If you’re a content creator, influencer, or small business owner looking to take your Instagram game to the next level, it’s time to build artificial intelligence (AI) into your strategy. AI chat tools like Microsoft Copilot and AI design tools like Microsoft Designer help you automate tasks, generate creative content ideas, and design eye-catching graphics effortlessly.
In this post, we’ll show you four ways you can use AI to improve your Instagram presence and grow your following. While our examples will focus on Microsoft Copilot and Designer (simply sign up for a free Microsoft account to use them), you can use these strategies with any AI chat tools and/or design tools you choose.
Let’s get started!
Why use AI for Instagram content?
Incorporating AI into your Instagram strategy can revolutionize your approach to social media.
- Save time and effort. From ideation to hashtag creation, Microsoft Copilot can streamline content creation and free up your valuable time.
- Enhance visual appeal. You don't need to be a graphic design pro to create eye-catching Instagram content. AI-powered tools like Microsoft Designer can help you improve the appearance of your photos, reels, stories, and even profile pictures with just a few clicks.
- Create unique and exciting content. Stand out from the crowd with content that's fresh, engaging, and tailored to your brand. By leveraging AI, you can explore new creative possibilities and keep your followers coming back for more.
- Boost engagement and grow your following. In the competitive world of Instagram, engaging and interesting content is key to attracting and growing your following. By leveraging AI to create compelling content, you can increase your chances of getting more likes, comments, and followers.
What content creation tasks can AI help with?
Think of Copilot and Designer as your ever-present creative partners. They can assist with a huge range of content creation tasks, including:
1. Brainstorm topics and ideas
We all run out of ideas and get stuck from time to time. Copilot can keep your Instagram strategy running at full steam by generating a list of post ideas for you. More on this in the “Instagram Captions” section below.
2. Organize a content calendar
Once you have your ideas, Copilot can suggest optimal posting times and help you map your content ideas onto a calendar based on seasonal timeliness and relevance.
3. Write Instagram post captions
Copilot can also write complete post captions for you. Later in this post, we’ll explore a step-by-step process for writing captions with Copilot.
4. Create Instagram posts
Why stop at captions? Head over to Microsoft Designer and create the whole post. Your options include:
- Image Creator: If you want to make a stand-alone image the entire post, use Image Creator.
- Design Creator: To collage multiple images together or overlay text on your images, use Design Creator.
- Sticker Creator: To create transparent sticker-like graphics that align with your brand identity, use Sticker Creator. Add stickers you’ve created to an existing design or turn a single sticker into a stand-alone Instagram post.
5. Create Instagram stories
The options available for Instagram posts also apply to Instagram stories. From single-image stories to multi-slide narratives, Microsoft Designer can help you craft eye-catching content that captures your followers' attention and keeps them engaged. And if you want help determining what your overarching slide narratives will be, ask Copilot for ideas.
6. Repurpose content
Get more mileage out of your existing content! AI can help you repurpose your best-performing content into new formats, like turning popular blog posts into Instagram stories or carousels.
How to use AI to write Instagram captions
Writing engaging Instagram captions can be a challenge, especially when you're short on time or struggling with writer's block. This is where AI chat tools like Microsoft Copilot come in handy.
Let’s walk through two ways to use Copilot to generate captivating Instagram captions.
Option 1: You already have the post graphic or know what it will look like
Let’s say you’ve already created the visual part of your post or have a vision in mind, and you simply need the perfect caption to accompany your graphic or video. Use the following method to generate captions:
1. Open Microsoft Copilot and start a new chat. (If you still need access to Copilot, use it for free in the Edge browser).
2. In your prompt, provide a brief description of your Instagram post. Include the following:
- Key details about the image or video content
- Your audience, brand voice, and (optionally) any CTAs or hashtags you want to feature
- If you’d like to review multiple captions and select the best one, specify this in your prompt. For example, “List 5 caption ideas for an Instagram post featuring X.”
Example prompt: “List 5 caption ideas for an Instagram post featuring a picture of a healthy green smoothie alongside a short recipe. My audience is young professionals aged 25-35 who are interested in personal development, productivity hacks, and wellness. I would like to inspire them to make simple, healthy decisions that boost their physical and/or mental health.”
