In 2023, Instagram remains one of the most dominant social media platforms with over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide. Tapping into this huge audience by displaying your Instagram content directly on your WordPress website has enormous benefits.
As a WordPress expert since 2009, I highly recommend taking advantage of the seamless integration between Instagram and WordPress. Automatically cross-posting your Instagram photos as native WordPress posts allows you to increase credibility, expose your brand to new audiences, boost engagement and attract more website traffic.
In this comprehensive guide, you will learn:
- Key benefits of connecting Instagram to WordPress
- Step-by-step instructions to auto-post Instagram photos to WordPress
- How to properly embed an Instagram feed on WordPress sites
- Expert tips to optimize your Instagram-WordPress integration
Let‘s dive in!
Why You Should Display Instagram Photos on Your WordPress Website
Here are the top reasons automatically posting Instagram photos directly on your WordPress site is highly beneficial:
1. Increase Social Proof and Credibility
Showing an active and robust Instagram presence helps boost your brand‘s trustworthiness and credibility with website visitors. In 2023, over 93% of marketers agree that social media has helped increase their brand credibility and awareness.
Visitors will see that your brand has authority and expertise from a strong Instagram following. The more exposure your posts receive on Instagram, the more credible your brand becomes.
2. Expand Your Reach and Gain More Followers
According to Instagram‘s parent company Meta, 71% of people on Instagram follow at least one business profile. This presents an enormous opportunity to expose your brand to new audiences.
By sharing Instagram posts on your WordPress site, you can organically gain more followers on Instagram. Website visitors unfamiliar with your Instagram brand can easily find and follow you.
3. Drive More Website Traffic
When you display Instagram content directly within your WordPress posts and pages, you incentivize visitors to check out your Instagram profile for more content. This referral traffic from WordPress to Instagram also works the other way too.
Including Instagram follow or profile buttons on integrated Instagram feeds makes it easy for visitors to follow your account. This drives more traffic from Instagram back to your website.
4. Increase Engagement Across Both Platforms
Presenting Instagram content directly on your WordPress site keeps visitors engaged. The eye-catching visuals and condensed format lead to higher engagement rates compared to blocks of written content alone.
Likewise, when website visitors discover your Instagram profile through your WordPress site, they are primed to engage more with your Instagram content.
5. Make Your Website More Visual and Appealing
In 2023, web design is more visually focused than ever before. Including dynamic, photo-forward Instagram posts on your WordPress site instantly makes it more eye-catching and engaging for visitors.
94% of first impressions of websites come from visual design. Creative and vibrant Instagram photos integrated into your WordPress layout has been scientifically proven to increase perceived trust and enjoyment.
Now that you know why combining your Instagram presence with your WordPress website is so valuable for growth, let‘s explore step-by-step methods to post Instagram photos to WordPress.
Method #1 – Automatically Create WordPress Posts from Instagram Photos
The easiest way to integrate new Instagram photos into your WordPress site is to auto-generate a new native WordPress post every time you upload images to Instagram.
This seamless automation is possible thanks to IFTTT (If This Then That), a free platform that connects various apps and devices for synchronized workflows.
Here is exactly how to set it up in just a few minutes:
Step 1: Create IFTTT and WordPress Accounts
- Sign up for a free IFTTT account if you don‘t already have one. You can use your Google or Facebook login credentials.
- Also make sure you have the official WordPress mobile app downloaded on your device. Use it to log into your WordPress site.
NOTE: Your WordPress site must be running WordPress 5.6 or later for integration with the mobile app.
Step 2: Connect IFTTT with Instagram and WordPress
- In the IFTTT mobile app, click the profile picture > My Applets
- Press the + button to create a new Applet
- In the first box titled "If This", select Instagram
- Login to your Instagram account and allow access
- For the trigger event, select "Any new photo by you"
This will create the trigger – new photos you post on your Instagram account. Now to add the WordPress action:
- Select the "Add" link beside "Then That" at bottom
- Search for WordPress and choose "Create post"
- Connect your WordPress account using the mobile app
- Authorize the connection
Now your Instagram and WordPress accounts are successfully linked through IFTTT.
Step 3: Customize Your Autoposting for WordPress
The final step is customizing exactly how your Instagram photos are posted into WordPress. Luckily, IFTTT makes this really easy.
When you selected "Create post" for the WordPress action, a popup will have shown up with post options:
It lets you configure crucial settings like:
- Post title
- Post body
- Excerpt
- Featured image
- Categories
- Tags
You can also toggle options on and off, so maybe you only want to pull in the image and not fill out categories for example.
