How to post on Instagram: A step‑by‑step guide for feed, Stories and Reels

Your phone buzzes with a new comment on the Reel you posted. A quick scroll shows fresh likes, shares and a bump in followers. That’s the power of an Instagram post done right.

But building visibility, sparking engagement and nudging people closer to becoming customers takes creativity, planning and timing. Brands with a strong Instagram marketing strategy and consistent publishing see the best results.

This beginner’s guide shows you how to use Instagram to share content like photos, videos, Stories and Reels. It also provides practical tips on captions, publication times and tools that make posting easier.

How to post photos and videos on Instagram’s mobile app

Most people post to Instagram directly from their iPhone or Android. The process is simple, but small details like aspect ratio, captions and hashtags make the difference between a post people scroll past and one they engage with.

You can also post on Instagram from a PC or Mac, but the walkthrough below focuses on the steps and advanced settings for posting photos and videos from mobile.

Choose your media type

Open the Instagram app and tap the “+” icon at the bottom of the page to add one of the following:

• A single photo: Upload one image to highlight a product or share important information. Single photos are ideal for quick updates and clean visuals.
• A carousel: Share up to 20 images or videos in one post (rolling out; some users may still have a 10-item limit). Carousels work well for tutorials, step-by-step guides and before-and-after reveals. They also tend to drive higher engagement than single-image posts.
• A video: Use videos to add motion and storytelling to your feed. Short clips match how people watch on mobile, which makes them ideal for product demos, how-tos or customer stories.

Instagram offers clear guidelines for every format. Here are the Instagram file specifications to consider when uploading:

• Photos: JPG or PNG, up to 8 MB for feeds or ~30MB maximum for ads (depending on the placement)
• Videos: MP4 or MOV, up to 4 GB, with a recommended resolution of 1080 px
• Aspect ratios: Anything between 1.91:1 and 4:5 (square and vertical formats usually perform best on mobile feeds)

Preparing new posts using these specs avoids awkward cropping or poor quality after upload.

 

Edit, filter and crop

Once you select your media, the next step is making sure it looks its best in the feed. Instagram’s built-in editor lets you crop images, adjust brightness, sharpen details or trim clips. You can also add music, filters, text and overlays.

This stage matters because how your content appears in the feed directly affects engagement.

Here are some common aspect ratios:

• 1:1 (square): Keeps posts consistent across devices
• 16:9 (landscape): Works for cinematic visuals but looks smaller in-feed
• 4:5 (portrait): Takes up more vertical space in the feed, which often leads to higher engagement

Because vertical images tend to stand out, some brands build their entire aesthetic around them. For example, fashion brand Damson Madder leans on 4:5 across its grid. Consistent vertical framing creates a cohesive look and maximizes visibility in the scroll. Even playful images, like styled socks or outdoor lifestyle shots, feel bold and attention-grabbing because they fill the feed.

Source: Instagram

But editing isn’t just about filters and crops. It’s also about consistency. Brands with a clear, recognizable visual identity build stronger recall.

For instance, LoveShackFancy’s posts consistently feature soft lighting, pastel tones and airy compositions, creating a vintage-inspired look that feels cohesive across images, carousels and videos.

Source: Instagram

The effect is unmistakable: Followers recognize LoveShackFancy posts instantly, even before checking the username. That level of consistency boosts both brand identity and engagement.

However, if you’re managing a social team, maintaining a cohesive look can be complicated. Different people might not crop or filter images the same way and approving edits across channels takes time. A centralized workflow simplifies this process.

With Sprout’s Compose editor, you can crop content to the right dimensions, apply edits and route posts for internal review before they go live.

Instead of bouncing between editing apps and email threads, your team can collaborate seamlessly on both look and approval.

Write captions, hashtags and tags that boost reach

Imagine posting a photo of your new fall collection with the caption, “New arrivals are here.” It gets a few likes, then disappears in the scroll. But if you change it to, “Pumpkin spice isn’t just for lattes. Meet our fall knit, made to keep you cozy all season. Tap the link in bio to shop 🍂” Add Instagram hashtags like #FallStyle and #CozyKnits and you may see your reach extend beyond your followers.

Captions and hashtags can turn a good visual into a post that sparks real engagement. Here’s how to make them work harder:

• Lead with a hook in captions: Instagram allows captions up to 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 show in the feed before users have to tap “…more.” Since short, direct captions often outperform longer ones, grab attention early by opening with the detail that matters most. Research from SocialInsider found carousel posts with captions under 30 words generate the strongest engagement.
• Use hashtags strategically: To increase visibility beyond your followers, aim for three to five relevant hashtags per post. Try mixing broad tags (#FallStyle) with niche or timely ones (#NYCFashionWeek) to balance discovery and relevance. Just don’t forget to refresh your list often so you’re not recycling the same set.
• Tag people, brands and locations: Every tag adds another discovery path. For example, a restaurant that tags its chef and a featured farmer—and takes the time to hit “add location”—increases its chances of showing up in new audiences’ feeds.

