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Instagram best practices

Plan Instagram posts that get read, with posting times, how often to post, Reels, carousels, captions, hashtags and what Convia does for you.

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Instagram is visual first: the image or video stops the scroll, and the caption turns a viewer into a follower. This page covers when and how often to post on Instagram, which formats to make, how to write captions and hashtags, and what Convia Pro does for you when it writes and schedules Instagram posts.

When to post on Instagram

Convia schedules Instagram posts at 11am, 2pm and 7pm in your workspace time zone when you have not set your own times. General guidance points to late morning to early afternoon (11am to 1pm) and the evening (7pm to 9pm), which these defaults fall within or near. To change them, go to Channels, click Edit beside When posts go out, open Advanced and click Choose my own times. See Calendar & scheduling.

How often to post on Instagram

Three to five short videos a week is a reasonable starting point for a weekly show. Pick a pace you could hold for three months, and raise it once that feels easy. Convia starts every channel at 3 posts a week, which you can change under Posts per week.

Instagram formats that work

  • Post Reels. Instagram favours them. Convia publishes a video as a Reel unless you choose Story.
  • Carousels draw high engagement. A carousel holds 2 to 10 images and videos.
  • Stories suit behind-the-scenes moments. A story disappears after 24 hours and takes no caption.
  • Location tags help you reach people nearby.
  • Reply to comments and DMs quickly.

Instagram captions and hashtags

  • Open with a hook that earns the tap on "more". Only the start of a caption shows in the feed.
  • Tell a story that connects with the person reading, then end with a clear call to action.
  • Captions can be up to 2,200 characters. Use line breaks so a longer caption stays readable.
  • Use 20 to 30 relevant hashtags, at the end of the caption or in the first comment.
  • Links in Instagram captions cannot be clicked, so point people to the link in your profile instead.

Instagram image and video format

Square images (1:1) take the most space in the feed; Instagram accepts aspect ratios from 4:5 to 1.91:1. Reels can be portrait 9:16 and up to 15 minutes; story videos are limited to 60 seconds. For every file limit and the per-post settings such as Trial reel, see Posting rules for each platform.

How Convia writes your Instagram posts

Convia writes Instagram captions from your Platform instructions for Instagram (Brand Brain → Platform instructions) and your Brand Brain: your brand characteristics, ideal customer and content rules. When a post sends people somewhere, the ask points to the link in your profile.

Where your brand and this guidance disagree, Convia follows your Brand Brain. Convia's standard Instagram instructions do not ask for emojis; if your brand uses them, or never does, say so in Content Rules under Brand Brain → Voice & Tone. A change for Instagram alone goes in Instagram's Platform instructions, which come with Grow and up. See How AI uses your brand.