The Ultimate Guide on Instagram Plugin for WordPress [+Best Widgets]

“Instagrammable”

Yes, that’s an existing word!

It means a place or scene that is so visually appealing that it is worth uploading to Instagram!

A platform so popular with its two billion monthly active users that people literally start to invent words for it!

What if your website becomes an extension of your Instagram presence?

What if you took a picture with your phone, used some cool filters, uploaded it from your Instagram profile, and it automatically updated on your website?

These “what ifs” can easily become a reality for WordPress websites if you use an Instagram plugin!

Whether you are a creator or a business owner, if you don’t want to fall behind with your marketing strategy in this “Instagram Era,” you must have a clear idea about Instagram plugins.

In this article, we will discuss everything about Instagram plugins and introduce you to the market-leading Instagram plugins for WordPress websites.

So, let’s start!

What is an Instagram plugin for WordPress?

As the name suggests, Instagram plugins are tools that fetch content from your Instagram profile and display it on your WordPress website.

You have to install the WordPress Instagram plugin and connect your account; the plugin will do the rest and you can display your Instagram feed on any pages you want!

Using a plugin is the most hassle-free way to embed Instagram posts on WordPress. The integrated content includes photos and videos you upload on your profile.

Most plugins come with auto-synchronization with your profile and offer customization features to curate your feed to match your brand voice.

What businesses or creators should use Instagram WordPress plugins?

Here’s the fact: regardless of the industry a business belongs to, Instagram’s vibrant nature makes it an ideal place to promote the brand!

The same goes for content creators or creative individuals who want to build and maintain their portfolio sites with Instagram feeds.

However, in this section, we are going to mention the businesses for which an Instagram plugin for WordPress is a high-priority tool! Let’s meet them:

• Fashion and apparel: Whether you are a small business owner or running an enterprise, as long as you are in the fashion and apparel business, an Instagram plugin for your WordPress website is a must. Instagram is a stronghold in this industry and the most suitable platform for promoting brands.

• Music industry: If you are running an agency or simply trying to promote your next album or track from your site, you can design a catchy poster or release a short teaser video and cross-promote from Instagram directly and from your site using a WordPress Instagram plugin.

• Fitness: Want to attract new members to your gym or promote your fitness program? Instagram is your go-to place! You can capture stunning photographs, upload them to Instagram, and let your website visitors know via the Instagram feed plugin for WordPress.

• Visual artists: Instagram has become a sanctuary for visual artists to promote their works and connect with like-minded people. Instagram widgets are an ideal tool for creative people to showcase their talents and build their portfolio sites.

• Travel and beauty vloggers: If you are a vlogger traveling through beautiful places, taking amazing shots, and sharing beautiful memories, or you are a beauty vlogger sharing tips from your extraordinary skillset, it would not be fair to keep them on your Instagram profile only. Create beautiful layouts with Instagram feeds and showcase your talent to visitors.

How can the Instagram WordPress plugin benefit businesses or creators?

You might be asking yourself: “Why are they nagging so much about WordPress Instagram plugins? I am doing fine with my Instagram and WordPress website right now!”

Okay, we get it! But don’t stop bothering yourself with the question: “Am I doing the best I can for my brand?”

If you are not interested in bringing out the maximum potential for your brand, we can stop! But we don’t think that’s the case, so let’s move on!

No more chit-chat, and let’s have a look at the benefits of WordPress Instagram plugins:

• Improve your brand visibility: Here’s the truth: we love Instagram! You will eventually gain more acceptance from your visitors as a brand if they can see your strong Instagram presence whenever they land on your site. 

• Boost engagement: When visitors see your content from your site and how people are interacting with you on Instagram, your brand becomes more credible, and visitors will feel more safe to engage

• Make your web visuals attractive: Instagram is aesthetic! Instagram is beautiful! And these are solid facts. You don’t have to be a professional; you can just take a clear shot, use its wide range of editing tools and filters, and have aesthetic, creative, and professional-looking photographs for your brand. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to show them on your website? You know the answer!

