Instagram vs. LinkedIn: What Types of Posts Perform Best on Each Platform

Why Your Post Strategy Should Vary by Platform

If you’re posting the same content to Instagram and LinkedIn, you’re missing out on serious engagement. These platforms attract different audiences, favor different formats, and reward different types of content.

Understanding the basics of how each platform works—and what types of posts actually perform best—is essential for creators, influencers, and small businesses trying to grow their presence.

In this guide, we’ll break down which types of content tend to perform best on Instagram vs. LinkedIn and how SociShare helps you tailor your content and schedule with purpose.

Instagram: Visual-First, Personality-Driven

Instagram is a highly visual platform. It’s designed for aesthetics, storytelling, and emotion. While features like Reels and Stories dominate, captions and post timing still play an important role.

Top-performing Instagram post types:

1. Reels

Short, vertical videos are the top-performing content on Instagram. Use Reels to entertain, educate, or inspire.

Ideas:

• Quick tutorials
• Behind-the-scenes clips
• Product demos with trending audio
• Funny or relatable moments

Reels are discoverable beyond your current followers, which makes them a great tool for growth.

2. Carousel Posts

Multiple-image posts drive more engagement than single photos because users swipe and spend more time on them.

Ideas:

• Step-by-step tips
• “Before and after” transformations
• Series-style educational content
• Mini case studies

Make sure each slide adds value and the final slide includes a CTA.

3. Stories

Great for daily engagement and showing your brand’s human side. Polls, Q&As, and link stickers keep followers involved.

Use for:

• Announcements
• Day-in-the-life moments
• Quick feedback
• Flash sales

Don’t forget to save highlights so new followers can see them later.

4. Single Image with Strong Caption

Well-designed images or branded graphics paired with thoughtful captions still perform, especially when the content is relatable, emotional, or informative.

Make it work:

• Use clear, consistent visuals
• Write hooks that encourage users to read more
• Add hashtags and a CTA at the end

Inside SociShare, you can schedule your Instagram Reels, carousels, and stories in advance and track what formats get the most interaction.

LinkedIn: Professional, Value-Driven, Conversation-Focused

LinkedIn is a professional network that thrives on thought leadership, industry insights, and meaningful conversations. It’s less about aesthetics and more about ideas.

Top-performing LinkedIn post types:

1. Personal Stories with Business Lessons

Posts that start with a personal hook and tie into a business insight perform incredibly well.

Structure:

• Relatable opening (1–2 lines)
• A challenge or experience
• What you learned or recommend
• Question to spark comments

This format builds connection and trust, even in professional spaces.

2. Text-Only Posts

Unlike Instagram, LinkedIn doesn’t require visuals to succeed. Posts with clean formatting and white space often get higher visibility.

Use for:

• Short tips
• Quick reflections
• Opinion posts
• Industry commentary

Break long paragraphs into 1–2 sentence lines to make the post easy to read.

3. Native Document Posts (Carousels)

LinkedIn allows you to upload PDFs that show as swipeable carousel posts.

Great for:

• “How-to” guides
• Tips and checklists
• Case studies or insights
• Data visualizations

These posts increase time spent and often encourage shares and saves.

4. Video Posts

Video performs well, but not as virally as on Instagram. Use it for credibility and expertise.

Ideas:

• Quick explainer videos
• Industry commentary
• Clips from webinars or live events

Videos with captions and concise intros do better.

With SociShare, you can draft and schedule your LinkedIn content right alongside your Instagram content—customizing each post while keeping everything organized.

Key Differences Between Instagram and LinkedIn Content

Element	Instagram	LinkedIn
Content Style	Visual-first, lifestyle-focused	Text-first, business-focused
Tone	Relatable, informal, emotional	Professional, reflective, insightful
Top Formats	Reels, carousels, stories	Text posts, document carousels, stories
CTA Style	“Save this,” “Tag a friend,” “DM us”	“Comment your take,” “Share this idea”
Posting Frequency	3–5x/week ideal	2–3x/week ideal

How to Adapt a Post for Each Platform

Want to share one idea across both Instagram and LinkedIn? Do it—but adjust the format.

Example: You want to share 3 lessons from a recent project.

• On Instagram: Create a carousel with visuals for each lesson and use a relatable hook in the caption.
• On LinkedIn: Write a text post starting with the biggest insight, followed by the story behind it, and end with a prompt like “Have you seen something similar?”

SociShare allows you to write one post and customize it for multiple platforms before scheduling, saving time and keeping your strategy sharp.

Final Thoughts: One Message, Multiple Formats

Instagram and LinkedIn both offer huge opportunities, but they reward different types of content. By understanding each platform’s strengths, you can craft the right type of post for the right audience.

To recap:

• Use Reels, carousels, and stories on Instagram
• Focus on personal stories, document posts, and thought leadership on LinkedIn
• Match tone and content style to each platform’s culture
• Repurpose smartly—don’t copy-paste across channels
• Plan and schedule with SociShare to streamline your content calendar

The more you tailor your approach, the better your content performs—and the faster your social media presence grows.