9 Instagram Best Practices: To Drive Social Media Growth
- Pedro Pinto
- Mar 27
- 10 min read
Whether you’re struggling to promote your small business or digital agency, or you’re simply eager to grow your audience even wider, Instagram social media remains an incredible tool for success. In fact, no matter if you’re new to the market or you’re a thriving established business, Instagram social media should be used as a primary means of promotion, brand awareness, and direct customer connection.
While several social media platforms are available for your deployment, Instagram, in particular, continues to stand out as a powerhouse for all things business, promotion, and brand building. As renowned social media strategist Mari Smith succinctly puts it;
"Content is king, but engagement is queen, and the lady rules the house!"
On Instagram, the queen is definitely holding court. Though you shouldn’t limit yourself to any one platform (your choice of platform depends greatly on where your target demographic primarily resides), Instagram social media is, for all intents and purposes, essential for any visually driven brand or business looking to connect with a vast, engaged audience. With a massive global reach and a continuously evolving feature set, Instagram social media is a dynamic landscape.
Its ability to command attention through stunning visuals, engaging video, and seamless shopping experiences makes it a non-negotiable for modern businesses. In what follows, we’ll be diving deep into the world of Instagram and how you, as a startup founder, can take advantage of its more than sizeable user base and cutting-edge functionality. More specifically, we’ll detail the top 9 Instagram social media best practices for successfully promoting your business in 2025. Let’s get into it, shall we?!
How to promote on Instagram in 2025: The evolving landscape
Boasting over 2 billion active monthly users globally as of early 2025, and hundreds of millions of daily users, Instagram continues to grow at an unprecedented speed. This provides businesses, brands, and individual content creators alike with unparalleled opportunities to boost engagement and brand awareness like never before.
Withstanding its undeniable user base, Instagram also offers several streamlined and effective tools, functions, and features that make it even easier to promote your business, with both organic and paid strategies proving equally effective in their own right when executed with precision.
Sure, Instagram social media has and will continue to change as the digital landscape evolves with it. Whether due to new needs and demands of the user or innovative implementations on behalf of the platform itself, it’s imperative to stay on top of the latest trends and feature launches. This ensures you’re getting the most out of your promotional efforts and maximizing your startup's growth potential. While you might be a lean startup and not a Fortune 500 organization, you can still enjoy the many benefits of a strategic Instagram social media presence.
9 Instagram Social Media Best Practices for 2025
It’s 2025, and social media is nothing new. As such, it’s likely that whether you’re a social media guru or not, you understand the importance of social media for business. More specifically, you likely understand the importance of posting frequently, sharing high-quality content, and providing immense value to your audience. If not, well, you’ve just learned something new!
Because this foundational information is widely understood, we’re not going to be focusing on those basics. Instead, we’re going to be diving deeper into the latest strategies and features you can use on Instagram in 2025.
1. Dominate with short-form video: Instagram Reels and Stories
Implemented as a direct response to the rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels remains the primary organic growth driver on the platform in 2025. It’s a short-form video feature that allows users to get creative and grow their audience through engagement and entertainment. As a startup, this creative outlet couldn’t be more relevant for rapid virality and reach.
Instagram social media best practices for short-form video:
Embrace trending audio: Use popular sounds and music to increase discoverability.
Strong hooks: Grab attention in the first 1-3 seconds.
Quick cuts & concise messaging: Deliver value rapidly.
Behind-the-scenes & relatable content: Show the human side of your startup.
Educational snippets: Break down complex topics into digestible video tips.
Utilize Instagram Stories: Daily, ephemeral content for polls, Q&As, behind-the-scenes, and direct interactions with your audience.
Why it boosts your business: Users spend over 30% of their time consuming Instagram Reels content, according to recent analytics, making it a critical focus area. Instagram's algorithm rewards accounts that use Reels frequently, pushing them into more feeds. The best part? Reels not only live on their own in the Reels tab but can also be shared both on your main Instagram Feed and Instagram Stories, multiplying your promotional material's reach.
2. Build genuine community through authentic engagement
Because Instagram is a platform centrally focused on its algorithm, it’s important to abide by its rules and do what you can to appear prominently. One key strategy for doing so, and for long-term brand building, is engaging authentically with relevant accounts within your niche.
Instagram social media best practices for engagement:
Go beyond likes: Leave thoughtful comments on other accounts' posts, participate in relevant conversations, and share valuable content from others (with credit).