Pro Tip: You can incorporate dynamic details powered by IFTTT and Instagram data for more customization. For example, the post title could include the Instagram photo caption.
Once you have your autoposting action configured perfectly, make sure to hit "Finish" within IFTTT to complete the Applet creation.
Then it‘s time to test it out! Post some images to your connected Instagram account and watch them instantly show up as regular WordPress posts. Amazing right?
Now let‘s check out another fantastic way to showcase your Instagram photos on any WordPress site.
Method #2 – Embed an Automated Instagram Feed Widget
Rather than creating standalone WordPress posts for every Instagram, you may want to embed a consolidated, auto-updating Instagram photo feed instead.
This allows you to display all your Instagram content in a singular social media widget on your WordPress pages and posts.
To embed an automated Instagram feed, this 2023 guide recommends using the user-friendly Social Photo Feed WordPress plugin.
Why Social Photo Feed is the Best Instagram Plugin
After testing over a dozen Instagram WordPress plugins myself, I confidently vouch for Social Photo Feed as the top option for most users in 2023.
Some key reasons it stands out from the pack:
- Intuitive drag and drop feed builder
- Easy account connections with auto-syncing
- Customizable Instagram feed layouts
- Accessible data caching and image moderation
- Lightning fast optimized performance
Now let‘s explore how to properly install and configure Instagram feeds using Social Photo Feed.
Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin
From your WordPress dashboard:
- Go to Plugins > Add New
- Search for Social Photo Feed
- Install and Activate the plugin
Or easily install it directly from your dashboard here.
Step 2: Connect Your Instagram Account
Once activated, go to the main Social Photo Feed menu. The get started process involves connecting at least one Instagram account.
- Select which type of account you want to connect
- Click the "Connect an Account" button
- Login to your Instagram account in the popup
- Allow permission so images can be pulled into WordPress
Step 3: Configure Your Instagram Feed Layout/Style
With your Instagram account connected, now you can generate feed shortcodes while customizing exactly how you want it displayed:
- Feed Layout type (Grid, Slider, Thumbnail, etc)
- Number of Instagram posts shown
- Number of columns
- Post spacing
- Text styling
- Colors
- Imagery filters
- Content filtering
- Caption settings
Check out the video quickstart tutorial below for a visual demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpeHiOYkUcg
Dozens of customization options are available to pixel perfect your Instagram feeds for any WordPress site design needs.
Step 4: Embed Your Instagram Feed Shortcode Anywhere
Once you finish visually designing your Instagram feed within Social Photo Feed, copy the generated Instagram feed shortcode.
Then paste that shortcode into any page, post or widget where you want the custom feed displayed.
The plugin automatically polls and updates your Instagram feed in real-time without needing to edit the shortcode again. It truly makes managing WordPress websites more efficient for admins and satisfying for visitors!
Now let‘s explore some expert pro tips for supercharging your automated Instagram-WordPress integration.
Expert Tips for Optimizing Automated Instagram Feeds on WordPress
Here are some of my top professional recommendations for correctly setting up and optimizing auto-posting Instagram images into your WordPress site:
Choose The Right Instagram Account
Decide whether to connect your personal account or convert to a business profile before integration. Instagram offers biz profile analytics like demographics and impressions for optimization.
Strategize Hashtags in Instagram Captions
Include relevant hashtags in all Instagram captions. Then they will also appear in reposted WordPress image descriptions driving more value.
Promote Your Instagram @ Username
Make sure to visibly display your custom Instagram @ username on your WordPress site. Repeat it anywhere you embed Instagram feeds to gain more profile followers.
Enable Instagram Follow Buttons
Every Instagram feed on WordPress should contain call-to-action follow or profile buttons. This allows visitors viewing your Instagram content to easily follow your related account.
Refresh Feeds Frequently
Configure your embedded Instagram feeds to automatically refresh often (every 1-2 hours) so the latest Instagram photos are always shown on your site.
Analyze Metrics and Optimize
Review Instagram insights and Google Analytics regularly to determine which types of photos receive the most impressions and engagement. Then tailor your posting strategy accordingly.
Wrap Up
I hope this detailed walkthrough clearly explains the immense value of displaying Instagram photos on WordPress sites along with actionable steps to seamlessly integrate them.
The processes to auto-post Instagram images as WordPress posts or nicely embed consolidated Instagram feeds are easier than ever in 2023 thanks to helpful tools like IFTTT and the Social Photo Feed plugin.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help fellow WordPress site owners succeed with Instagram integration best practices.