• Improve site’s health: A stunning Instagram feed on your website will be a sight to see for your visitors. When they see pages filled with beautiful content from your Instagram, they will naturally spend more time on your website, and your bounce rate will be reduced!

• Auto updates: Instagram plugins for WordPress will not let your hands get dirty! You don’t have to edit a photo and then manually update it on your site. You can upload it to Instagram, and the plugin will update your feed on your website for you! Convenient, right?!

• Cross promotion: An Instagram plugin for WordPress provides a gateway for your visitors to your profile and can significantly grow your Instagram followers. That’s the power of integrating the biggest CMS and the most aesthetic platforms on this planet. No pun intended!

Bonus Tips: If you are a small business owner and struggling with your Instagram marketing, we have got your back. Here are some exclusive Instagram marketplace strategies for you to get started.

What should you look for in an Instagram WordPress plugin?

WordPress has a huge ecosystem with a collection of 59,000+ plugins in its directory! There are loads of WordPress Instagram plugins as well.

However, not all of them can be top-of-the-mark, right? So, how should you choose a plugin that perfectly fits your needs?

Here are factors to consider:

• Responsiveness: Most internet users browse using their mobile phones. So make sure that your Instagram plugin for WordPress can optimize your feed for mobile screen sizes.

• User interface: You wouldn’t like it if your WordPress Instagram plugin started to give you headaches, so choose a plugin with a straightforward interface and simple integration process.

• Auto-synchronization: It is so important. After all, we recommend using an Instagram plugin for automatic content updates. However, your plugin will miss the whole point if it doesn’t support auto-synchronization.

• Performance: Make sure that your Instagram plugin for WordPress is lightweight and fast! If it weighs down your site, it will affect its loading speed, eventually resulting in a bad user experience and harming your search engine ranking.

• Customization: It’s a good practice that every page of your website matches the overall brand voice. So, make sure that your WordPress Instagram plugin provides enough customization features that allow you to tailor your Instagram feed to resemble the overall aesthetics of your site.

• Multipurpose: What if your Instagram plugin for WordPress can integrate not only your Instagram feed but also other social media feeds, reviews from the major platforms, add chat widgets, and more? You can replace the need for at least 2 or 3 plugins and make your website faster while saving money at the same time! It’s an important feature to look out for.

• Compatibility: Your WordPress Instagram plugin should not make things harder for you! So, make sure that the plugin is not a rebel and is compatible with the latest version of WordPress, your theme, and other plugins.

• Shoppable feed: The shoppable feature of your WordPress Instagram plugin will allow you to link your integrated Instagram post with your e-commerce site and encourage your visitors to shop directly from your embedded feed.

• Support and updates: It’s quite normal to face issues and challenges while using any plugin. So check out how fast the issues are resolved from the WordPress directory. This should give you a clear idea about the responsiveness of the support team! Additionally, check the plugin’s update history so that you know how well the plugin is keeping up with the industry trends.

What is the best Instagram plugin for WordPress, and why?

WordPress is rich! In terms of plugins, this CMS platform is super rich! Do you know what that means?

That means you have a long list of options for WordPress Instagram plugins!

To be honest, you cannot possibly test them all out, even if you have the time and energy to do so, DON’T! But why? Because we have done your fair share of research!

We have a list of the top Instagram plugins for WordPress and we are going to share them with you. But first, meet the best WordPress plugin for Instagram, WP Social Ninja!

How do we know?

Earlier, we discussed the quality parameters for an Instagram plugin for WordPress. WP Social Ninja meets all of them, and this plugin is full of surprises. Its simple integration process allows you to connect multiple accounts and customize your feed down to the last elements. Let’s discuss this in detail.

WP Social Ninja is an all-in-one social media solution for WordPress websites. This super social plugin is packed with features like social feeds, social reviews, chat widgets, notification popups, and custom testimonials.

