Over the years, Instagram has evolved beyond just a platform to share pretty pictures. Today, it’s a powerful resource with a wealth of free information on just about every topic under the sun. Now, the new Instagram Guides feature is here to make it even easier to find information from your favorite creators.

What are Instagram Guides?

Think of Guides as Instagram’s version of a blog post. A guide is essentially a series of Instagram posts grouped together around a theme. Instead of scrolling back through a creator’s profile for hours, you can simply check out their guide on your topic of choice.

Originally, Guides was designed as a travel resource. However, the Covid-19 pandemic shifted the focus towards health and wellbeing. Of course, this is only the beginning and there’s ample room for the feature to grow. In the future, I predict we’ll be seeing guides from skincare gurus to chefs, and everyone in between. 

Who can use Instagram Guides? 

All users are able to view guides, so long as you have a recent version of the app installed. However, at present, only certain creators are able to curate their posts in this way. It’s unclear whether guides will eventually be available to all. It’s possible that they’ll be for creators with a business account or a certain number of followers. Whatever the case, when the time comes, you can bet I’ll be updating this article to teach you how to put an amazing guide together. 

How to find Instagram Guides 

To check out a creator’s Instagram guides, go to their profile and select the guides icon on the menu bar: 

Alternatively, you can click the Well-being tab on the Explore page to browse wellness guides. 

Then, select the guide you want to check out:

If there’s a post that piques your interest, tap it and Instagram will take you to the original.

What Does the Future Hold?

The Instagram Guides feature is in its infant stages right now, but I believe that it has so much potential. It’s an amazing way for creators to showcase their best content and deliver even more value to their followers. 

At present, guides still mainly centre around wellness, but the possibilities are endless. In the future, I don’t doubt that we’ll be seeing guides centered around recipes, workout programmes, packing lists, DIY, craft and so much more. Creators, pay attention… and watch this space.

What do you think of the new Instagram guides feature? Let me know in the comments below. Oh, and be sure to check out my guide to Instagram’s other new product, Reels.