Not all hashtags drive the same results. Some are better for boosting impressions, while others fuel more meaningful actions like profile clicks, saves or shares. To see what’s actually working, review your post-level performance data. And if you want even deeper insight, social listening tools let you spot trending hashtags in your industry before they peak.

Consistent tagging can be tricky when you’re managing posts as part of a team. Tagging workflows help prevent mix-ups by letting you pull approved hashtags, product tags and location tags from a shared set. They keep campaigns accurate and consistent without unnecessary back-and-forth.

How to post Stories on Instagram

Stories sit at the top of the app and stay live for 24 hours. Compared to feed posts, they appear more casual and are more effective for real-time sharing. These attributes make them a powerful tool for community building.

Smaller accounts in particular see strong results from Stories. One study found that brands with fewer than 10,000 followers saw Story reach rates climb by 35%, showing how Stories can help smaller brands gain visibility without relying on paid promotion.

Here’s how to post Stories on Instagram:

Select media and design your Story

To create a Story, open Instagram, tap the “+” icon and select “Story” from the bottom of the page. From there, hold the shutter button to record a video or tap it once to take a photo. If you already have content saved, swipe up (or tap the gallery icon in the bottom left) to upload it from your phone’s camera roll.

Once you upload your Instagram Story, you’ll get access to the following creative tools to invite participation:

• Polls to gauge audience opinions
• Questions to spark conversation
• GIFs and stickers to add personality
• Music to set the mood

Brands often use these features to turn a passive view into an active interaction. For example, a bakery might use a poll sticker to ask followers to vote on their favorite donut flavor.

Source: Instagram

This simple interaction makes the Story more engaging and gives the brand instant feedback.

 

And with the Compose editor, you can plan and preview Stories before publishing to eliminate last-minute edits and guesswork.

Make your Stories accessible

Stories reach wider audiences when they’re accessible by giving people different ways to engage. For example, many users scroll Stories in public with sound off and others rely on screen readers to interpret visuals.

Here are some tips for making Instagram Stories more accessible:

• Add captions to all videos so the message is clear, even without audio.
• Write alt text for images so screen readers can describe them.
• Stick to the right file specs to avoid awkward cropping or cut-off text. Stories should be vertical, with a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 by 1920 pixels).

Publish and highlight your Stories

Once your Story is ready, tap the arrow to share it directly.

Stories automatically disappear after 24 hours, but you can save your best ones in Highlights (found under your profile bio). Brands often group Highlights by themes like “New Arrivals,” “Events” or “FAQs.”

For individual users, posting is simple. But when teams are involved, with different people creating, editing and publishing Stories, the risk of mistakes increases. An approval workflow solves this by letting your team draft, review, approve and schedule Stories in one place. Nothing goes live until it meets brand standards, which keeps content consistent across contributors.

How to post Reels on Instagram

Instagram Reels are short-form videos up to 3 minutes long designed to grab attention with music, effects and quick edits. They show up not only in your Instagram feed but also in the Explore and Reels tabs, giving you more ways to reach people who don’t follow you yet. Unlike Stories, Reels remain on your profile instead of disappearing after 24 hours.

Here are step-by-step instructions to help you post Reels on Instagram:

Choose your clips and design your Reel

Open Instagram, tap the “+” icon, then select “Reel.” From here, you can either record video in the app by holding the shutter button or upload existing clips from your phone’s gallery.

After you choose your footage, Instagram gives you a full set of editing tools to shape the final piece. You can trim and reorder clips to control pacing or merge multiple shots into one seamless video. For audio, you can add trending sounds from Instagram’s library, include your own original audio tracks or create original voiceovers.

Source: Instagram

Once your basic edit is in place, you can layer on effects, stickers or text overlays to emphasize important details or clarify anything that might not be obvious from the visuals alone. When everything’s ready, select a cover image to represent your Reel in your grid. A clear, well-framed cover will make your profile look organized and encourage more people to tap and watch.

Create engaging captions and hashtags

Even the best video needs context. Strong captions help highlight key takeaways and guide viewers toward the next step, whether that’s saving the Reel, sharing it or tapping the link in your bio.

Once your caption is set, consider discoverability. As with image posts, hashtags expand your reach beyond followers, so pair broad tags with niche ones that are relevant to your Reel’s content.

For a bit of inspiration, check out the captions your competitors use or try an AI tool like Sprout’s AI Assist, which can help you draft caption or hashtag options tailored to your tone and brand fit.

