Instagram Marketing: How to Pin Posts and Reels to a Profile

Wondering how Instagram’s Pinning feature works? Curious how best to use pinned Instagram posts and reels in your marketing?

In this article, you’ll learn how to pin up to three posts or reels to your Instagram profile grid.

What Is Instagram's Grid Pinning Feature?

In June 2022, Instagram announced the platform's new Grid Pinning feature. At first glance, the feature appears incredibly simple. It lets you choose up to three posts or reels to pin (i.e., feature) at the top of your profile grid.

Similar to pinned posts on Facebook or pinned tweets on Twitter, anything you pin to your Instagram profile grid displays at the top of your feed indefinitely. You have to remove pinned posts manually or replace them with another pinned post.

But unlike other social media channels, Instagram allows as many as three pinned posts on your profile grid. That means choosing how many posts to feature, which posts to pin, and in what order to highlight them will take some strategic planning.

We'll look at some ideas for pinning posts and planning your grid. But first, let's walk through the process of pinning and unpinning Instagram posts and reels.

#1: How to Pin Instagram Posts to Your Profile Grid

Before you begin, make sure you have the latest version of Instagram. To pin a post to your Instagram grid, open the Instagram app, then open your profile and scroll through your feed. When you find an Instagram post you want to pin, tap to open it. Then tap the three dot menu in the upper-right corner to open the post action menu. From the menu, select the Pin to Your Profile option.

Navigate back to your Instagram profile to confirm that the post was pinned. You'll see a white pin icon in the upper-right corner of your post, indicating that it's pinned to the top of your Instagram grid. (Note that the pin icon replaces any other icons your post may have displayed such as video or Reels icons.)

To pin up to two additional posts (i.e., three total) repeat the workflow above. Scroll through your profile to find the other posts you want to feature at the top of your grid and tap to pin them.

Your most recent Instagram posts automatically display after any content you've pinned. That means you can devote an entire line of your grid to pinned posts or select just one or two to highlight.

As you choose posts to feature, pay attention to the order in which you pin them. The post you've pinned most recently appears at the very top of your Instagram grid. So what do you do if you want to keep a pinned post in the upper-left corner while adding one or two more to the top of your profile grid?

How to Unpin Instagram Posts From Your Profile

First, you'll need to unpin the post you want to highlight at the top of your profile feed. To unpin a post, open it and tap the three dots in the upper-right corner to view the menu. Then tap Unpin From Profile. Go back to your grid to confirm it no longer appears as a pinned post. Instead, it should revert to its default spot in the chronological feed.

Now you can go back and pin the posts you want to highlight—taking care to pin the posts in reverse order. Save for last the one you want to feature at the very beginning of your feed.

Keep in mind that Instagram limits accounts to three pinned posts. If you attempt to feature a fourth post, you'll see a Pin Limit Reached notification. If you want to pin the post anyway, tap Confirm.

When you tap Confirm, the post instantly appears in the upper-left corner of your feed. At the same time, the oldest pinned post (the rightmost pinned post) automatically becomes unpinned and returns to its spot in the chronological feed.

If you do want to replace an older pinned post but also want to adjust the order, tap Cancel. Then follow the steps above to unpin select posts and repin content so it displays in your preferred order.

#2: How to Pin Instagram Reels to Your Profile Grid

Instagram's Grid Pinning feature allows you to pin any feed post to your profile. That means you have the option to feature a selection of photos, videos, and reels at the top of your Instagram feed.

To pin a reel to your Instagram feed, follow the same steps described above for pinning photos and videos. Select the reel you want to feature and tap the three dots in the top-right corner to view the menu. Then select Pin to Your Profile.

Note that Instagram currently supports pinning posts to the main feed only. That means aside from the main grid, all tabs automatically display content in chronological order so you can't choose reels to pin to the top of your Reels grid, for example.

How to Unpin Instagram Reels From Your Profile

To remove a reel from its featured spot at the top of your feed, select the post and open the menu in the upper-right corner. Then select Unpin From Profile. As long as it remains on your profile grid, you can go back and repin it to the top of your feed at any time.

But it's important to note that you can't pin Reels that aren't posted to your profile grid. For example, if you've published a reel to the Reels tab only and opted not to add it to your profile grid, you won't have the option to pin it.

If you anticipate wanting to feature a reel on your profile grid—even temporarily—make sure to select the Also Share to Feed option when publishing your content. It isn't possible to add reels to your Instagram feed retroactively.

Pro Tip: Here's a helpful hack. Once you pin a reel to the top of your feed, you can tap to remove it from your profile grid at any time. As long as it's pinned, it will continue to appear at the top of the feed. Once you replace it with another pinned post, it will disappear from your feed and appear on the Reels tab only.

#3: How to Use the Instagram Grid Pinning Feature in Your Marketing

The Instagram Grid Pinning feature gives businesses a valuable new way to highlight posts. So how should your brand use it to draw attention to key content? Work with your team to decide how many posts to pin and how often to rotate them. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Align pinned content with your brand's marketing plan. For example, if you're promoting a limited-time offer, pinning a relevant post is a great way to give the offer added visibility.
• Avoid leaving the same pinned posts in place indefinitely. Remember that profile visitors see pinned posts first, which means your grid can look stale if the three top posts never change.
• Review pinned posts on a regular schedule such as every other week. Even if you don't have other time-sensitive content to promote, you might consider rotating evergreen posts.
• Check pinned post analytics and test pinning different numbers of posts to see what works best for your brand. By reviewing results regularly and optimizing your approach accordingly, you can maximize the value your brand gets from this feature.

