Instagram just rolled out a feature I’ve been (im)patiently waiting for since May: Guides.


Originally rolled out to a select number of health and wellness advocates to share resources for better mental health during the pandemic, guides have now been released to everyone as a way for creators to curate tips and resources for their audiences into a dedicated tab on their user profiles.


You can think of them kind of like a blog post or a brochure. But the best part is that you do not need to create new content in order to use this new feature! This is simply a way for you to organize content into useful resources for your audience. What’s more, you can even add posts to your guides from other accounts, which is excellent for collaborations!

Here's how to create a guide:

1. Go to your profile and tap the + in the upper right hand corner


2. Tap “Guide” at the bottom of menu

3. Choose Guide Type

  1. Places: recommend places in your city and beyond
  2. Products: recommend your favorite products
  3. Posts: recommend posts you created or saved

(I recommend choosing the “Posts” guide)

4. Select up to ten posts

Either posts that you’ve created or that you’ve saved that fit within the guide you’re creating

5. Choose guide cover photo by selecting “Change Cover Photo” 

You can choose a photo from your posts, saved posts, or from your guide

6. Add Title (Up to 41 Characters)


7. Add a description of your guide 


8. Add a title above each post (Up to 42 Characters)


9. Add a description below each post which gives more context

10. Tap (...) in the upper right corner of each post to reorder posts or delete posts

11. Tap next and then preview to see how it will look before publishing


12. Then select Share to publish (or Save As Draft, if you’re not ready to publish yet)


Where to view your guides:

Once you’ve created your first guides, they will live on your profile below your highlights. To view them, just select the brochure icon that is just to the left of the icon that shows what posts you’ve been tagged in.


If you have a draft saved of a guide you are still working on, it will appear at the top of your guides (only YOU can see if you have a saved draft)

What kinds of guides to make:


WINERIES

  • What to Pair with [wine]
  • Select 3 recipes that either you’ve posted to your feed in the past or that another account has shared to their feed that pair well with one of your wines.
  • See this example here
  • Wedding Roundup
  • If you’re a venue for private events, this is a great way to share some of your favorite weddings from this year.
  • See this example here
  • COVID Protocol Updates
  • Outline your current tasting room protocol as it related to COVID-19 reopening procedures. Keep this up to date and re-share to your stories every time you update it.
  • See this example here
  • Vintage Roundup
  • Group posts from each vintage into a new guide, talking about things like farming practices, what the weather was like that vintage, veraison photos, harvest videos, etc
  • FAQ
  • Create a FAQ guide
  • Wine Club Brochure
  • Create a wine club brochure using posts you’ve made in the past (or plan to create these in the future!)

WINE INFLUENCERS

  • Top Three/Five/Ten Wineries to Visit in______
  • Give info under each winery you recommend on what you loved about them, what they specialize in, and how to book a tasting or buy their wine
  • Five wines to enjoy during the holidays


Visitor’s/Traveler’s Centers & Associations

  • Three/Five/Ten Appointment Only Wineries in Santa Barbara Wine Country
  • Give info under each winery on what they specialize in, how to book a tasing, 
  • See this example here
  • Three/Five/Ten Dog-Friendly Wineries in Santa Ynez Valley
  • Best Hotel Bars in Solvang, California
  • What cocktail are they known for
  • Describe the vibe

The options for this feature are limited only to your imagination, but always think about how these guides will serve your audience and give them value.

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Heather Daenitz is the founder and photographer of Craft & Cluster, a wine & beer photography and social media marketing company based in Santa Barbara County, California.


When she isn't photographing and assisting wineries and breweries with their social media, Heather can be found hanging out with her husband, two dogs, and three chickens in their backyard garden.