Dropbox is a method commonly used)
Paid
A carousal format can be used, with a link on the first frame to other content.
Images can be used in square and landscape format.
| Square:
Minimum Resolution (600 x 600 pixels)
Maximum Resolution (1936 x 1936 pixels)
Aspect: 1:1
| Landscape:
Aspect: 1.91:1
| Paid posts must adhere to platform text limitations. This includes GIF and video thumbnails
| Ads and campaigns are managed using a brand Facebook Page
9 Specifications

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Videos
Organic
| Videos will play on an automatic loop in the feed.
| Videos currently play with the sound off - users need to tap the video to hear any sound.
| Between 3 and 60 seconds in length.
| Videos follow the same sizing principles as photos.
| GIF’s aren’t supported. Use MP4’s - the auto-loop will provide a GIF-like experience.
Paid
| Video file size: up to 2.3 GB
| Caption length: up to 300 characters
| Captions should not include a URL; use a CTA button to link
| Video Carousel can be used.
| Can be used in the same dimensions as photos, as well as also using Vertical.
| Vertical:
Aspect: 4:5
| Ads and campaigns are managed using a brand Facebook Page
9 Specifications

If you’d like to know any more about how your brand
can use Instagram, or any other Social Media channel
please get in touch:
talk@november.digital

Instagram Best Practice Guide for Brands

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