The results:
3. Review the generated captions and select the one that best fits your post. Feel free to edit and refine the caption as needed.
Option 2: You don’t have visuals or captions planned and need ideas
In this case, we’ll take a step back and generate ideas before we start writing captions.
1. Open Microsoft Copilot and start a new chat.
2. Ask Copilot to list some post or topic ideas. Like before, include all the context Copilot needs to tailor these ideas to your audience—namely your audience, brand voice, and any products or themes you want to feature.
Example prompt: “Provide a list of fresh ideas I could use for Instagram content. My audience is young professionals aged 25-35 who are interested in personal development, productivity hacks, and wellness. I often share tips on work-life balance, book recommendations, and mindfulness techniques. I’m looking for innovative and engaging Instagram post topics that would resonate with my audience.”
The results:
3. Optional: If needed, refine your prompt with feedback to generate more ideas or steer the AI closer to your brand voice.
4. Review the generated list of ideas and copy the ones you like into a separate document.
5. Feed your approved ideas back to Copilot and ask for complete captions for each idea. If you’d like to review multiple caption options for each idea, specify that in your prompt.
Example prompt: "Generate post captions for the ideas listed above."
The results:
6. Select the best caption for each post idea and edit as needed. Add the final captions to your content calendar, spreadsheet, or wherever you organize your upcoming social media content.
How to use AI to create Instagram posts or stories
Now, let’s say you want to create the graphics for an Instagram post or story. It’s Microsoft Designer’s time to shine. To design your visuals:
Before you begin: If you still need Instagram post or story ideas, use Copilot to generate a list of ideas and write the captions. This helps you write more specific Designer prompts that are less likely to return generic results.
1. Open Microsoft Designer. To generate standalone images, select Image Creator. To generate complete designs, select Design Creator. For this blog post, we’ll be using Design Creator.
2. Optional: Upload your own images or use the built-in image search to find relevant visuals.
3. Use prompts to generate AI-powered designs for your post or story. For example:
Prompt: "A vibrant Instagram post about simple skincare hacks"
Prompt: "An Instagram story highlighting the benefits of small habit changes"
Prompt: "An inspirational Instagram post for the morning"
4. Customize your AI-generated designs by adjusting colors, fonts, and layouts to match your brand identity.
5. Add text, stickers, and other elements to enhance your story and encourage engagement.
6. Export your story and upload it directly to Instagram.
In addition to creating stories from scratch, you can also use Microsoft Designer to modify pre-made Instagram post templates and Instagram story templates. Simply select a template that aligns with your content goals and customize it with your own images, text, and branding elements.
How to use AI to create custom Instagram stickers
Instagram stickers are a fun way to dress up your stories and encourage user engagement. Here's how to use Microsoft Designer’s Sticker Creator to make custom AI-generated stickers that align with your brand identity:
1. Open Microsoft Designer and select Sticker Creator.
2. Use prompts to generate AI-powered sticker designs. For the lifestyle and wellness brand we used in our earlier examples, a few prompt ideas might include:
Prompt: "A peaceful woman doing yoga"
Prompt: "A healthy green smoothie with a pink straw"
Prompt: "A beautiful sunrise"
3. Customize your AI-generated stickers by adjusting colors, shapes, and sizes to match your brand identity.
4. Export your stickers as PNG files with transparent backgrounds. You can now add your custom stickers to your designs or upload them directly to Instagram.
Expanding beyond Instagram
We made it! You now know how to use AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and Designer to create captivating Instagram posts and stories.
But why stop at Instagram? Repurpose your stunning visuals and catchy captions across other platforms like Facebook, X/Twitter, and LinkedIn.
To resize an Instagram post for another platform, open the design in Designer and adjust your canvas size to the platform of your choice. Make any manual adjustments necessary to achieve the perfect fit, then export and clearly label your new graphic. You can then have Copilot spin up a new caption, tailored for the new platform and audience.
Keep experimenting with different AI tools to keep your content fresh and engaging. As AI technology evolves, you’ll discover new opportunities to innovate and delight your audience. Stay curious and embrace new tools, and watch your social media following flourish!