Respond to every comment & DM: Nurture direct conversations. Use Quick Replies for efficiency.
Host Live Q&As: Answer questions in real-time, building trust and rapport.
Encourage User-Generated Content (UGC): Run contests or campaigns asking users to share content related to your brand. Reshare their content (with permission!), celebrating your community.
Collaborative posts (Collabs): Partner with other brands or creators to create posts that appear on both profiles, instantly expanding your reach.
Why it boosts your business: Engaging tells the algorithm you’re an integral part of your niche, so they will begin to promote you and place you in front of relevant eyes. Not to mention, those who follow these accounts are also more likely to begin following you! This approach builds brand loyalty and creates advocates who become your best marketers.
3. Leverage Instagram Ads strategically for targeted growth
Yes, this is in reference to paid advertisements! While it can be a daunting task to, in essence, throw your money into the ether and hope for the best, Instagram social media ads are undeniably one of the most effective ways to promote your business to your target consumer with precision and scale.
Instagram social media best practices for ads:
Define clear goals: Is it brand awareness, lead generation, website traffic, or direct sales?
Target the right audience: Utilize Instagram’s robust targeting options: demographics, interests, behaviors, custom audiences (uploading your email list), and lookalike audiences (finding new users similar to your best customers).
Choose the right ad format: Feed ads, Stories ads, Reels ads, Collection ads, Shopping ads. Test what performs best for your product.
Compelling creatives: Use high-quality images and videos with strong hooks and clear calls to action.
Optimize for mobile: Ensure your ads and landing pages are perfectly designed for mobile viewing and conversion.
Remarketing: Show ads to users who have previously interacted with your profile or website but haven't converted.
Why it boosts your business: While it requires investment, Instagram social media ads allow you to cut through the organic noise and reach highly specific segments of your Ideal Customer Profile. This means more impressions, more qualified leads, and ultimately, a higher ROI, providing a powerful accelerant for your startup's growth.
4. Optimize your profile for conversion: Your Instagram storefront
Your Instagram profile is often the first impression a potential customer gets of your brand. It needs to be clear, compelling, and optimized to drive conversion.
Instagram social media best practices for profile optimization:
Clear bio: Clearly state who you are, what you do, and who you help. Use relevant keywords.
Compelling value proposition: In one line, explain your unique selling proposition.
Strategic link in bio: Use tools like Linktree or Later's Linkin.bio to manage multiple links to your website, product pages, blog posts, or lead magnets.
High-quality profile picture: Your logo or a recognizable brand image.
Story Highlights: Curate evergreen content into themed highlights (e.g., "FAQs," "Testimonials," "How It Works," "Product Features").
Why it boosts your business: A well-optimized profile guides visitors from discovery to action. It ensures that interested users quickly understand your value and know where to go next, maximizing your chances of converting them into leads or customers.
5. Master Instagram Shopping: Seamless in-app purchasing
Building on the social commerce trend, Instagram's shopping features are more integrated and powerful than ever in 2025. For e-commerce and product-based startups, this is a non-negotiable for maximizing direct sales.
Instagram social media best practices for shopping:
Product tagging: Tag products directly in your Feed posts, Stories, and Reels, making them instantly shoppable.
Instagram Shop: Set up your dedicated storefront within Instagram, showcasing your entire product catalog.
Live Shopping: Host live streams where you demonstrate products, answer questions, and allow viewers to purchase directly from the live feed.
High-quality product visuals: Invest in professional photos and videos that highlight product features and benefits.
Why it boosts your business: Instagram Shopping significantly reduces friction in the buyer's journey. Users can discover, browse, and purchase products without ever leaving the app, leading to higher conversion rates and a seamless customer experience. This is direct-response Instagram social media marketing at its finest.
6. Collaborate with creators and influencers: Amplified authenticity
Beyond just paid ads, working with creators and influencers in an authentic way is a cornerstone of modern Instagram social media strategy. Their followers trust their recommendations, making them powerful conduits for your brand message.
Instagram social media best practices for collaborations:
Identify relevant creators: Look for influencers whose audience aligns with your Ideal Customer Profile and whose content style matches your brand voice.
Focus on nano and micro-influencers: Often offer higher engagement rates and more niche audiences, which can be more cost-effective for startups.
