10 Easy Types Of Instagram Posts For Your Business (With Photo Examples)

If you want to grow your business today you need to be on Instagram.  It's just that simple.  I know that it can be overwhelming to create good, consistent content on a daily basis, which is what you need to be doing, but I am here to help!  Posting once every two weeks just won't cut it.  If you need a general introduction to how to use Instagram for your business check out my previous post here - 10 Tips On Using Instagram for Business.

This post is to give you specific ideas for the types of photos you should be posting.  I think the categories are universal for any business, with a little tweaking here and there.  At walk in love. we basically recycle these 10 type of posts over and over again and you could do the same for your business.

10 Easy Types of Instagram Content For Your Business:

A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

1. Super Basic Product Photos

This is about as easy as it gets when making content.  Literally just post photos of your product/service.  If you sell t-shrits, post photos of those t-shirts.  If you sell tables, post photos of those tables.  If you are service based, like a photographer, post the photos you take.  It's about as easy as it gets and we do it all the time!  Simply put - post photos of the product you are trying to sell, duh!

A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

2. Creative Product Photos

Just add a little excitement or style to the traditional product photos.  One way we do that is folding the shirt in half and filling in the other half with buttons.  We also do it by taking "outfit" photos from above.  It's a way to highlight our products but it isn't just the same as every other product photo we post.

A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

3. Working Photos

Show people how you do what you do.  We do this a lot of different ways.  We will take photos, like the one above, of our team signing, "thank you" on our orders.  We will take photos of Brooke taking photos for campaigns.  We will take photos of our mailers all stacked up and ready to go.  Show people how you do what you do from time to time!

A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

4. Workspace

Along with showing them how you do what you do, show them where you do what you do.  People love seeing behind the scenes things and knowing where there favorite brands work.  It will also help you keep your workspace clean and organized :)

A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

5. General Encouragement

Add value to your followers feed by encouraging them.  Things like "Yay! It's Friday!" or "Have an Awesome Day!"  General encouragement goes a long way.  Make sure it lines up with your brand and isn't out of nowhere.  For walk in love. we use our app VRSLY to create that content and encourage people as they walk with Jesus.

Fight the good fight!!! #walkinlove #iwearwalkinlove 📷 @roxymoure

A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

6. Reposts

When people use your product and take a photo of it.  Repost it.  We are pretty picky about our reposts and make sure the photo is good quality and well shot to repost it.  You should be the same way when you have lots of reposts but at the beginning you should try to repost anything that is out there.  If you want better content to repost send out free things to good Instagrammers who will do a good job with it!  We send out free items all the time to good photographers so we will have great stuff to repost!

7. Giveaways

Giveaways are a super easy way to grow your followers and bring in new customers. We try to run a giveaway every weekend and always try to giveaway things in twos.  To enter people have to follow us and tag a friend.  That way we are telling our fans about the giveaway and they are turning around and telling even more people for us.  It's also a great way to find people to post things about your company.  If you want good photos to repost pick good Instagrammers to win the giveaways!

A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

8. Lifestyle

Get "Instagrammy" and post a super unrealistic lifestyle photo of the cup of coffee you are drinking or your coffee table perfectly organized, like it always is 😂.  We all know these types of Instagrams are totally staged, but they are still beautiful.  Add some lifestyle to your feed!  It will also give your followers an idea on how they should be posting photos, which will give you photos to repost!

A video posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

9. Videos

This is the type of post that we really struggle with and always say, "we should do more vidoes.." I think the variety it adds to your feed is good.  People also interact with videos.  They are more likely to get shared or passed around.  If they are funny people will be more likely to comment and tag friends.  We don't do a lot of videos but we know they have value and are trying to figure out an easy way to add them to our feed.  You should be doing the same!

10. Reminders

We are telling people that they can buy shirts on our website and that we have actually have a website EVERY SINGLE DAY 😂.  I always laugh because I feel like it should be obvious that you can buy the shirt we are posting about, but hey, some people need to be reminded.  We remind people about everything.  Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Pinterest, don't forget about our sale, did you enter our giveaway and so on.  Most of the time we use the text portion of the instagram to remind people and post it along with the one of the type of photo mentioned in points 1-8.  You will always have to remind people of what you are doing.  We try to limit it because people will get annoyed with an overkill of reminders, but you still have to have some!

That's it!  10 simple, easy types of content to help you know what to post to Instagram. If you need more ideas on a specific type of post for a specific business let me know in the comments and I can reply with a couple of ideas I have for you.  Make sure to include your Instagram user name so I can take a look at your feed.

When you start to use Instagram well, you will start to see your business grow! 

If you have a product that you would like me to try and post about you can send it to

walk in love. studio c/o T.J. Mousetis 148 E. Stiegel St. 4th Floor Manheim, PA 17545

I wear a size Large shirt, Brooke wears a Small and June wears 6-9 months. 😄


Actually Do Something... That's the BIG Secret!