What kinds of posts should you pin to your business' Instagram grid? Here are 10 content types to consider highlighting.

Limited-Time Offer

Is your business promoting a discount, event, product, or service that will only be available for a limited time? By pinning limited-time specials to your Instagram grid, you can make it as easy as possible for new and existing customers to find your current offers.

For example, this @hellofresh pinned post highlights a limited-time contest. The post caption explains the prizes and includes a URL that customers can visit to get details for entering the contest. By pinning just one post, the brand effectively spotlights the event while allowing the rest of the feed to display chronologically.

New Product Launch

Are you adding a new product or service to your lineup? In most cases, you'll probably publish multiple Instagram posts or reels to promote your new offering. By choosing one (or up to three) to pin, you can give your product launch extra visibility and ensure that existing and potential customers see your big news.

Below, the two @daiyafoods pinned posts highlight the brand's newest plant-based cheese products. Both posts are reels that introduce the products, suggest recipes, and include calls to action (CTAs) encouraging users to learn more by tapping the link in the brand's bio.

Product Spotlight

Why give brand-new products and services all the attention? Instagram's Grid Pinning feature is also a great option for increasing awareness of existing offerings. Reels and videos that share a simple tutorial or show customers how to use a service can work particularly well here, as they provide tons of value.

Below, the second @squarespace pinned post showcases the website builder's @unfold link in bio tool. The video includes a walkthrough that gives customers a quick overview of the product and helps them envision how they'd use it. Since it's a collaborative post, users can easily tap to visit @unfold's Instagram profile and learn more.

Content Spotlight

Has your brand launched a content series on another platform like YouTube, TikTok, or Spotify? Pinned Instagram posts are ideal for cross-promoting content on other channels. For best results, make sure the post you pin includes all of the essential details—like where to find the content and why followers should check it out.

This third @squarespace pinned post highlights the brand's audio series, Making It. The video highlights some of the series' guests, while the caption includes a hook for small business owners and a CTA pointing followers to the brand's profile link.

Seasonal Content

Does your business promote various sets of products or services for different seasons? Whether you're announcing a seasonal sale or launching a brand-new product, pinning seasonal posts is still a smart way to drive awareness and conversions.

Below, two @fitbit pinned posts highlight seasonal content: accessories for Pride month and summertime. Both posts target brand awareness, introducing customers to seasonal options and asking them to share their preferences.

Mega-Popular Post

Has one of your reels gone viral or has one of your Instagram posts gotten a ton of traction? When you pin your most popular content to the top of your Instagram feed, you get a chance to showcase what your brand can achieve.

If you're actively seeking partnerships with other brands or influencers, pinning top content can be a smart move. It helps make a good impression on potential partners and gives them an idea of your reach and engagement.

Press and Accolades

Do you want to give potential customers a great reason to do business with you? Accolades like press features and industry awards provide social proof, which can positively influence people's decisions. By pinning this kind of content, you can make sure these posts are the first ones potential customers see when they visit your profile.

For example, two of @thetravel_mechanic's pinned posts (pictured below) highlight press features. The first pinned post includes a video of the travel agent's piece on a local broadcast station, and the third post features her quote in a national newspaper. Both pinned posts work together to showcase the travel agent's expertise.

Customer Testimonials

Sometimes the best accolades come directly from customers rather than press outlets or industry groups. If your team often shares customer reviews or testimonials on Instagram, you can give them an extra boost by pinning them to the top of your feed.

To make testimonials more visible on Instagram, consider pulling out a key quote and highlighting it in the photo or video. Then quote the review in full in the caption.

Introductory or Evergreen Content

Not all of your pinned posts have to feature seasonal or limited-time content. Pinning content that introduces followers to your brand or gives customers a quick walkthrough of your products and services can be incredibly valuable.

This pinned @stasherbag reel is the first in the brand's Stasher Basics series. Each post in the series shows customers how to care for the brand's reusable bags and bowls, sharing helpful tips for challenges like removing odors and stains.

User-Generated Content

In most cases, your team might opt to pin posts and reels that showcase your brand's creative content. But pinning user-generated content (UGC) can also provide value to your brand and your customers.

By pinning user-generated photos and videos, you can give followers a better sense of how customers already use your products and services. UGC can also help build trust and authenticity—two elements that can be challenging to establish with branded content alone.

Conclusion

Whether you want to showcase evergreen content or highlight limited-time offers, pinning Instagram posts can help you reach your marketing goals. Use the tips above to develop a strategy for featuring posts and reels so you can build the ultimate Instagram profile grid for your brand.

Get More Advice on Instagram Posts and Reels:

• Discover a step-by-step guide to creating your own reels from scratch including how to interpret the trends.
• Learn a strategy to promote your products and services using Instagram Reels.
• Find out how to improve your marketing with eight actions that will help you achieve your business objectives.

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