In the world of traditional public relations, advertising, and brand marketing, the press release used to be the most reliable. While traditional PR is no longer sufficient on its own, PR still remains at the heart of effective communication. Today, the strategic use of TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, or Story posts can create more discussion than any media pitch. We are quickly entering the new era of Instagrammable Moments - where visuals such as high quality images, curated videos, and more drive visibility and awareness for brands.
This new era is not a slight shift or a new trend; it is a complete transformation of the PR world as we know it. Beauty brands, restaurants, local businesses, sports teams, and more are all being shared by experiential content, shaping how people discover, connect, and even view brands. Whether you are a PR professional, business owner, or even a student, here is why creating ‘Instagrammable Moments’ should be integrated into your strategy - and how to do it effectively
First, Let’s Discuss What An ‘Instagrammable Moment’ Actually Is…
An Instagrammable Moment is any visually appealing, aesthetically pleasing, emotionally engaging, or relevant scene that drives people to take out their phone for a picture or video, and share it. For brands, this could include a photo of an aesthetically pleasing layout of your store, a fun product unboxing, a tutorial of how to use a product, a short but engaging video about what features are most enjoyable for a product or brand, and more. The best Instagrammable Moments are posts shared from people about your brand because they want to, not because they are being paid to do so.
What Has Really Changed in PR?
Traditional PR focuses on controlling a narrative. This includes issuing press releases, pitching stories for journalists, and sending perfectly polished stories and quotes. Although these are still valuable, in the world of modern day PR it is the public that controls the narrative through user generated content (or UGC). What is user generated content, you may ask? UGC is any form of content, texts, photos, audios, videos, etc., created by customers or users rather than the brand itself. It can take many forms including reviews, videos, blogs, comments, and of course, social media posts. This is typically why you now see brands invest in photo-worthy setups, hashtag campaigns, and events encouraging the engagement of their audience. Understanding the importance of UGC strategies is crucial nowadays for brands as it increases engagement, trust, credibility, and valuable - and honest - feedback.
Here Are Some Brands That Have Successfully Increased Their Brands Engagement From UGC Usage:
Aerie’s #ArieREAL Campaign.
The viral #AerieREAL campaign on social media was an impactful movement in 2020 that encouraged body positivity in women. The purpose of this campaign was to encourage comfortability in women by posting unfiltered, unedited, and authentic photos of themselves to spread awareness for the rising concern of women’s body image.
Coca Cola’s Share a Coke Campaign.
Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke Campaign encouraged people to find bottles with their names and post them online.
Apple’s #ShotOniPhone.
Another successful UGC campaign was Apple’s #ShotOniPhone campaign, where Apple invited its users to post their best photos taken on iPhones to highlight the camera quality and the creativity of its consumers. This was widely successful as it strengthened and showcased the product’s value without using traditional advertising methods.
Here are 5 Ways to Create Instagrammable Moments
1. Design for the camera aesthetics ✨
When planning an event or campaign, ask yourself: ‘Would my audience want to take a picture here?’ or, ‘Would my audience be encouraged to engage?’
2. Capture It While It’s Happening 📸
Don’t only capture pictures of the set up beforehand, or the aftermath. People love to see the behind-the-scenes and candid shots of the audience actively enjoying your event. Remember the phrase: “pics or it didn’t happen.” Pictures tell better than words! If your audience enjoyed the event, show that! Also, don’t rely solely on user content - take your own pictures, too!
Pro tip🤫: Don’t only take horizontal content! Vertical content is becoming more popular as the usage of Instagram Reels and Stories, and TikToks are becoming increasingly popular!
3. Make it Shareable! 📲
Create a hashtag for your brand and make sure to use it prominently and consistently! Also, encourage tagging from your audience to increase visibility and recommendations! Start by asking yourself, ‘If I walked into this experience today, would I want to share it?’ If yes, you’re golden!
4. Be Bold! 💡
The most shareable moments aren’t always the most aesthetic - they’re the most memorable! Be original! Don’t just follow trends - set them!
5. Go Above and Beyond - Think Beyond the Event💭
As you create content for your event, be sure to also get footage to turn into Instagram Reels and Highlight Reels, TikTok recap videos, Blogs, and more!
Pro tip🤫: One event can create weeks worth of content! Get as much as you can! And while you’re at it, create a content calendar to keep everything scheduled!
Moments > Messaging
In 2026, the new era of Instagrammable (and social media) Moments are transforming the PR world. Your audience does not want to be talked at, they want to be a part of the story - they want to feel that they are contributing! It is time to stop thinking about your events, products, and/or services as just events, products, and/or services, and start seeing them as moments and a community!
That’s exactly what I started CarterFeild PR to do — help brands of all sizes find their voice, tell their story well, and build the kind of trust that turns followers into clients.
Ready to start building your brand’s story? Let’s talk.