There is a this weird internet-blogger-businesd-owner taboo surrounding being transparent and showing the traffic to your site.  But I am breaking that silly "rule" to make a point. Here is a snap shot of my visits, page views and audience size from this June to September.

CAN YOU GUESS WHICH MONTH I MADE IT A PRIORITY TO CREATE CONTENT?

Business owners constantly say that they "want new business" and "will do whatever it takes" and yet their websites, Instagram and Twitter feeds, and Facebook pages stay blank for days and days.  You want to know the big secret to getting people to hire or buy from you? Give them a reason to look at your site.  And do you know how to get people to look at your site? Give them something to look at. Pretty simple.

I am tired of people talking about how they want their business and brand to grow and yet they don't grind it out every day to give people a reason to show up. If you don't show up, why would your customer/reader?

A digital website isn't much different than an actual store front.  Think of your website as a storefront on a street lined with dozens of other stores, too.  Why is a customer going to stop at yours?  Is your storefront fresh and new and inviting? Or is it covered in cobwebs, featuring out of date graphics and dirty windows?  Are there signs pointing people to your store?  Now back to the digital world, do you have signs in the right places ... Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook?

Retail stores that do really well are the ones that have really good foot traffic.  Think of your website/blog the same way.  You want as many people to stumble in as possible so you can sell to them.

It's time to dust off the cobwebs and create content to give them a reason to stop and shop!

There is no big secret that succeeding business' aren't telling you.  The secret is simple and I am telling you now.  Give people a reason to stop by your site and they will!

I Don't Feel Like Writing This Blog Post

Ugghhhh! Do I have to write something that people will like?  It will never be as good as my three most popular posts.  It won't get me as many comments, followers, views, likes or whatever other metric I check daily, therefore, I don't want to write.

I just don't want to do it.  If I were a kid I would be throwing an epic tantrum.  I don't want to do it! I don't want to do it! I don't want to do it!

I started five different posts this morning and they are either half finished or I deleted them, because I really don't want to write anything.  I feel uninspired and tired.  I want to drink coffee and watch Friends all day.  I literally would pick doing almost anything else today instead of writing.

BUT ... If I want to be a blogger, writer, speaker, author ... I have to write.

If you want to be a photographer you have to go out and take pictures.

If you want to be a carpenter you have to measure, cut, nail and do carpenter things.

If you want to be a teacher you have to teach.

If you want to be a pilot you have to fly.

If you want to be a "fill in the blank", you need to "fill in the blank."

Get the picture?  If you want to be the best, or among some of the best, at what you do you have to show up even when you don't feel like it.  Even though I am not enjoying writing this blog post, I am here.  I am at the plate.  I am on the field. I am giving it my best today.

So often we base everything we do on how we feel.  But lots of times our feelings are stupid and we need to put them in their place.  Sometimes I feel like eating a carton of ice cream even though I am lactose intolerant.  Just because I feel like doing something doesn't mean I should, and just because I don't feel like doing something doesn't mean I shouldn't. For those of you who are in the same boat as me today and want to throw the kind of temper tantrums where you smash your Cheerios on the floor, throw you head back and shout "NO!!!", I am here to encourage you!  You can do things you don't feel like doing!  Surprisingly, I am already starting to feel a lot better that I stuck it out at my computer and just kept writing!

Push through the feelings telling you not to do it and do it!  Make it happen! Give it your best effort.  I know this post might only be a broken bat single, ground out or strike out, but at least I stepped up to the plate.

I'll share with you one of my favorite quotes about just showing up from our 26th President Theodore Roosevelt.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt // April 23, 1910

Here is an image to use as your iPhone wallpaper or post to Instagram to encourage you to show up!

You Don't Need An Intern, That's Just Your Ego.

There is an trend sweeping across super small companies everywhere - unnecessary interns and hirings.  There seems to be a new one in my feed every single day.  

"OMG! We are so excited to announce the coolest intern in the world. This chick is going to rock it in the studio." - Said in your typical white girl voice!

And by we do you mean you? And by studio do you mean weird extra bedroom?

Now I know that all businesses should try to appear and speak in a voice bigger than they are. So phrases like "we" instead of I, and "office" or "studio" instead of weird extra bedroom make sense. I get that. I've been there.

But!!!!

If you don't have enough business to make that small something your full time job, then you don't need an intern or to hire anyone else. You know what is a million times more impressive than having a high school student do a few things a week - HAVING A SUCCESSFUL, PROFITABLE BUSINESS SO YOU DONT HAVE TO WORK ANOTHER PART TIME JOB!

So often I see these young bucks who say they will do whatever it takes to make their business successful - excccccccept the hard work that it actually takes.  They think saying things like they "have an intern" is all of a sudden going to knock their potential customers socks off and they will just throw money at them because....well....they have an intern!

