Selfie. Avo toast. Cute dog. Repeat. Sound like your Instagram feed?
When you post on Instagram regularly, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to content. Coming up with new ideas on the daily is hard, especially if you’re in a creative slump.
That’s why we’ve created a list of 24 cool things to post on Instagram! These ideas will keep your followers engaged and attract new followers to your account.
Table of Contents
#1 Ask your followers a question
Success on Instagram is all about engagement. The easiest way to get your followers to actively engage with your content is to ask them a question. You can ask your followers to help you out with decisions that you’re making. You can also ask them to share more about their lives with you.
The easiest way to ask your followers a question is to add one in your post’s caption and ask followers to answer in the comments. You can also use the “Questions” sticker on Instagram story to ask questions, but this might leave you with a lot of direct messages to deal with.
#2 Behind the scenes shots
Instagram is flooded with beautifully staged photos that are perfectly edited. But many people love to see more raw and personal content.
Behind the scenes posts give your followers a look behind the curtain. It can help them learn more about the work that goes into being an influencer. It can also help you come across as more honest and personable.
Behind the scenes shots make great Instagram story updates too. They can give your followers a sneak peek of your newest posts.
And remember, it’s ok if your behind the scenes shots to look a little rough around the edges. The whole point is to give your community an honest look at what you’re up to.
#3 Record a tutorial
Tutorials always make for cool posts on Instagram. You can show your followers how to do anything, from creating a photo effect to doing your everyday makeup.
Whatever you choose to make a tutorial of, make sure that it’s clear so that your followers can actually follow along with the tutorial when they try it.
You can record the tutorial as one video or as a series of numbered posts. You can also use Instagram story for your tutorial videos. Just be sure to add them to your highlights so people can look back over them once they expire.
#4 Highlights of a fun DIY project
Even if you’re spending the day building IKEA furniture or crafting new home decor items, your followers love seeing what you’re getting up to. When you start your next creative project, make sure to take some pictures and share your DIY journey.
It can be hard to take pictures or record everything that you’re doing. Consider using a before and after format for your posts so that your followers can see what progress you’ve made. Alternatively, you can take photos at different stages in the project and add them to your story as updates.
#5 Talk about what you’re reading or watching
Spent the whole day watching Netflix? Don’t worry, you can still turn this into a cool thing to post on Instagram. Let your followers know what you’ve been watching all day, or recommend a book that you think they might like to read.
You can share your favorite books and movies by creating a compilation image of covers. You could also share them one by one in your Instagram stories. When making recommendations, add review or shopping links in your bio, so your followers can easily check them out!
#6 Showcase your outfit
#OOTD is one of the most frequently used hashtags on Instagram. There are thousands of outfit posts on Instagram. But people love them, so give them what they want!
The good thing about #OOTD pictures is that they’re super quick and easy to post. Just get a friend to snap a trendy looking picture of you while you’re out and about.
Also, be sure you let your followers know where the different parts of your outfit were purchased from. This will help them recreate your look.
#7 Host a contest or giveaway
Hosting a contest or giveaway is a great way to drive engagement and gain more followers on Instagram. You don’t have to give away super expensive items. As long as your items are 100% free, people will be happy to get involved.
When hosting your contest or giveaway, give your followers a lot of notice so that everyone has time to enter. You should also let your followers know exactly what they need to do to enter the giveaway.
A great giveaway requirement is “like, comment, and tag a friend.” It drives people to engage and gets your post viewed by people that might not be following you already.
Be sure to add any restrictions you have for your giveaway too! You should, for instance, clearly state if there’s any residency or age restrictions.
#8 Highlights of your holiday
Holidays are the perfect opportunity to find a ton of cool things to post on Instagram. Don’t spend your whole holiday lying on the beach. Instead, use it as a fun way to tap into a content goldmine.
Instagram users love travel pictures, whether it’s shots of your food or interesting landmarks.
When it comes to how to post your travel snaps, there are a lot of options. You could do one big carousel post showcasing all the highlights of your holiday. You could share the photos on your feed and stories to get your followers really engaged with your adventure.
#9 Walk through your morning routine
Creating a personal connection with your followers is super important. One of the best ways to do this is to share your morning routine. Everybody finds mornings difficult, and it’s inspiring to see how your favorite influencers get themselves motivated for the day.
Many people that share their morning routine will show themselves filled with energy and eating something waaay too healthy.
If this isn’t an accurate depiction of your usual morning routine, it’s best to be honest and show how it really goes down. Your followers will appreciate your honesty and enjoy getting to see what your life is really like.
Sharing your routine is easily done as a series of stories. But you can also do it with one post and a longer caption describing how your morning usually goes.
#10 Inspire with your fitness routine
Ever see fellow influencers and wonder “How do they stay in such good shape?” Well, your followers are probably wondering the same about you. If you’re passionate about fitness, then share your routine with your followers to help them get inspired too.
Video posts are the best way to show your followers your full workout routine. Edit the video so that it shows how you do each exercise, but try to keep it brief.
It’s also a good idea to write your workout in list format in the caption of your video so that your followers can reference it while working out.
To build a strong community, you should be honest and open with your followers about the ups and downs in your life. As an influencer, people look to you for guidance, and it can be really comforting for your followers if they know that you mess up sometimes too.
If you’ve been having a bad day, or you got something completely wrong, don’t be afraid to share it.
