Let these experts help tart your feed right up...
There are a number of reasons why you might want to get really good at Instagram. The most obvious one is that you’re trying to grow a business – and it is indeed through doing that ourselves that we started following various Instagram gurus making big promises. But maybe biz-building isn’t your thing – perhaps you just want to pluck up the courage to start talking to camera on Stories to entertain your mates or maybe you’ve got a hobby you want to show off about. After all, why just post a picture of your home-made salt-beef when you can make a whole Reel about it?
Whatever your motivation, there are TONS of people you can learn from, but we’ve picked a few faves who we garner actual useful facts and tips from every day (this was a tough shortlist, as we’re following zillions of social gurus, but we’ve tried to hone in the ones who are Insta-specialists rather than all-round social butterflies).
Of course, most of them are also touting courses, newsletters, podcasts, 1-2-1 coaching sessions and all that jazz, but you can still get loads out of them just by giving them a follow. And then, like the geniuses that they are, they will suck you into their enticing, well-curated worlds and take your money, but you won’t care, because thanks to them you’re A Pretty Big Deal now.
Why we like her: Helen’s account is a mixture of business and pleasure – while her grid is brimming over with bright, accessible Insta tips, her stories are a bit more personal – stuff she’s baked, her home office renovation, some ducks… y’know, almost like she’s a real human woman who has a life of her own and doesn’t just exist to get you closer to that elusive swipe-up link. We like this because it shows you don’t always have to be super-disciplined with your niche to get a good following. She’s also wonderfully down to earth and likeable, as well as never far from a statement lipstick.
Stand-out gem: Helen’s hashtag of choice is #justbloodypostit and she’s very persuasive on the matter.
Why we like her: Spark Social is Instagram whizz Lou Chudley, and her whole feed and persona are extremely calm and reassuring which is just what we need when we’re cack-handedly trying to do the pointy-hand thing on Reels. Her tips are ideal for Instagram rookies, small businesses and basically anyone who’s just hoping to understand how they can get the most out of the platform.
Stand-out gem: This simple but effective Instagram tip (we’re Isabel and Lucy, by the way…).
Why we like her: Natasha has a strong visual style (you’d better like yellow) and a specific niche: helping you up your game when it comes to all things video on Instagram, which is really useful. She also practices what she preaches particularly well by being super-engaged with her audience, responding to the many questions and comments she gets, which adds a lot of extra value.
Stand-out gem: Start showing your face on video (oh man, do we have to?)
Why we like her: Jan’s feed is a pleasing mix of Insta tips interspersed with funny quotes and memes, and she’s really good at tapping into some of the insecurities and anxieties we all feel when we’re putting ourselves out there on social media. She’s another one who’s mega at engagement – comment on one of her posts and you’ll basically be penpals within minutes.
Stand-out gem: The Instagram hashtags mistake you probably don’t know you’re making (and guess what, we totally were).
Why we like her: Creative Puddles is Triinu, a jewellery designer who got very good at Instagram and turned it into a whole new career. We love that her feed is more human than Insta-bot, with lovely pics from her very aesthetically-pleasing life interspersed with her top tips. We also, naturally, love that she’s one of our founding 50 course creators, hurrah! You can check out her Instagram Growth & Engagement Course here.
Stand-out gem: Some simple but important wisdom about the best time to post on Instagram. As fledgling flounders juggling a new business around day jobs and kids, this is all very reassuring.
Why we like her: Man, she’s good at this. Phoebe, who runs Grazia’s social channels by day, knows EVERYTHING about Instagram and posts tons of well-presented, practical and detailed pointers. Her advice is useful whether you’re running a biz or just trying to improve your personal feed. And she’s funny, too.
Stand-out gem: Pros and Cons of Sharing Your Personal Life on Instagram – a simple post that provoked a lot of engagement.
Why we like her: Bella became Insta-famous by running an account sharing lots of pictures of attractive front doors in London and it seemingly, uh, opened a lot of doors for her as she has since run accounts for lots of big brands, as well as helping small businesses and individuals with their strategy. She is incredibly good at engagement – so much so, that she even DMs new followers with a personalised video message. The dedication!
Stand-out gem: Think like a big Instagram account (one of many fantastically informative carousels on her page).
Why we like her: She uses punchy, funny visuals to lure us into her content, which often consists of quite detailed captions full of insight and tips, particularly around getting more engagement. We find ourselves saving and screenshotting a lot of her posts to refer back to later like total nerds.
Stand-out gem: 10 Instagram guides/Reels ideas (all of which we definitely must get round to…).
Why we like her: She’s a lively one! She’s massively embraced Reels to get her Insta know-how across, and it works really well, although you might get a headache if you watch them all in one go. We’re in awe of her knowledge and her ability to break everything down into simple, digestible tips – it’s a godsend for anyone who can’t be bothered to spend hours fiddling around with the various features Instagram offers. Basically she’s done the hard work so you don’t have to.
Stand-out gem: 4 Instagram Story Hacks To Make Them Look Better (the perfect example of stuff we could have figured out ourselves if only we had the patience).
