Have you tried Instagram’s new album feature? It’s not only for average users. Businesses can use it as well to promote themselves and engage with fans. We are going to show you how to use it in a smart, natural, and cool way that will send more people to your feed and ultimately to your business.
How to use it
Step 1. Click the + icon like you normally would when sharing a photo.
Step 2. You’ll see an icon for albums. Click it and you will be able to select & unselect multiple photos. Select photos in the order you would like them to appear.
Step 3. Click next. From there you can apply filters if you wish.
Step 4. Click next once more to write up your caption . . .
Step 5. Share!
Now that you know how to create albums . . . how should you use this new feature?
How should you use it?
1. Personalized Guest Experiences–
We love how Best Western used albums to share this guest experience. It’s like a review, but better. Click the arrows on the image to see them all.
2. Showing Off Amenities–
Using the album feature is a simple way to show multiple features of one amenity. Check out how Courtyard Hotels used albums to display a fitness center in one of their hotels.
3. Get Creative-
Maybe you have something to share that needs more than one photo to do the job. View this example from Dimension One Construction Management Firm—
4. Give viewers a closer look-
Instagram albums are perfect for when you want to share a more in depth look at a product or service. This post from Sinclair’s Mercantile is a great example of that.
Here are some more fun ideas:
- “Behind the scenes” style photos like candid photos of your team setting up for an event.
- Have a hotel restaurant? Share recipes!
- Have a hotel bar too? Showcase multiple drink specials.
- Before and after renovation photos.
- Employee birthdays if you have several in one month. Read our blog on How to Highlight Your Staff on Social Media.
- Contest and giveaway instructions.
- Throwbacks. For example—how your hotel looked a few years ago compared to now.
- Nice views around your hotel.
- Big events with lots to share.
Of course, there are a few things you should be wary of.
How you shouldn’t use it-
The main thing to remember is to not overdo it. One thing that we all love about Instagram is getting that quick, bite-sized content. Overusing albums might overwhelm your followers and is dangerously close to posting the same selfie 3 or 4 times in a row.
Learn to distinguish between what would be better as a single-photo post and what would do great as an album. Don’t feel like you have to play all of your cards now that there’s an album option. It’s just an extra way to switch up your feed and get creative.
How would you use Instagram’s new album feature? We blog frequently about fresh ideas for your business and tips on engaging with your audience. If this was helpful to you, take a look at our last blog post that’s all about SEO & how to improve your search engine rankings. Thanks for reading!
Pipeline Social Media is a social media marketing agency that offers three approaches to help you increase your social media presence: we can fully manage your social media accounts, we can teach your team how to do it in-house, or we can monitor/coach your team along the way and report back to you. Ask us about our Google AdWords management and SEO website packages.
Maiya Wall
Social Media Community Manager
Pipeline Social Media