You can make a candid video post, or write down your feelings in the caption of a photo. Sharing your mistakes will make you seem more honest and real. You’ll also be able to have genuine conversation with those in your Instagram community.
#12 Cross-promote your content
For many influencers, Instagram isn’t the only social media channel they’re on. You may also be focusing on growing your blog, YouTube, or brand as well. If this is the case, don’t miss the opportunity to cross-promote!
If you’ve spent the whole day editing your latest vlog or blog, post about it on Instagram.
You don’t have to go to town on the post. Just let your Instagram followers know that they can engage with you on other platforms too.
You can also use stories to build some anticipation about what you might be working on that day.
#13 Post throwback photos
What’s cuter than a baby picture? Your favorite influencer as a baby, of course! Throwback photos are a fun and nostalgic way to get your followers engaged with your content.
Everybody loves finding out what people looked like when they were a teenager or a baby.
When posting old photos, try scanning them into your computer instead of taking a picture of the photograph. This will make them much better quality.
You can also throwback to milestones you’ve experienced, such as your first sponsorship or the day you reached 10K followers.
#14 Create fun polls
If you’re looking for a fun way to engage your followers, then polls are the perfect way to go.
You can create a poll about pretty much anything you like. You can create fun polls like “Dogs or Cats” or “Tea or Coffee.” You can also create polls about what content your followers would like to see.
It’s super easy to post polls on Instagram stories. But if you’d rather post to your feed, you can add a poll in your post image or caption. Just ask your followers to respond in the comments.
#15 Host an interview
Got any influencer friends that might like to be featured on your account? If so, ask them if they’d like to do an interview with you.
Interviews can make a nice change from your usual posts. It can also give your followers a chance to learn about other influencers on the platform. It also works well to collaborate with influencers that may post about different topics.
For example, a food influencer might interview a fitness influencer to ask about what types of food your followers can add to their diet to maintain an active lifestyle.
You can film the interview and post it as a story, or you can share a quote and photo of the influencer you interviewed.
#16 Capture beautiful landscapes
If you’re really having a hard time thinking of cool things to post on Instagram, go back to basics and share a shot of your favorite landscape. You can snap a great picture on your daily hike, or use a picture that you haven’t yet posted from a past trip.
Everyone appreciates natural beauty. It’s an easy way to fill a gap in your content calendar if you don’t have anything else planned.
#17 Introduce someone you admire
Your followers look to you for inspiration, so it’s always a good idea to let them know who inspires you. It may be a celebrity, a family member, or another influencer. Whoever it is, create a post that celebrates them and explain how that person has influenced your life.
This will help your followers learn more about you.
Additionally, if it’s another influencer that you’re celebrating, it may be a great way to connect with them in the future.
#18 Show the interior of your home
If you’ve spent the day cleaning or doing home improvements, then share your home interior with your community. Whether you live in a huge house or a homely apartment, your followers are interested in seeing how their favorite influencer lives.
You can post pictures of each room in your home individually. You could even record a full home tour and post it to IGTV.
#19 Talk about upcoming events
When you have a busy schedule packed with events, it can be easy to forget to create content for your Instagram account. If you find yourself in this position, use the opportunity to remind followers about the events you have coming up.
Create hype around the events you’re attending in your stories. You can also take your followers along for the ride by sharing photos and videos throughout the event.
#20 Give a sneak peek
Got something exciting on the cards that you’re not quite ready to share with your followers? If so, give them a sneak peek of what you’re up to to spark their interest.
Giving sneak peeks can spark debates in your comments section and keep people coming back to your profile to check for updates.
You can post sneak peeks using suggestive feed photos or cryptic stories. Just be sure not to reveal too much information before the time is right!
#21 Ask your followers to recommend a TV or book series
When you’re feeling a lack of inspiration for cool things to post on Instagram, one of the best things to do is to start chatting with your followers.
Asking your followers for a recommendation is a great place to start. It’ll encourage your followers to engage with you. It’ll make them feel like you’re a close friend asking for their input.
You can use stickers in Instagram stories for this, but it’s also nice to ask for recommendations in a regular post. This way, all of your followers can see the recommendations in the comments section. It’ll encourage them to chat with each other about their favorite shows and books.
#22 Create food or drink recipes
Every aspect of life can be a cool Instagram post, including something as simple as making dinner. Did you make something particularly delicious? Did you try a new recipe? If so, take some aesthetic pictures of your meal and share the recipe with your followers.
If you want to take things one step further, you can even host a cooking show style tutorial and share it in your stories or on IGTV.
#23 Publish something personal
When you’re having a hard time finding inspiration to post cool things on Instagram, look at your own life for moments to share. Publish a personal story about a difficult time in your life or a challenge that you’ve faced. It’ll remind your followers that you’re a regular person just like them.
Posting your personal story along with a candid photo of you is a great idea. Alternatively, you could post it alongside an inspiring quote.
#24 Create compelling videos
Video content is on the rise, so you should consider posting some videos when you’re up for a change.
You can post anything from videos of yourself talking about a specific issue to videos of you trying out a recent trend. Be sure that your videos are well shot and that the content is compelling enough to grab your follower’s attention.
Check out our article on 6 tools to create stunning Instagram stories to up your video quality.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it! Thinking of cool things to post on Instagram doesn’t haven’t to be a chore. These are just 24 of the hundreds of creative ways you could make your Instagram feed more interesting for your followers!