Brooke and I have had a few interns over the years, all for our photography company, and they were great. Really they were! But we ended up having to spend so much time with them that it distracted us from doing what we actually needed to do.  It's not like an intern shows up day one and is fully equipped to do every task set before them. Often, instead of pushing your business to the next step they actually take you back three steps, because you spend so much time teaching.

At some point we might try internships again, this time at walk in love., but only when we are absolutely ready for them and feel they will actually help our company grow.  I suggest you do the same.  Do as much of the work by yourself as possible and only hire someone when you absolutely have to. Push yourself to work as hard as you can as long as you can, so that you can understand every in and out of your business before you bring someone on to do it.

The second you add someone to your small company your job instantly splits into two.  You become responsible for everything you have to do and everything they have to do.  Be super smart and picky about adding anyone to your team and I would advise to wait until you absolutely have no choice.  Having a profitable business will always be more impressive than having 15 part-time employees or a slew of interns.

Currently at walk in love. we have three people working, two full-time and one part time.  We've shipped over 9,000 orders this year alone and with only three people on staff!  How awesome is that?  We don't add people just to add people.  We add people because we HAVE to.  Right now we can handle the necessary output with a small staff and that works better for all of us.  We don't have people standing around on the clock waiting for a job.  We don't fill our staff's days with busy, non-important work.  We are efficient with our time and do all the things that matter and do them well. I've actually heard people say, who work for smaller companies, "That's definitely a more efficient way to do that.. but if I adopt that method, I'll cut my hours in half. And I'm only part time. So, I'm going to keep doing  it 'this way' so I can log more hours." How unfortunate is it that your employee, or summer intern, might actually be dragging out their work simply because they are part time and aren't given enough to do in the first place! Make sure you really, really need someone. And then when you do get to that point, get the right person.

I'm sure we, at walk in love., could post an Instagram asking for intern applications and get hundreds of them. Which is so cool! But without a plan for those interns, we are really just stroking our egos so we can say, "Look at us! We have an intern!"

So, again, wait on the intern as long as possible, hold off on the new hire until you absolutely need it.  Never forget that having a successful, profitable business will always be more impressive than having an intern. Even if they do bring you Starbucks.

10 STEPS TO FREAKIN' LOVE MONDAYS!

Did you know that if you want to do something every day of the week and you start it on Monday that you are 80% more likely to keep up with it?

Actually, I just made that statistic up, but I am pretty sure it would be true if there was a way to prove it.  Mondays are my favorite day of the week because on Monday I have the entire week ahead of me.  I literally have the most potential to have an awesome week on Monday.  I find that if I start well I will have a good week and if I have a good week I will have a good life! Therefore, Mondays are super important to me and I am totally on Team Monday!

If I eat healthy on Monday, I am more likely to eat healthy throughout the week.

If I exercise on Monday, I am more likely to exercise throughout the week.

If I spend time with Jesus on Monday, I am more likely to spend time with Him throughout the week.

If you are one of those people that say, "Ugh Mondays... <insert meme of cat unable to get out of bed>" STOP!  Mondays are freakin' great and the sooner you fall in love with them the sooner you will realize the potential of what an awesome Monday can do for your week and life!

Here are my 10 steps to help you FREAKIN' LOVE MONDAYS!

1. Try to enjoy them.

Do me a favor on a Monday. Just try to be positive about it. Don't wake up and grunt like your life is going to end.  Even if you have to force a smile on your face. I double dog dare you to just try to have little tiny bit of positivity about the day, even if you have to fake it at first.

2. Start them well.

Get up earlier than you normally would on a Monday. This way you can set yourself up well for the first day and in turn the entire week.  Mondays shouldn't be a day where you are rushing out the door. Give yourself enough time to have a good breakfast and enough time to get out of the house in a calm manner.  If you start your week off in a stressed-filled-panic-swirl-of-chaos how do you expect the rest of the days to turn out?

3. Protect them.

I rarely schedule meetings, lunches or anything else on that might disrupt my Monday.  They are valuable to me, and the success of the rest of my week, so I protect them.  I want to utilize every possible second of a Monday to maximize the start of my week!

4. Don't Let Monday Haters Get You Down!

If people in your office are talking about how tired they are, or how Mondays are such a bummer, you should hit them right back with pumped-up-positivity about how excited you are to get back into it! Talk about how the week is full of potential and how living out that potential starts on Monday! Enthusiasm is contagious and the sooner you join Team Monday, the sooner your office mates will join!

5. Don't start with E-mail.

I never start Monday with e-mail.  I always try to start with something that I am really excited about doing even if it's only for ten minutes.  In fact, today is Monday, so I am starting with this blog post because I was super excited about it when I had the idea last night!  Try to start your Monday workday with an aspect of your job that you really love.