Authenticity first: Allow creators creative freedom within your guidelines to ensure their content feels genuine.
Diverse content: Explore sponsored posts, Reels, Stories, Live sessions, and even joint product reviews.
Clear disclosures: Ensure all sponsored content is clearly marked as per platform and regulatory guidelines.
Why it boosts your business: Creator collaborations amplify your reach to highly engaged, targeted communities. It builds brand credibility through trusted recommendations and can generate significant buzz, leading to increased followers, website traffic, and conversions.
7. Leverage analytics for continuous optimization: Data-driven growth
While creativity is essential, Instagram social media success in 2025 is fundamentally data-driven. You can't improve what you don't measure. Regularly diving into your Instagram Insights (or third-party analytics tools) is paramount.
Instagram social media best practices for analytics:
Monitor follower growth: Track not just quantity, but also quality (are they your ICP?).
Track reach and impressions: Understand how many unique accounts see your content and how often.
Analyze engagement rate: Likes, comments, shares, saves per post. This is a crucial metric for content effectiveness.
Audience demographics: Understand who your followers are (age, gender, location) to refine your content.
Content performance: Identify which types of posts (Reels, Stories, photos) and topics resonate most with your audience.
Website clicks & conversions: Connect your Instagram efforts to actual website traffic and sales using UTM parameters and Facebook Pixel/Conversions API.
Why it boosts your business: Data provides actionable insights. It tells you what’s working, what’s not, and where to double down your efforts. This continuous loop of analysis and adaptation is key to optimizing your Instagram social media strategy for maximum ROI and sustainable growth.
8. Master hashtag strategy: Discoverability in a crowded feed
Hashtags remain a critical tool for discoverability on Instagram, especially with the prominence of the Reels and Explore tabs. However, strategy has evolved beyond simply stuffing posts with generic terms.
Instagram social media best practices for hashtags:
Mix it up: Use a blend of broad, niche, branded, and trending hashtags.
Research: Use Instagram's search bar, competitor analysis, and third-party tools to find relevant hashtags.
Relevance over quantity: Don't just use 30 hashtags; use the most relevant 5-10 that genuinely describe your content and target audience.
Monitor performance: See which hashtags drive the most reach and engagement for your specific content.
Niche hashtags: These may have lower volume but attract a highly engaged, targeted audience.
Hashtag sets: Create different sets of hashtags for different content pillars or product categories.
Why it boosts your business: Effective hashtag strategy increases the discoverability of your content to new, relevant audiences, particularly on the Explore tab and Reels. This expands your organic reach and helps attract potential followers who are genuinely interested in your niche.
9. Prioritize direct messaging (DMs) for customer connection and sales
In 2025, Instagram DMs are far more than just a chat feature; they are a critical channel for customer service, lead nurturing, and even direct sales, reflecting the trend towards conversational marketing.
Instagram social media best practices for DMs:
Prompt responses: Respond to all DMs quickly and authentically. This builds trust and demonstrates excellent customer service.
Quick replies: Use Instagram's Quick Replies feature for common questions to save time.
Automated responses (judiciously): For frequently asked questions or off-hours, set up automated messages that provide immediate value or direct users to resources.
Lead nurturing: Use DMs to answer detailed questions, share custom product recommendations, or provide personalized advice, moving prospects down the sales funnel.
Direct sales: For certain products or services, DMs can be used to close sales, especially when integrated with shoppable links.
Why it boosts your business: Prioritizing DMs humanizes your brand, builds deeper relationships, and can significantly increase conversion rates. It offers a personalized touch that is highly valued by consumers, turning inquiries into loyal customers.
A final word: Agility in your Instagram social media strategy
The job of a startup founder is never complete. The world of Social Media, particularly Instagram, is ever-changing. Best practices are constantly evolving, so it’s imperative to remain vigilant and stay up to date on the latest changes and implementations that these platforms introduce.
By embracing these Instagram social media best practices, you're not just posting; you're strategically building a vibrant community, driving measurable results, and positioning your startup for accelerated growth in 2025 and beyond. Don't just use Instagram; master it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Instagram still a crucial platform for startups in 2025?
How have Instagram Reels evolved, and why are they important for startups now?
What is "Instagram Shopping" and how can a startup use it effectively?
Why is engaging with followers and other accounts important on Instagram social media?
How can a startup measure the success of its Instagram social media efforts?
