Instagram, with its ever-evolving landscape, has become more than just a photo-sharing platform; it’s a dynamic space for businesses, influencers, and creators to showcase their brands, personalities, and products. One of the most powerful tools to emerge in recent years is the **pinned post** feature, a game-changer that lets you strategically control the first impression visitors get when they land on your profile.
Pinned posts allow users to showcase up to three posts at the top of their profile grid. Think of these as your Instagram shop window—a curated, highly-visible spot for promoting your most important content. Whether you’re launching a new product, sharing an exciting announcement, or simply wanting to highlight your best content, pinned posts help direct attention to what matters most.
But like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how well you use it. Here are some strategies to make your pinned Instagram posts work for you.
- Set Clear Objectives for Your Pinned Posts
Before you decide which posts to pin, it’s crucial to outline your goals. What do you want people to know about your brand or account when they visit your profile? Your pinned posts should align with your broader content strategy and marketing goals.
Here are some objectives that you can achieve with pinned posts:
– Promote Products or Services: For businesses, the top three pinned posts could serve as mini-adverts for your latest product line or key services. Highlight special promotions, best-sellers, or new releases.
– Increase Engagement: Pinning posts that have performed well in terms of engagement can give them extra visibility and encourage more interaction.
– Tell Your Brand Story: Use the top of your profile grid to tell a story. Pinning three posts that take viewers on a journey—whether it’s your brand history, product evolution, or a behind-the-scenes look—can make your profile more engaging and personal.
– Highlight User-Generated Content (UGC): Pinning customer reviews, testimonials, or photos shared by your audience can build credibility and foster community.
Each of these goals requires a different approach to content creation, but the key is to ensure the posts you’re pinning are aligned with your strategy and offer value to your audience.
- Make Use of Evergreen Content
Pinning timely content is great, but what about those posts that remain relevant no matter when someone sees them? Evergreen content—posts that have lasting value over time—can be incredibly effective for pinned posts.
For instance, if you’re a personal trainer, pinning a post that includes a comprehensive workout guide will always be useful, no matter when someone lands on your profile. If you run a local business, a post highlighting your key services or customer reviews will remain relevant for new followers and potential clients over the long haul.
The beauty of evergreen content is that it doesn’t lose its effectiveness over time. It continues to resonate with your audience and can act as a reliable introduction to your brand.
- Create Visually Cohesive Pinned Posts
Instagram is a highly visual platform, and while the content is king, aesthetics can’t be ignored. Your pinned posts should be visually cohesive. Since the posts will sit side by side on the top of your grid, they need to complement each other in terms of design, color palette, and style.
If your brand has a specific color theme or style, make sure your pinned posts reflect that. Use similar filters, fonts, or colors to create a unified look. The aim is to create a smooth transition from post to post so that they feel like a curated collection rather than three unrelated pieces of content.
For example, if you’re a fashion brand, you can pin three posts showcasing different outfits from the same collection, using a consistent filter or background color. If you’re an influencer, you could pin posts that align with your personal brand—perhaps a series of travel shots with similar lighting or tones.
- Pin Posts with Strong Calls to Action (CTAs)
Pinned posts are prime real estate for conversions. They are the first thing people see when they visit your profile, so make sure these posts include clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs). Whether you’re driving traffic to your website, encouraging people to sign up for your newsletter, or inviting them to check out a new product, your CTA should be prominent.
Some examples of effective CTAs for pinned posts include:
– “Shop our new collection now!”
– “Join our email list for exclusive discounts.”
– “Click the link in bio to learn more.”
– “Tag a friend who needs this!”
Remember, Instagram only allows you to pin three posts, so make sure at least one of them includes a CTA that supports your overall marketing goals. You can also combine your CTA with a time-sensitive offer or promotion to create a sense of urgency and drive immediate action.
- Leverage Engagement Metrics to Choose Your Pins
Instagram’s algorithm favors posts with high engagement—likes, comments, shares, and saves. If you have posts that performed exceptionally well, those might be perfect candidates for pinning.
Pinning your top-performing content not only gives these posts more visibility but also communicates value to your audience. When new visitors see posts with a lot of likes or comments, they’re more likely to view your account as credible and worth following.
Instagram Insights is a valuable tool for assessing the performance of your posts. Review metrics like engagement rate, reach, and impressions to determine which content resonates most with your audience. Use this data to guide your decisions when choosing which posts to pin.
- Update Your Pinned Posts Regularly
Pinned posts are not set in stone. Just because you’ve pinned a post today doesn’t mean it has to stay there forever. In fact, regularly updating your pinned posts is a great way to keep your profile fresh and reflect your current campaigns or goals.
For example, if you’re running a seasonal promotion, pin posts relevant to that campaign for the duration of the promotion. Once the campaign ends, replace those posts with something more evergreen or another timely piece of content.
Regularly refreshing your pinned content can also give returning visitors something new to engage with and can signal that your account is active and up-to-date.
- Use Pinned Posts to Tell a Story or Sequence
Another creative way to use pinned posts is to create a series that tells a story or shares a sequence of steps. This works especially well if you’re teaching something or taking your audience through a process.
For example, a beauty brand could pin a three-part skincare routine, with each post covering a different step in the process—cleanse, tone, moisturize. Or, a business coach could pin a series of posts covering tips on goal setting, productivity hacks, and maintaining work-life balance.
The sequential order of your pinned posts can guide visitors through a narrative, making your profile more interactive and encouraging people to explore your content more deeply.
- Test and Experiment
Like any social media feature, success comes from testing different approaches and seeing what resonates with your audience. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of pinned posts—whether it’s a tutorial, a product showcase, or user-generated content—and monitor the results.
By regularly analyzing how your audience interacts with your pinned posts (using engagement metrics), you can refine your strategy over time to maximize their impact. Instagram’s platform is continuously evolving, so staying flexible and willing to adapt your approach will keep your content fresh and relevant.
The Wrap
When used strategically, pinned posts can be a powerful asset in your Instagram marketing arsenal. They allow you to highlight key content, drive engagement, and tell a visual story—all while giving new visitors a curated first impression. By setting clear goals, focusing on evergreen content, and regularly updating your pinned posts, you can ensure that your Instagram profile always puts its best foot forward.
Remember, the first three posts are what users see when they visit your profile—make them count!
RBOA is a digital marketing agency with a 40-year legacy of creativity, smart strategy, and fresh thinking that delivers award-winning communications and successful results. We provide clients with a unique, omnichannel blend of advertising, social media, digital marketing, and web design services.
If you are interested in learning more about digital marketing for your organization, we hope you will reach out to RBOA to schedule an exploratory call.