How to integrate your Instagram account and share content
Users with social media posting abilities and prior broker-dealer approval can seamlessly integrate FMG with Instagram! Managed by Meta, Instagram is an image-first platform that prioritizes visuals over text and links, distinguishing it from other platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook. In this article, we will walk you through the process of integrating an Instagram account and the guidelines for posting content to Instagram.
Before you begin
- Your Instagram account must be linked to a Facebook page for third-party integrations, like FMG.
- If you have not linked your Instagram "Business" or "Creator" account to a Facebook page, please refer to this help article from Meta/Instagram.
- Your Instagram account must be a Business or Creator account (as known as a “Professional Account”).
- If your Instagram isn’t one of these account types, then you can update your account to Business or Creator as part of the integration process outlined below.
What’s in this guide?
Note: The Instagram integration may not be available in your account based on broker-dealer approval.
How to Integrate Your Instagram Account
To integrate your Instagram account:
- In your FMG Admin, navigate to Social > Manage Social Media
- Click Connect to Instagram:
- Log in to Facebook:
- Since your Instagram Business or Creator account must be connected to a Facebook page for this third-party integration, you will be prompted to enter your Facebook credentials first before continuing.
- Continue Facebook Workflow:
- Follow the prompts to continue the integration process.
- You will be asked to enter your Instagram login credentials during this step.
- Select Instagram Account:
- You will see a list of Instagram accounts associated with the Facebook page/account.
- Select the Instagram account you want to integrate.
- Confirm Permissions:
- Confirm the permissions for the Instagram account.
- Finally, select the Instagram page and click Add Profile to complete the integration.
Integration Status
After you've completed the process above, your Instagram integration will be submitted to compliance for review and will have the Pending status described below. The following are the possible social media integration statuses you may see:
- Active: The integration is valid and approved. You can post content!
- Pending: The integration is awaiting compliance review. If you have self-managed compliance, go to your compliance folder and approve the social media integration.
- Expired: Your integration has expired. Click the "Review" button to reintegrate your account. Note: Your social media connections may expire after 365 days. This is a security setting on the social networks' end, over which we have no control.
- Invalid: Your integration is no longer valid. If your password has changed, you can click on the "Review" button to either disconnect the account or renew the account.
- Rejected: The integration has been rejected by your compliance department. You can review the notes in your compliance folder.
Once compliance approves the integration, you can start posting content to Instagram from your FMG account!
Posting Content to Instagram from FMG
Since Instagram is a unique platform, there are some guidelines you should know before posting content to Instagram:
- Images: Images are required in order to post content to Instagram.
- Image Sizing: Instagram has strict image requirements with supported aspect ratios:
- Character Limit: The Instagram character limit for custom social post captions is 2,200 characters.
- URLs: URLs are not clickable on Instagram. If you include URLs in your Instagram posts, you will see a warning that the URL link will not be clickable once shared to Instagram.
- Carousels: On Instagram, you can make single-image or multi-image posts, known as Carousels. When sharing content through FMG, you can post up to 9 images. If you upload multiple images, the order will be maintained and shared in a single post on Instagram.
- Carousel Conditions: If you are posting a Carousel, your images must be at least 1080 x 1080 pixels with a 1:1 ratio. The shape you choose for the first slide will apply to the rest of the Carousel.
To create a social post:
- Navigate to Social > Post on Social Media
- Select your Instagram account
- Add a caption to your post
- Remember, the Instagram character limit for captions is 2,200 characters, and URLs are not clickable on Instagram captions.
- Upload Image(s)
- You must add an image to complete a post.
- You can share up to 9 images on Instagram.
- In the image uploader, you will see the following options:
- My Device: Upload an image from your device.
- Unsplash: Use Unsplash to search the web for free high-resolution images.
- Link (URL): Upload an image via a direct URL.
- Design an Image: Use Canva to design an image. Click here to learn more about using Canva.
- Now, you can schedule your post!
💡 Want to learn how to use FMG content to post on Instagram? Check out these related help articles: