Instagram recently introduced Group Profiles, allowing users to create private groups to collaborate and share content with select friends. As an Instagram influencer and content creator with over 10 years of experience, here is my guide on how to create and manage your own private Instagram group.
Table of Contents
Set Up Your Group Profile
To create a Group Profile:
- Open the Instagram app and go to your profile
- Tap the + icon and select Group Profile
- Add a group name, username, description, profile picture
- Choose privacy settings: private or public group
- Toggle on “Approve posts” if you want to approve content before it’s shared
You can have up to 20 admins and 5,000 members in a group.
Customize Your Group Page
Make your group recognizable by adding:
- Relevant keywords in group name and description for discoverability
- Consistent branding and visuals
- Link to your website in the group profile
Pro Tip: Have a branded hashtag for members to use when posting content. This helps organize and monitor group activity.
Invite Members
Once your profile is set up, start inviting members:
- Tap “Invite” and select members to invite
- Share a group invite link for members to request access
- Promote your group to drive new member sign-ups
Engage members by designating admins to post conversation starters and moderate discussions.
Post and Moderate Content
As an admin, you can post and moderate all content:
- Tap + on group profile to share posts, stories or reels
- Add captions, tags, locations to optimize content
- Toggle on/off if you want posts shared to your personal profile
- Approve or deny member posts before they are visible to the group
Review hashtags and engagement to see which posts resonate best with your audience.
Best Practices For Managing Groups
Here are some top tips for creating an active and engaged Instagram group:
- Post Consistently: Share at least 1 post per day to keep members engaged.
- Offer Exclusives: Give members early access to sales, deals and new products.
- Listen And Respond: Ask for feedback and let members know you hear them.
- Reward Loyalty: Spotlight or feature your most engaged members.
Pro Tip: Schedule your posts in advance so you can keep up with daily content sharing.
Grow Your Group Thoughtfully
A few things to keep in mind when scaling your community:
- Set a target member count based on your capacity to engage with members
- Slowly grow your group through word-of-mouth instead of buying followers
- Add value and build trust before promoting products to members
- Limit group size to maintain intimacy even as you grow
By consistently providing high-quality content and conversations, you can organically grow a thriving group on Instagram.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m always happy to share my experience with fellow Instagram creators.
Citations:
[1] https://later.com/blog/instagram-group-profile/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfCvPoTCRV4
[3] https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-best-practices/
[4] https://keyhole.co/blog/instagram-seo-tips/
[5] https://metricool.com/instagram-groups/
[6] https://www.bustle.com/life/what-are-instagram-group-profiles-how-to-use
[7] https://www.socialpilot.co/instagram-marketing/instagram-dm-groups
[8] https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/instagram-seo
[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ttbsbeW4yM
[10] https://about.fb.com/news/2022/12/sharing-features-on-instagram-notes-group-profiles-and-more/
[11] https://www.buildyourprivatepractice.ca/articles/instagram-marketing-private-practice
[12] https://www.socialchamp.io/blog/instagram-seo/
[13] https://www.reddit.com/r/Instagram/comments/xe5pbh/group_profile/?rdt=43818
[14] https://whatskatieupto.com/2019/08/instagram-engagement-groups/
[15] https://www.medialogic.com/blog/social-content-marketing/instagram-best-practices/
[16] https://searchengineland.com/7-mistakes-to-avoid-when-optimizing-your-instagram-account-for-seo-328937
[17] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMWs1uL3X98
[18] https://getgist.com/instagram-engagement-groups-instagram-pods/
[19] https://www.yourcreativecontent.com/blog/seo-for-instagram
[20] https://www.alphr.com/create-instagram-group/
[21] https://later.com/blog/instagram-community/
[22] https://blog.hootsuite.com/private-instagram-accounts/
[23] https://www.plannthat.com/instagram-group-profile-feature/
[24] https://getflowbox.com/blog/instagram-best-practices-content/
[25] https://www.techuntold.com/how-create-groups-instagram/
