In order to build a presence on Instagram, you need to regularly post quality visual content. Most of the content you post should be images too, as image posts generate 31% more engagement than videos on the platform.
But coming up with great images consistently is tough, even for seasoned creators. One option that can help is quote posts.
No doubt you’ve seen these used, and abused, on Instagram – here’s an example from Buffer:
Some audiences love quote posts, some hate them. If your audience is in the former, then they can be a great way to generate more engagement, and thus, exposure amongst potential customers.
If you think they’re a good fit, or you’re interested n trying them out, here’s a quick, simple guide on how to create your own quote posts for Instagram (though they can, of course, be re-purposed on other platforms too).
1. Make a list of quotes
The first thing you need to do is create a list of quotes you’d like to share on your Instagram account. Make sure you include the name of the author too.
One good way to use quote posts is to take relevant segments from your previously created content – you can’t link directly to the post in your caption, of course, but it can help showcase the types of insights you provide on your blog.
The web is full of quotes on pretty much every topic, so you should have no problem finding some that take your fancy. Find as many as you can and copy and paste them, along with the name of the author.
2. Choose a background image
Now pick a quote from your newly created list and begin looking for a background image that will complement it. Obviously, photos relevant to the quote’s message are the best option.
You should be able to find plenty of royalty and credit free photos on sites like Pixabay. If you don’t find a relevant free photo you can always purchase one.
Another option is to use designed background images – these can be found for free too. If they’re well designed, and utilize colors that stand out or compliment your message, they can make your quote image really standout on Instagram.
A great place to purchase premium quality background images and photos for cheap is Creative Market.
3. Use a good image editing tool to add your text
Once you’ve chosen your background image, you need to add your text, and there are several online editing tools that make this task easy.
A great one for creating Instagram friendly images is PromoRepublic. PromoRepublic not only enables you to quickly add text to your images, but it also provides access to premium background images that are optimized specifically for Instagram.
All you need to do is choose the background image from a library of 100,000 images and copy and paste the text – they even provide suggestions on where to add the quote. You can also add several other overlays to the image to get it to look exactly how you want.
Once you create the image you can directly publish it through the PromoRepublic dashboard, where you can also check out stats on its performance.
It even lets you publish images on other networks like Facebook and Twitter. Hence, after you publish the image on Instagram you can quickly re-share it on these networks if it performs well.
When adding the quote to the image, make sure you stay consistent and use the same typeface and font size every time. If you plan to use more than one typeface, make sure they pair well together by using a tool like Font Pair.
After you add your quote, highlight it in your quote listing to avoid republishing it.
4. Brand and publish
Once you’ve added the quote and the name of author, you should brand it with your logo, website URL and/or company name so that users will quickly be able to see that you created it, even if someone else republishes it.
After you’re happy with the way the image looks, you can publish it. Most image editing tools (as noted above with PromoRepublic) now enable you to do this directly from the dashboard itself. You can also download the image and then upload it to Instagram if you prefer.
So get started now by creating a document and filling it to the brim with quotes your audience would enjoy. Next begin adding them to images using a good image editing tool and publish them. As you begin following this process you’ll get a better understanding of which quotes and background images perform best.