Choose the best time to publish

Timing also matters. If you publish when your audience is inactive, the feed can bury your Reel before it has a chance to gain traction. Posting during peak activity windows increases the odds that Instagram’s algorithm will push your video further, giving it more reach in Explore and beyond.

Rather than guessing the best time to post on Instagram, use social media tools with features like “Optimal Send Times” to analyze when your followers are most likely to engage. With Sprout Social, you can drop posts into the Sprout Queue and let the platform auto-publish at optimized times without manually picking timestamps.

How to boost your engagement and reach on Instagram with Sprout Social

If you’re still publishing straight from Instagram or Meta’s native tools, you may be missing opportunities for better reach, consistency and collaboration.

To bring publishing, scheduling and analytics into one place, it’s best to leverage a social media management platform like Sprout Social. With everything centralized, you can post at the right times, maintain a consistent feed and measure what’s working without juggling different apps.

Here are some ways Sprout Social helps you boost your engagement and reach on Instagram:

1. Post when your audience is most likely to engage

Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes recency, so publishing when your audience is online gives you a better chance at surfacing in their feeds.

The challenge is knowing exactly when that window is. Sprout’s Optimal Send Times analyzes up to 16 weeks of your engagement data and recommends time slots when your followers are most active.

2. Publish Instagram-native formats

Instagram rewards brands that lean into its various formats (Reels, carousels and Stories) because they keep users engaged. Reels drive the highest reach of any content type, with Meta reporting users now spend 20% of their time on Instagram watching Reels.

For brands posting at scale, managing all of these formats can be tricky. Scheduling tools like Sprout make it easier by letting you plan Reels (with cover images and captions), carousels (up to 20 images or videos) and standard posts in advance. You can also plan Stories on desktop, then publish via mobile notification at the right moment. This approach keeps your workflows centralized while respecting Instagram’s API rules.

3. Curate a feed that looks intentional

Your grid isn’t just a collection of posts, it’s your digital storefront. According to Sprout research, 65% of consumers say they’re more likely to interact with brands that maintain a strong, consistent presence on social media, highlighting the importance of posting high-quality content regularly.

For an intentional and aesthetic feed, try out Sprout’s Instagram Grid Planner. It gives you a drag-and-drop view of scheduled posts so you can see how they’ll look together. That way, your seasonal campaign won’t clash with evergreen content and your grid feels deliberate instead of pieced together.

4. Nail the hashtag and first-comment strategy

Hashtags are still one of the simplest ways to boost discoverability beyond your existing followers. They can help your content surface in searches, show up on explore pages and join trending conversations. But managing hashtags well, including deciding which ones to use and avoiding repetition, can be a challenge.

Scheduling tools simplify this process. In Sprout, for example, you can schedule the first comment, which is especially useful for dropping in a block of hashtags without cluttering your caption. You can also reuse saved snippets and store branded hashtag lists in the Asset Library, making it easier to apply hashtags systematically instead of recreating them for each post.

5. Prove what’s working and double down

Gut feelings aren’t a strategy, meaning you need data to guide decisions. Recent research backs this up. Rival IQ’s 2025 Benchmark Report shows median Instagram engagement dropped 16% year-over-year. The brands still seeing success aren’t relying on instinct but doubling down on formats that continue to perform, like Reels and carousels.

To make those kinds of decisions with confidence, you need visibility into your own performance. Tagging and reporting capabilities, such as Sprout’s Tag Report, let you group posts by campaign or theme and compare results side by side. If you pair that with competitive benchmarks for Instagram, you can calibrate your goals against your market as well as your past performance.

Turn your Instagram strategy into impact

Posting on your Instagram account is no longer just about getting content out quickly. To grow, you need to combine the following strategies:

• Publish at peak times.
• Keep visuals consistent and accessible.
• Use captions, hashtags and tags to boost discovery.
• Track what’s working and double down on formats driving reach.

Managing all this, especially as a team, can be overwhelming. Tools like Sprout simplify the process by providing one place to plan, publish and measure. This saves you time and helps you deliver consistently polished, on-brand content.

Ready to see how a streamlined workflow can help you optimize and scale your Instagram strategy? Try Sprout Social’s free 30-day trial today.

FAQs about posting on Instagram

How do I make a carousel post on Instagram?

To post a carousel on Instagram, tap the “+” icon, choose “Post” and select multiple photos or videos (up to 20). You can reorder, edit and add captions before publishing.

Does Sprout Social support posting Stories?

Yes, you can plan and draft Instagram Stories in Sprout on desktop, then publish them via mobile notification at the scheduled time. This lets you keep Stories in the same workflow as your other Instagram content while ensuring brand consistency through Sprout’s asset library and approval tools.