31 Days of Inspiring Instagram Prompts
If you’re looking to boost your brand on Instagram but at a loss for what to post, we’ve got you covered with 31 days of prompts, inspiration, and hashtags that celebrate life’s beautiful, everyday moments.
Recently we teamed up with social media scheduling app Tailwind for a month-long Instagram challenge aimed at helping you create an unstoppable Instagram habit and gain followers along the way. Those who participated said that it helped them think differently about their feed and one participant even said it helped her gain 1000 followers in a single month.
So we’ve gathered all the prompts in one place plus some awesome examples to inspire you, so you can do the challenge whenever and as many times as you’d like.*
How it Works:
- Start the challenge on a Monday.
- Be inspired by these prompts or come up with your own—the most important thing is to post consistently.
- Consider creating your posts in Adobe Express and scheduling with Tailwind—the app will post when your followers are most active.
- Tag your posts with #AdobeAdobe Express so we can follow you!
Overview
Day 1: Monday- Introduce yourself and say hello to your Instagram community.
Tag a few friends to invite them to the challenge.
Hashtags: #hello #newbeginnings #possibilities #freshstart
Day 2: Tuesday- What are your #feedgoals/theme for your Instagram?
Why should people follow your account?
Hashtags: #instafollow #instagrammer #community #journey #feedgoals
The @evokery’s word cloud sums up what their feed is all about. You could also post a quote or phrase that keeps you going.
Day 3: Wednesday- Share a quote for #wordsofwisdom Wednesday
#wordsofwisdom #quote #wordstoliveby #wisewords #feedgoals
We love how @zollerfabian uses multiple shapes and Adobe Express’s Magic Layout to make his text pop. The black and white background image also looks awesome under the red.
Day 4: Thursday- Share a throwback photo
#TBT time!
Hashtags: #tbt #throwbackthursday #throwback #memories #feedgoals
We love how @amdesigned uses Magic Layout to throw it back to her prom days. Post’s collage functionality works great for before-and-after posts or to show progress. Consider pulling the text out of the grid to make it stand out.
Day 5: Friday- Express the happiness that is Friday
#TGIF
Hashtags: #tgif #friyay #happyfriday #friday #feedgoals
Fun shapes, like speech bubbles, can add flair to photos like in this post from @anyonedog.
And when a still image simply won’t do, say it with Spark Video, like Brazilian food blogger @lucanacozinha does with a video compilation.
Related: Everything you need to know to create awesome videos for Instagram.
Day 6 Saturday -What makes your weekend awesome?
Share your #Weekendvibes
#weekendvibes #weekendfun #weekend #saturday #feedgoals
Day 7 – Sunday- Sunday Selfie!
Hashtags: #selfie #thisisme #simplyme #justbeyourself #feedgoals
Selfies can add a serious dose of realness to your social feed. They create intimacy between you and your followers and shows the personality of your brand. (Plus, faces are proven to draw people in!) Here, @Zollerfabian takes his followers behind the scenes of his dance competition.
Day 8 – Monday- What’s your goal for the week?
Hashtags: #goals #motivationmonday #youcandoit #instamotivation #feedgoals
Writing down your goals and focus for the week can help you stay focused. Sharing those goals with your tribe can help you stay accountable.
Day 9 – Tuesday- Share a #shelfie (photo of your bookshelf)
Hashtags: #shelfie #bookshelf #bookshelves #bookstagrammer #feedgoals
Day 10 – Wednesday- Show your workspace
tag your co-workers/company
Hashtags: #myjob #dayjob #mygrind #company #feedgoals
Day 11 – Thursday- From where I stand – take a photo of where you are with your shoes in the photo
(search #fromwhereistand for inspiration)
Hashtags: #fromwhereistand #fwis #pursuepretty #livethelittlethings #feedgoals
If your feed is looking all the same, you might be shooting from the same angle out of habit. This prompt is all about changing your perspective.
Day 12 – Friday- Design and shoot a flat lay photo
Hashtags: #flatlay #onthetable #feedfeed #flatlayfriday
This is a great prompt for all the makers out there. Check out some of our flat-lay styling tips and easily add graphic elements with Adobe Express to promote a sale or new items. Boom! Pro-looking DIY advertising!
Day 13 – Saturday- What are you reading?
Share a quote or idea from a book.
