Embed Instagram Feed in WordPress to Enhance Site Engagement

Embedding an Instagram feed into your WordPress website can be a good way to enhance the visual appeal of your site. Instagram, known for its visual content, allows you to share the latest updates, showcase your brand, and connect with your audience.

By integrating your Instagram feed directly into your WordPress site, you can create a more dynamic user experience. To help you with the process, we’ll learn how WordPress developers connect and embed Instagram feeds on your site.

We’ll also dive into the plugins you can use and various ways to use them, like shortcode, widget, and theme editor. With that, let’s begin by questioning why to embed Instagram on your WordPress site.

Why Embed Instagram on Your WordPress Site?

Embedding Instagram feeds in WordPress can offer numerous advantages, making it a valuable addition to your website. Here are some compelling reasons to consider integrating your Instagram content directly into your WordPress site:

• Showcase Real-Time Content: By displaying your Instagram feed on your website, you provide visitors with a dynamic and constantly updated content stream. This can capture the attention of users, encouraging them to spend more time on your site.
• Build Trust with Social Proof: Featuring real-time social media content can enhance your site’s credibility. Plus, user-generated content, such as customer photos and testimonials shared on Instagram, can increase brands’ trust.
• Encourage Visitors to Follow: Embedding an Instagram feed serves as a visual invitation for your site visitors to follow you on Instagram. That can help you grow followers with your content, and they are more likely to follow you directly on Instagram.
• Fresh Content for SEO: Regular updates to your Instagram feed mean that the embedded content on your website is also frequently updated. That can help with WordPress SEO, as search engines favor websites that are regularly refreshed.
• Complement Your Branding: You can customize the look and feel of your embedded Instagram feed to match your website’s branding. This consistency in design helps to reinforce your brand identity across different platforms.

Embedding Instagram feeds with WordPress sites enhances visuals and provides practical benefits for engagement, branding, and SEO. These are some of the reasons why professional WordPress development services choose to embed Instagram with their site.

How to Connect an Instagram Account to WordPress?

There are various ways in which you can connect an Instagram account to WordPress, but the most popular one is using a plugin. Here is how you can add an Instagram account to WordPress using the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin:

Step 1: Login to your WordPress dashboard. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.

Step 2: Search for “Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed” and install the plugin. Once installed, click Activate.

Step 3: After the plugin is installed and activated navigate to the plugin’s settings page by going to Instagram Feed > Settings. Click the “Add New” button to create a new Instagram feed.

Step 4: Choose the “User Timeline” option to display posts from a specific Instagram account. Then, click the “Next” button to proceed to the next step.

Step 5: Once you have created the feed, connect it to Instagram. To do so, click on the Add Source button on this page.

Step 6: Select the Instagram account you want to connect from the list. If the account is not listed, you may need to log in to your Instagram account through Facebook.

Step 7: Now, confirm the account you’d like to connect to by clicking on the Allow button.

Once you grant the permission, click on the Next button to finish connecting your Instagram account.

Step 8: After clicking on the Next button, the plugin will take you to the live feed editor, there you can find the customization options for your Instagram feed. Here, you can customize things like feed layout, colors, number of posts, and more.

Step 9: Once you have customized the look and feel, embed your Instagram feed on a web page directly from the live feed editor. Additionally, you can add an Instagram feed widget on the sidebar or footer areas of your site.

With that, we have successfully created, connected and customized the Instagram feed on the WordPress site. The process of connecting is crucial before you start to embed the feed in WordPress. Now, let’s learn how professional WordPress developers embed Instagram feeds on your site.

How to Embed Instagram Feed on WordPress?

Embedding an Instagram feed in WordPress is simple using the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin. You can display the feed using a block, widget, or shortcode. Follow the step-by-step guide below to add the Instagram feed to your website.

1. Install and Activate the Plugin

To begin embedding Instagram feeds in WordPress, you need to install the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin. This plugin enables seamless integration of Instagram feeds into your WordPress site.

Step 1: Install the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin from the WordPress repository. Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard, search for Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed, and click Install Now.

Step 2: Once installed, click on the Activate button to enable the plugin on your WordPress site.

