# Instagram


Instagram is the visual-first social platform with over 2 billion monthly active users. Connect your Instagram Business or Creator account to Social Neuron and publish directly -- posts, Reels, scheduling, comment management, and analytics are all live.

:::note
**Status: Publishing live.** Connect your account from Integrations and start publishing, scheduling, and tracking analytics right away.
:::

## Planned Features

| Feature | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Photo posts | Publish single images with captions and hashtags |
| Carousels | Multi-image posts (up to 10 slides) |
| Reels | Short-form video content |
| Scheduling | Queue posts and Reels for future publishing |
| Analytics | Reach, impressions, engagement, and follower demographics |
| Comment management | Read, reply to, and moderate comments |

:::note
Instagram API access requires a Business or Creator account. Personal accounts cannot be connected. You can switch your account type in the Instagram app under Settings > Account > Switch to Professional Account.
:::

## Content Best Practices

### Post Types and Performance

| Format | Best For | Typical Reach |
|--------|----------|---------------|
| Reels | Discovery and new followers | Highest (algorithm prioritized) |
| Carousels | Education and saves | High (encourages multiple swipes) |
| Single image | Quick updates and quotes | Medium |
| Stories | Daily engagement and polls | Followers only |

### Caption Strategy

- First line is your hook -- it appears above the "more" fold
- Write captions of 150-300 words for best engagement
- End with a question or CTA to drive comments
- Use line breaks and spacing for readability
- Place hashtags at the end of the caption or in the first comment

### Hashtag Strategy

| Type | Count | Example |
|------|-------|---------|
| Niche-specific | 5-10 | `#ContentCreatorTips`, `#SmallBusinessMarketing` |
| Broad category | 3-5 | `#Marketing`, `#SocialMedia` |
| Branded | 1-2 | `#YourBrandName`, `#YourCampaign` |
| Total recommended | 10-15 | Mix of all three types |

:::tip
Instagram's algorithm favors hashtags that match your content closely. Using 30 hashtags with low relevance performs worse than 10 well-chosen tags. Research hashtag volume and competition before committing to a set.
:::

### Best Posting Times

| Day | Best Window (UTC) | Notes |
|-----|-------------------|-------|
| Monday-Friday | 11:00-14:00 | Lunch and early afternoon peaks |
| Wednesday | 11:00 | Historically highest engagement day |
| Saturday | 10:00-12:00 | Weekend morning scrolling |
| Sunday | 17:00-19:00 | Evening wind-down browsing |

## Platform Limits

| Element | Limit |
|---------|-------|
| Image file size | 8 MB |
| Image aspect ratio | 4:5 (portrait) to 1.91:1 (landscape) |
| Reel duration | Up to 90 seconds |
| Reel file size | 1 GB |
| Reel aspect ratio | 9:16 (vertical) |
| Caption length | 2,200 characters |
| Hashtags per post | 30 maximum |
| Carousel slides | 10 images or videos per post |
| Alt text | 100 characters per image |
| Posts per day | 25 via API per account |
| Stories per day | No published API limit |
| Bio link | 5 links |

## How to Connect

Connect your Instagram Business or Creator account from the **Integrations** page in Social Neuron. Publishing through the connection is live now.

:::note
Your Instagram account must be connected to a Facebook Page for API publishing to work. You can prepare by linking a Facebook Page to your Instagram account in the Instagram app settings.
:::

## Content Tips

1. **Prioritize Reels for growth.** Instagram's algorithm gives Reels significantly more reach than static posts. Even simple Reels -- a photo with text animation and music -- outperform single images in most niches.

2. **Design carousels for saves.** Carousel posts have the highest save rate of any format. Structure them as mini-guides: hook slide, 5-7 value slides, and a CTA slide. Saves signal value to the algorithm and boost distribution.

3. **Write captions that start conversations.** Posts with high comment counts get pushed to Explore. End every caption with an open-ended question. "What's your biggest challenge with X?" works better than "Double tap if you agree."

4. **Use alt text for accessibility and SEO.** Instagram indexes alt text for search. Describe your image content clearly -- it helps visually impaired users and improves your chances of appearing in Instagram Search results.

5. **Maintain a consistent visual identity.** Your grid is your portfolio. Use consistent colors, fonts, and editing styles so that when someone lands on your profile, they immediately understand your brand.

## Example Post Structure

### Carousel Post

```
Format: 10 slides, 1080x1350 (4:5 portrait)

Slide 1 (Hook):
Bold text: "5 Instagram Mistakes Costing You Followers"
Subtext: "Swipe to fix them"
Background: Branded gradient

Slides 2-6 (Value):
One mistake per slide with visual example
Mistake on top, fix on bottom
Consistent typography and color scheme

Slide 7 (CTA):
"Save this for your next post"
"Follow @yourbrand for daily tips"

Caption:
Here are 5 mistakes I see creators make every single week
(and how to fix each one).

Slide through to see if you're guilty of any of these.

Which one surprised you most? Drop a number below.

#InstagramTips #ContentStrategy #SocialMediaMarketing
#CreatorTips #InstagramGrowth #ContentCreation
#SocialMediaTips #MarketingStrategy #DigitalMarketing
#GrowOnInstagram
```

### Reel

```
Duration: 30-45 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 9:16
Resolution: 1080x1920

[Hook - 3 sec]
Text overlay: "Stop doing this on Instagram"
Trending audio playing

[Content - 25 sec]
Quick cuts showing the problem
On-screen text for each point
Face-to-camera for authenticity

[CTA - 5 sec]
"Follow for more"
Point-to-follow gesture

Caption:
This one habit is tanking your reach.

Most creators do this without realizing it.
Here's the fix (it takes 2 minutes).

Save this and try it on your next post.

#Reels #InstagramReels #ContentCreator #SocialMediaTips
```

## How Social Neuron Helps with Instagram

Generate Instagram carousels, Reel scripts, and Story sequences from a single content brief. Describe your topic once, and Social Neuron produces platform-ready content for each Instagram format -- carousel slides with consistent visual identity, Reel scripts with hooks timed for the first 3 seconds, and Story sequences designed to drive replies and poll engagement.

Social Neuron's carousel generator creates swipe-worthy slides that maintain your brand's colors, typography, and tone across every slide. Each carousel follows proven engagement structures: hook slide, value slides, and CTA slide.

The AI adapts content from other platforms into Instagram-native formats automatically. A LinkedIn authority post becomes an Instagram carousel. A YouTube video summary becomes a Reel script. A blog post becomes a series of Story frames. You review and approve every adaptation before it publishes.

The learning loop tracks which Instagram formats -- Reels, carousels, single images, Stories -- drive the most saves, shares, and follower growth for your specific account, and adjusts future content suggestions accordingly.

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Ready to try this? [Sign up free](https://socialneuron.com) and get 50 free credits to start.