How to Make Text Posts on Instagram

Creating a text-only post on Instagram might feel like a workaround, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to cut through the visual noise and grab your audience's attention. This guide will walk you through exactly how to create impactful text posts, from the simplest built-in tools to more advanced design strategies for building a cohesive brand. You'll learn the step-by-step methods and the strategic thinking behind why they work so well.

Why Text Posts Still Dominate on a Visual Platform

In a sea of perfectly curated photos and fast-paced Reels, a simple text post is a pattern interrupt. It makes people stop scrolling and actually read. The human brain is hardwired to notice what’s different, and a bold statement on a plain background stands out.

Text posts are immediate, direct, and carry a sense of authority. They are perfect for:

• Sharing Educational Tips: Break down a complex idea into a simple, memorable sentence.
• Posting Powerful Quotes: Inspire your audience with a quote that resonates with your brand's values.
• Making Announcements: Deliver important news without any visual distractions.
• Posing Thought-Provoking Questions: Spark a real conversation and drive engagement in the comments.
• Sharing "Tweet-Style" Hot Takes: Offer a quick, punchy thought that's easily shareable.

Accounts that do this well look less like a sterile business page and more like a real person sharing valuable thoughts. They build a community around ideas, not just images.

Method 1: The Quickest Way Using Instagram Stories

The easiest and fastest way to create a text post is by using Instagram's own 'Create' mode in Stories. You're essentially designing an image in Stories and then saving it to your camera roll to post on your feed. It’s surprisingly flexible.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open Instagram and Go to Stories: Tap the "+" icon at the top of your screen and select "Story," or simply swipe right from your home feed.
2. Find 'Create' Mode: At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a slider for different modes like "Post," "Story," "Reel." In the Story view, on the left-hand menu, you'll see an icon that says "Aa" or "Create". Tap it.
3. Start Typing: Your screen will change to a colorful gradient. Just tap the center of the screen to start typing your message.
4. Customize Your Text: Once you've typed your text, a toolbar will appear with options:
   • Font Style: Tap the font name at the top or bottom of the screen (it might look like cursive, typewriter, etc.) to cycle through different fonts.
   • Color: Tap the color wheel icon at the top to change your text color. You can choose from presets, use the eyedropper tool to pull a color from the background, or long-press any color swatch to open a full-spectrum selector.
   • Highlighting: Tap the icon with an "A" and stars around it. This adds a solid-color background behind your text, making it pop. You can tap it again to make the background semi-transparent.
5. Change the Background: Don’t like the default gradient? Tap the little colored circle in the bottom right corner of the screen to cycle through different background gradients and solid colors.
6. Save Your Creation: Once you're happy with how it looks, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner and select "Save." This will save the image directly to your phone's photo library.
7. Create a New Feed Post: Now, exit the Stories editor. Tap the "+" icon again, but this time select "Post." Choose the text image you just saved from your camera roll, write a compelling caption, add your hashtags, and post it to your feed!

This method is fantastic for quick, spontaneous posts, but if you want to establish a more consistent and professional brand look, you'll want to move on to the next method.

Method 2: Create Professional Text Posts with Free Design Apps

To really take control of your branding, using a free design app like Canva is the way to go. It gives you infinite control over fonts, colors, layouts, and templates, ensuring every post looks exactly how you want it.

Why Use a Design App?

• Brand Consistency: Use your specific brand fonts and exact brand colors (using hex codes) every single time.
• Better Fonts: Access a much wider library of professional fonts than what Instagram offers.
• Templates: Start from professionally designed templates for quotes, announcements, or tips, which saves you a ton of time.
• Complex Layouts: Easily align text, add graphic elements like shapes or your logo, and create more dynamic designs.