Here, we installed and activated the Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed plugin to connect your Instagram account and customize the feed.

2. Create and Customize Your Instagram Feed

Once the plugin is activated, the next step is to create and customize your Instagram feed according to your preferences. You can connect your Instagram account and adjust settings to display your feed’s desired layout and design.

Step 1: Go to the Instagram Feed menu in your WordPress dashboard. Click on the Connect an Instagram Account button to link your Instagram account to the plugin. Login and authorize the connection.

Step 2: After connecting your account, go to Instagram Feed > All Feeds and click Add New to create a new feed. Customize the layout, design, and style to match your website’s appearance. Set preferences like the number of photos, image sizes, and display settings.

In this step, we connected our Instagram account and customized the feed settings, to be embedded on the WordPress site.

3. Embedding the Instagram Feed in a Page or Post

You can embed the Instagram feed directly into any pages or posts using the WordPress block editor. This method is ideal for adding dynamic content to specific sections of your website.

Step 1: Open the page or post where you want to embed the Instagram feed.

Step 2: Click on the ‘+’ icon to add a new block.

Step 3: Start typing ‘Instagram Feed’ in the search bar.

Step 4: When the Instagram Feed block appears, click on it to add it to your page or post.

Step 5: By default, the block will display one of your Smash Balloon feeds. If you want to show a different feed, go to the Shortcode Settings in the right-hand menu.

Step 6: Paste the shortcode (e.g., instagram-feed feed=1) into the box and click on the ‘Apply Changes’ button.

Step 7: The block will now display your selected Instagram feed. Once you’re satisfied with how the feed looks, click the Publish or Update button to make the changes live on your website.

We added the Instagram Feed block to the page or post and used a shortcode to display the specific feed. Plus, we made it live by applying changes and updating the content.

4. Adding the Instagram Feed to a Widget-Ready Area

To display your Instagram feed in a widget-ready area like the sidebar or footer, you can use a dedicated WordPress widget. This ensures the feed is visible across multiple pages of your site.

Step 1: Go to the widgets section from your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Widgets.

Step 2: Click on the blue + button to add a new widget. In the search bar, type Instagram Feed and select the correct widget that shows the official Instagram logo.

Step 3: Drag the widget to the area where you want to display the Instagram feed, such as the footer or sidebar. if you have multiple Instagram feeds, enter the shortcode (e.g., instagram-feed feed=1) for the specific feed you want to display in the Shortcode Settings box of the widget.

Step 4: Click on the ‘Apply Changes’ button and then, click on the ‘Update’ button to make the widget live.

In this step, we added the Instagram feed to a widget area, enabling it to display across multiple pages of the website.

5. Embed Instagram Feed Using Shortcodes

Shortcodes allows you to embed Instagram feeds in various locations within your site, including pages and widget-ready areas.

Step 1: Go to Instagram Feed > All Feeds in your WordPress dashboard. Under the Shortcode column, find the shortcode for the feed you want to use. Copy this shortcode, such as [instagram-feed feed=1].

Step 2: Open the page or post editor where you want to add the Instagram feed. Use a Shortcode block by clicking the + icon and typing Shortcode. Paste the copied shortcode into the block and save your changes by clicking Publish or Update.

Step 3: You can also paste the shortcode into a Text widget if you want to display the Instagram feed in a widget-ready area like a sidebar or footer.

Here, we utilized shortcodes to embed the Instagram feed. It provides more flexibility to place the feed in various parts of the website.

6. Use the Full-Site Editor to Add Instagram Feeds

If you’re using a block-enabled theme, you can leverage the full-site editor to add Instagram feeds anywhere on your website. This method allows you to customize the feed’s placement on a broader scale.

Step 1: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Editor.

Step 2: By default, the full-site editor will show the theme’s home template. If you want to add the Instagram feed to another area, click on ‘Template’ or ‘Template Parts’.

Step 3: Choose the template or template part where you want to display the Instagram feed.

Step 4: Click on the small pencil icon to edit the template.

Step 5: Hover your mouse over the area where you want to add the feed and click on the blue ‘+’ button.

