Engage followers with creative Instagram location ideas

The internet can take you anywhere. You can walk the streets of London, explore downtown Tokyo or visit your hometown on Google Maps. You can even tour famous landmarks on Instagram by exploring geotags.

You can even visit places that don’t exist in the real world. “I Need Coffee” might not be an actual place on the map, but it is a location on social media.

Instagram geotags may be fun to explore on a lazy Sunday in bed, but they’re more than just a way to kill time on your phone. If you’re trying to grow your presence on Instagram, strategically geotagging your posts can bring in new followers organically.

Ready to expand your virtual horizons? We’ll show you how to create a new corner of the universe by adding your own location ideas to Instagram.

Boost your engagement with geotags

There are two ways to use geotags on Insta: literally and ironically. Both usages have the potential to boost organic engagement rates.

Let’s say you’re a travel influencer posting dreamy pics of your escape to Thailand. Anyone searching for photos by location name can find your account if you geotag all the locations on your journey.

Or maybe you run a business, such as a restaurant or boutique. Dropping a geotag on a photo of patrons enjoying a meal or the new denim line you just stocked is essential. Instagram users will know exactly where to find you.

Finally, you can boost engagement by injecting your geotags with humor. Tag your unfiltered morning selfie with “I Need Coffee,” or put “Antarctica” on a pic of your crew out on a chilly night. Whenever someone searches for these geotags, your photo will come up, and you might get a new follower out of it – one who appreciates your sense of humor.

20 great IG location ideas

If you’re not geotagging the place you really are, you may need some inspiration for tags that are a bit less literal. Here are 20 creative and funny Instagram locations to get you started:

1. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
2. Good Vibes Avenue
3. Carrie Bradshaw’s Apartment
4. I’m Hungry
5. Error 404, Location Not Found
6. Harry Styles’ House
7. Bob Ross Studios
8. Home Sweet Home
9. The North Pole
10. Planet Earth
11. Almost There
12. I Miss You
13. Link In Bio
14. Send Help
15. Reading Books
16. Instagram
17. The Internet
18. Giveaway
19. About Last Night
20. Movie Night

How to use location tags on Instagram (literally)

Ready to tap into the world-building power of geotags? The next step is learning to add them to your Instagram Stories and posts. Here’s how:

1. Upload your content

Click on the plus sign at the top of the screen and, from the pop-up menu, choose the type of content you’d like to post.

2. Edit your content

Apply filters to your photo. If you’re posting a Story, add text and insert extras like stickers.

3. Geotag your post

On Stories: Add a geotag by clicking on the sticker icon at the top of the screen and choosing the Location option. Use the search bar to find the perfect geotag for your photo and click on it to add it to your image.

For posts: Click on the Add Location option and search for the correct tag, then click the tag to add it to your post.

4. Upload your post

On Stories: Once you’ve geotagged your post, make any final edits to your content. Then choose whether to share your Story with the world or your Close Friends.

For posts: Click on Share in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to post your content.

Adding custom Instagram locations

What if the perfect geotag for your photo doesn’t exist yet? What if you want to tag a picture of your friends on the couch “Kate’s green velvet couch”? All you have to do is create a custom location name with a little help from Instagram’s sister platform, Facebook. Here’s how:

1. On Facebook, navigate to your profile page and open the Create Post page. Then click Check-In.

2. Type in the name of the location you want to use.

3. If the location hasn’t been added yet, click on the Add Name of Your Location button at the bottom of the screen.

Boost your Instagram engagement rate even further

Geotagging your Instagram posts – however seriously or ironically – is just one way to boost your engagement. Keep new followers interested with these quick tips:

• Use links in your bio: A comical geotag only shows off part of your personality. Give new Instagram followers a better picture of who you are by including a link in your bio to your website, podcast or other social media platforms. If you want to post multiple links, you can do so with a Linktree URL, which can branch out to several locations on social media and across the web.
• Be consistent: Keep posting engaging content so new viewers will stick around for more. If you have a restaurant, publish changes to your menu, special events and photos of your chic spot. If you’re a travel blogger, keep posting high-quality images of the world’s most incredible destinations.
• Use CTAs: Use calls-to-action (CTAs) to remind new viewers to interact with your account. In your Instagram bio, ask users to follow you or click on the link below your profile description to read more about your world travels, exquisite cuisine or amateur standup – whatever it is that’s important to you. If you run a business, invite users to participate in a challenge or giveaway.