How to Create a Text Post in Canva (Works for Other Apps Too):

1. Start a New Design: Open Canva (the mobile app or desktop version) and tap "Create a design." Search for and select "Instagram Post (Square)." This will give you a perfectly sized 1080x1080 pixel canvas.
2. Set Your Background: Tap on the blank canvas. At the bottom, a menu will pop up. Select "Color" to choose a solid brand color, or "Replace" to upload a branded background image or texture.
3. Add Your Text: Tap the purple "+" button in the bottom left corner. Select "Text" from the menu. You can add a heading, subheading, or body text. For a bold look, start with "Add a heading."
4. Format and Style: Type your message. Then, use the menu at the bottom to customize everything:
   • Font: Choose from Canva’s massive library or upload your own brand fonts (a feature in Canva Pro, but the free library is extensive).
   • Font Size: Adjust the size with the slider.
   • Color: Pick your brand color.
   • Format: Align your text (left, center, right), make it bold or italic, and adjust spacing between letters and lines. Spacing is a pro move that makes text much easier to read!
5. Download and Share: Once your design is complete, tap the "Share" icon (an arrow pointing up) in the top right corner. Select "Download," choose PNG as the file type for the best quality, and save it to your device. Now you can upload it directly to Instagram.

Other great, user-friendly apps with similar functionality include Adobe Express and Over. The principles are the same: start with the right canvas size, add your text, and customize fonts and colors to match your brand identity.

Advanced Strategy: Designing an Irresistible Text Post Series

A single text post is good. A carousel of connected text slides is even better. This format, sometimes called a "slide deck" or a "micro-blog post," is one of the most effective ways to educate your audience and get massive saves and shares.

The Anatomy of a High-Performing Text Carousel:

• Slide 1: The Hook. Start with a bold, attention-grabbing headline. This is the only thing people see in the feed, so it needs to make them stop and want to swipe. For example: "3 Mistakes You’re Making on Instagram" or "The Unspoken Rule of Good Design."
• Slides 2-5: The Value. Each subsequent slide should deliver one simple, clear point that expands on the headline. Use plenty of white space and keep the text minimal. Think one idea per slide. Don't try to cram too much information onto a single image.
• Final Slide: The Call-to-Action (CTA). The last slide is your chance to prompt action. Tell your audience exactly what to do next. Examples include: "Save this post for later," "Share this with a friend who needs it," or "What did I miss? Let me know in the comments!"

To create a carousel in Canva, simply tap the "Add page" button in the editor to create multiple slides within the same design. When you download, choose to download "All pages" as a PNG. Instagram will automatically recognize the multiple images and let you post them as a carousel.

Building Your Text Post Brand Identity

Consistency is everything. To make your text posts instantly recognizable, stick to a clear set of visual rules. This is how brands start to feel familiar and trustworthy.

Tips for Designing a Cohesive Text Feed:

• Choose Your Fonts: Pick two, maximum three, fonts and stick with them. A common and effective pairing is a bold, modern sans-serif font for headlines (like Montserrat or Bebas Neue) and a clean, readable serif or sans-serif for any smaller text (like Lato or Merriweather).
• Define Your Color Palette: Don't just pick random colors. Define a palette of 3-5 complementary brand colors. Use them consistently for backgrounds and text. A simple black-and-white theme can also be incredibly powerful and chic.
• Create a Template: Once you find a layout you like, save it as a template in Canva. For your next post, all you have to do is open the template, change the text, and maybe switch the background color. This saves a huge amount of time and ensures every post looks consistent.

Don't Forget the Caption!

The text on your image is the hook, but the caption is where the conversation happens. Don't be lazy with it! Your caption should expand on the idea, provide additional context, or ask a direct question to get people talking.

Treat your caption as the second half of your post. If your image has a quote, use the caption to tell the story behind why that quote matters to you. If your image is a tip, use the caption to give a detailed example of that tip in action.

Final Thoughts

Creating compelling text posts for Instagram is a simple yet incredibly effective way to share ideas, educate your audience, and build a strong brand voice. Whether you use the quick Story method or design polished carousels in Canva, the key is to be clear, direct, and consistent in your communication.

As you start creating more content, planning becomes essential. At Postbase, we built our visual calendar to help creators and marketers see their entire content plan at a glance. It helps us map out visual themes, mix in our text posts alongside Reels and Stories, and ensure our content strategy feels balanced and intentional without getting lost in complicated spreadsheets.