Hashtags: #book #read #booklover #quoteoftheday #feedgoals
We love how @zollerfabian continued the motif of the book cover in his excerpted quotes.
Day 14 – Sunday- Brunch it up with a food photo
Hashtags: #brunch #brunchtime #yum #foodstagram #feedgoals
What is Instagram if not a collection of food porn photos? Learn to take better food photos with these tips from a professional photographer and chef.
Day 15 – Monday- What’s next on your travel bucket list?
Hashtags: #bucketlist #travelbug #travelgoals #globetrotter #feedgoals
From stunning photos to DIY postcards, this was one of our favorite days of the challenge for how much creativity it inspired. Some posted quotes about travel alongside a dream destination or picked fonts that evoked the vibe of the place. These DIY postcards gave us a serious dose of wanderlust.
Day 16 – Tuesday- What are you drinking this morning?
Share what’s #inmycup.
Hashtags: #inmycup #drink #drinkup #drinking #feedgoals
We love the strong lines and minimal design on this post.
Day 17 – Wednesday- Pattern play – share a photo with a pattern in it
Hashtags: #pattern #lookingup #geometric #perspective #feedgoals
@JimBabbage showcases the patterns in everyday things with this Adobe Express collage.
We also love patterns for creating awesome backgrounds. Search from hundreds of artful patterns, available for free for a limited time in Adobe Express.
Day 18 – Thursday- Post a reflection
Hashtags: #reflection #ignaturale #reflect #reflections #feedgoals
From thoughtful reflections with text to playing with mirrored effects, this prompt leaves a lot to the imagination. We like how @stefanifineart uses subtle text to brand her imagery.
Day 19 – Friday- What are you grateful for?
Hashtags: #thankful #gratitude #grateful #thankyou #feedgoals
@Tailwindapp took Day 19 as an opportunity to thank their community, while others posted about kids, good weather, a great book etc.
Day 20 – Saturday- Three of your favorite things and why
Hashtags: #favorite #special #favoritethings #itsthelittlethings #feedgoals
If you’re a shop or boutique #threefavorites could be a fun regular feature for your Instagram channel. Use it to showcase new items or style objects together. You might even ask customers or influencers to share their #threefavorites to inspire UGC and brand mentions.
Day 21 – Sunday- Favorite way to relax
Hashtags: #relax #chill #rest #enjoy #feedgoals
Day 22 – Monday- Share your morning routine
Hashtags: #mornings #riseandshine #riseandgrind #morningmotivation #feedgoals
The cohesive color palette in this post makes it shine!
Day 23 – Tuesday- Post your favorite treat today
Hashtags: #snack #snacktime #soyummy #nomnom #feedgoals
Did you know Adobe Express suggests colors for the text based on the photo you start with? We’re taking the guesswork out of color theory.
Day 24 – Wednesday- Friendship – post a photo of you and your bestie/bromance
Hashtags: #friendshipgoals #besties #friendsforlife #bestfriendlove #feedgoals
Day 25 – Thursday- Tell a story with color
Hashtags: #colorstory #color #acolorstory #feedgoals
Day 26 – Friday- #butfirst [insert your must have]
Hashtags: #butfirst #morning #weekendvibes #readyfortheweekend
Some photos are better suited for text than others, but many stock photo services have collections of imagery primed for typography. Here are 6 tips for picking photos that work well with text.
Day 27 – Saturday- Show your hometown/state pride
Hashtags: #hometown #local #native #feedgoals #hometownpride
Day 28 – Sunday- Share something you’ve made and you’re proud of.
Hashtags: #handmade #imadethis #humblebrag #crafty #maker #feedgoals
Day 29 – Monday- #MotivationMonday – Share your favorite piece of advice
Hashtag: #motivationmonday #instamotivation #advice #succeed #feedgoals
We love the bold black and yellow color combo, which followed the motif of other photos on this blogger’s feed the day she posted it, created a nice visual cohesion.
Day 30 – Tuesday- Where’s your favorite place to hang out?
Ask someone to take a photo of you in your #naturalhabitat
Hashtags: #naturalhabitat #happyplace #myhappyplace #lovinglife
Day 31 – Wednesday- Celebrate!
Your 31-day challenge success or anything you’re proud of accomplishing!
Hashtags: #celebrate #milestone #goals #feedgoals