Step 6: Start typing ‘Instagram Feed’ in the search bar, then click on the block when it appears to add it to the template.

Step 7: If you need to use a specific feed, enter its shortcode in the ‘Shortcode Settings’ box and click ‘Apply Changes’.

In this step, we used the full-site editor to embed the Instagram feed within a custom template. That ensures the feed integrates seamlessly with the site’s overall design and structure.

With these, we have learned to embed Instagram feeds on WordPress in four different ways. You can choose any of the methods as per your needs and preferences, but the plugin installation step is common for all. If you are finding it hard to implement or need optimal sites, contact our WordPress development company.

Best Plugins For Embedding Instagram Feed on WordPress

There are various WordPress plugins to embed Instagram feeds on WordPress sites. Here are some of the best plugins for embedding Instagram feeds on WordPress

Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed

Smash Balloon is one of the most popular Instagram feed plugins, known for its flexibility and ease of use. It allows you to display Instagram posts from any public account or hashtag.

Key Features:

• Customization: Extensive customization options, including layout styles (grid, carousel, etc.), colors, and more.
• Multiple Feeds: Display multiple Instagram feeds on the same page or separate pages.
• Lightbox Support: View full-sized images in a lightbox.
• User-Friendly Interface: Easy setup with a straightforward admin interface.
• Real-Time Updates: Automatically update to show the latest content from Instagram.

Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed is ideal for detailed customization and advanced features.

Spotlight Social Feeds

Spotlight focuses on providing an easy and customizable way to display Instagram feeds on your WordPress site. It offers a live preview editor for real-time customization.

Key Features:

• Live Preview: Allows you to see changes in real time before publishing.
• Layouts: Multiple layout options, including grid, highlight, and slider.
• Mobile-Friendly: Responsive design ensures a great look on all devices.
• Customizable: It is easy to customize the appearance of your feed to match your site’s design.

Spotlight Social Feeds excels with its live preview editor and user-friendly interface.

Juicer

Juicer aggregates content from various social media platforms, including Instagram, into a unified feed. It’s ideal for users looking to display content from multiple sources.

Key Features:

• Multi-Source Aggregation: Combine Instagram posts with content from other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
• Customizable Feed: Choose from various layout options and customize the look to match your site.
• Moderation Tools: Manage and filter content that appears in your feed.
• Analytics: Provides insights into how your social media content is performing on your site.

Juicer is best for aggregating content from multiple social media platforms.

WPZOOM Social Feed Widget & Block

WPZOOM Instagram Widget is a simple and lightweight plugin for displaying Instagram feeds in widgetized areas of your WordPress site.

Key Features:

• Simple Setup: It is easy to add Instagram feeds to widgetized areas such as sidebars and footers.
• Responsive Design: Ensures that your feed looks good on all devices.
• Customization: Basic options to adjust the number of images displayed and layout style.

WPZOOM provides a simple solution for embedding Instagram feeds in widget areas.

Feed Them Social

Feed Them Social is a versatile plugin that supports not only Instagram but also other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Key Features:

• Multi-Platform Support: Display feeds from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more.
• Customizable: Various layout options and customization features to fit your site’s design.
• Shortcodes: Use shortcodes to embed feeds in posts, pages, or widget areas.
• Responsive: Ensures that your feeds look great on all devices.

Feed Them Social is great for users who want to display feeds from multiple social platforms.

By understanding features of each plugin and aligning your needs with them lets you choose the best one. It’s often a good idea to try out a few different plugins or consider hiring WordPress developers who follow the best practices.

FAQs About Embedding Instagram Feed on WordPress

Conclusion

Embedding Instagram feeds on WordPress sites enhances the dynamic and helps your brand build trust. The process of bringing an Instagram feed to WordPress can be divided into two parts: the first is connecting, and the second is embedding content.

You can connect your Instagram account by using a plugin like Smash Balloon and then customizing its layout. Once done, you can embed content on your post and pages in various ways, such as shortcode, widgets, or a full-site editor.

If you want to build a site with such integration and robustness, hire WordPress developers.