6. Add Awesomeness.

If you love coffee, then Monday should be the day you treat yourself to an extra cup or a special kind.  If bagels are more your thing, then give yourself time on a Monday to swing by Panera.  If you start making Mondays special then, guess what?, they will actually start being special!

7. Add music.

Monday should be the day you have an killer playlist.  You should be singing Firework by Katy Perry as loud as you can in your car while you drive to work or school.  You should do whatever you can to fire yourself up for the day! I really like trying to find new music on Mondays because new music inspires me. Right now I am listening to a new band I found called The Shires.  They are pretty good and are doing exactly what I wanted them to - inspiring me!

8. Write down your goals for the week!

What do you want to do this week? What do you need to do this week?  Will it be a dreaming week or a grinding week or a combination of both?  Have goals because they will help you stay focused, engaged and excited!

9. Change your desktop or iPhone background.

Sometimes changing my desktop and iPhone background on Monday helps give it that little extra umph it needs.  It's a way to set the week apart.  Sometimes I try to find something really encouraging and inspiring for my background, and sometimes it's just a new photo of Brooke or June.  It depends on what I need that week. There is a site called Simple Desktops that has some really clean and simple backgrounds for your computer.  You can also use the VRSLY app to create inspiring wallpapers for your iPhone everyday!

10. Set yourself up for success.

Maybe you should clean your desk every Friday before you leave so when you come back in on Monday it is beautiful, clean and ready to go.  Or maybe it's doing the dishes every Sunday night so you don't wake up to a messy kitchen.  You gotta set yourself up to have an awesome start to your week, and sometimes that starts before the week even begins.

You have a choice every single day.  You can choose to be a grump that no one really enjoys being around or you can choose to live with passion, energy and excitement.  

I hope you choose to live with passion - especially on a Monday.


Am I Doing Enough?

I probably ask myself this question everyday and depending on my mood, feeling and general emotional state I have different answers.

Sometimes I believe I am and I feel like this...

And then there are days where I feel more like this....

Lately I have been asking this question about all areas of my life.

Am I doing enough at work?

Am I doing enough for Brooke?

Am I doing enough for June?

Am I doing enough to stay healthy and not gain 300 lbs because of my love for cheese?

Am I doing enough for people who are suffering?

Am I doing enough for my church?

Am I doing enough for Jesus?

Honestly, sometimes the answer is No.

I think we live in a feel-good, blow-smoke-up-your-butt, everyone is a winner society and most people would say,

"Oh of course you are doing enough.  Everyone is a winner!  Here is a participation trophy."

But sometimes the answer is just no!  No, you aren't doing enough so step it up.  Get your lazy butt off your chip covered couch and go out and make it happen!  Stop telling people about all the "dreaming" you've been doing lately and just start actually living. 

Below I will answer the questions I asked above.  Some of you will read this and think, Yes I am doing enough.  Good for you!  Keep it up!  Some of you will feel convicted and instead of getting mad at me for calling you out use it as a launching pad to get going in the right direction!  This post does not exist to make you feel guilty.  I hope it inspires you and gives you the kick in the butt wake up call you might need!

Are you doing enough at work? -Do you do things without being told? Are you working as hard as you can or just doing the bare minimum?  Are you making the most of everyday or just clock watching till you can go home?

Are you doing enough for your spouse? - If there are dishes in the sink or trash that can be taken out then the answer is probably no.

Are you doing enough for your kids? - Are you spending time with them without a screen?  Are you teaching them the things that they should learn from a parent?  Are you being an example in all areas of life because THEY ARE WATCHING YOU!

Are you doing enough to stay healthy? - Put down the extra cheese filled dough ball and WALK AWAY and while you are walking away, open the door and walk outside for a mile, maybe two.

Am I doing enough for people who are suffering? - My guess is that you have a few extra bucks you can donate to some awesome ministries that are saving lives all over the world.  It's hard to actually be hands on in this regard if you have other responsibilities, but you can help with your money.  Here are some organizations doing awesome things for people suffering around the world - Compassion International + Samaritans Purse

Am I doing enough for my church?  - If you haven't volunteered for anything then NO!  Get off your butt, take time out of your schedule and serve somewhere.  Pass out communion, direct traffic, sweep the sidewalk, lead high schoolers, just do something!

Am I doing enough for Jesus? - I struggle with this question because I sometimes feel like I should be preaching the gospel to anyone and everyone, but as I fall more in love with Jesus I have realized something.  He wants you where you are to do all you can for Him.  Sometimes that will be on a stage in front of thousands and sometimes it will be in an office in front of one or two people.  You can do enough for Jesus wherever you are.  Just listen, obey and when He calls - act.

Here is the ultimate test to see if you are doing enough....

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-24

If you can, in your heart of hearts, say yes to living by that verse than you are.  Work hard for the Lord in whatever you do!