That means once you install this plugin, it becomes the social media command center for your website taking care of 30+ platforms from a single dashboard!

Isn’t that astounding?

Okay okay! Let’s stick to its Instagram feed.

Here are the most fascinating Instagram feed features of WP Social Ninja to look out for:

• Add multiple user accounts
• Connect accounts manually without a password
• Show/hide posts with specific keywords/hashtags
• Show likes, comments, and trim words
• Build your custom hashtag feeds
• Choose from multiple templates
• Live preview feature
• Add pagination and Follow button
• Create shoppable Instagram feeds
• Custom header and follow button
• GDPR Compliance
• Advanced styling options
• A responsive support team is available 24/7

Pricing:

WP Social Ninja has several pricing plans starting from $44/year (after a discount).

How to connect your Instagram feed with WP Social Ninja

In this section, we will walk you through the easy steps for embedding Instagram feeds on your website with WP Social Ninja. Let’s start, then.

With this plugin, you have three options to connect:

• Personal account
• Business account
• Manually connect an account

Let’s look at the step-by-step procedure.

Install and activate WP Social Ninja to embed Instagram slider widget

The first step is the installation of WP Social Ninja. The process is simple and the same as Installing a WordPress plugin. You can do that in two ways:

• From your Dashboard
• From the WordPress Repository

Here’s how to install it from your Dashboard:

• Navigate to the WordPress Admin panel. From the WordPress Dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New
• Next, on the search input field, type WP Social Ninja and wait for a moment for it to come up
• Now click on the Install Now button
• Then Activate

If you decide to install from the WordPress Repository:

• Search WP Social Ninja in the WordPress Repository, and it will appear on the top. Once you click it, hit the Download button
• Now go to the Dashboard and go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin > Choose the zip file
• After that, click the Install Now button and then Activate

Connecting a personal account

• Go to the Platforms section and select Instagram
• Then select the Connect Your Personal Account option and click on the Continue with Instagram button

• Make sure that you are logged in to your account. In this step, click on the Allow button, and you will be successfully connected.
• Click on the Add New Template button to customize your feed.

Connecting a business account

• Select the Connect Your Business Account option
• Once you select the Business Account, click on the Continue with Facebook button.

• Next, click on the Continue as (Your Account Name) button to connect the business account.
• We recommend the Select All option during this stage. You’ll have the opportunity to designate a particular account in the final step.
• Select your Instagram Business account and click the Next button to continue.
• Here, select the page you would like to use with WP Social Ninja
• Keep all permissions as they are (these are required for WP Social Ninja to work) and click on Done
• You have linked with WP Social Ninja! Click OK to go further. Now, in this stage, select All Accounts or the specific ones and click on the Connect Accounts button
• In case you want to add more accounts, click on the Add More Account button
• If you have already authorized your business account and you want to connect to another account without going through the authorization process, click on the View Accounts button and connect your account

Manually connecting an account

• Select the Manually Connect an Account option from the dropdown, and a new page will appear where you need to enter the Access Token.
• Click on the access token generator. After that, a new page will appear. 

• You will see two options there: Personal account and Business account. Select your type of account. Choose your account type to generate an access token.

• After selecting your account type, click Allow to proceed further and click Show Connection Info, and you will have your access token ready.
• Now that you have your access token ready. Copy the token, go back to the dashboard, paste your token, and click the Connect this Account button.

If you are still having difficulties, check out the documentation for a more detailed description.

Some other top Instagram plugins in the market

So far, our was to discuss the ins and outs of the Instagram plugins for WordPress and introduce the best one in the market with its installation process for your convenience.

However, if you still need to learn about some other Instagram plugins for WordPress, we are here. In this section, we will talk about some other WordPress Instagram plugins that have earned their name.

Let’s meet them.

SpotlightWP

SpotlightWP is a simple plugin solely focused on adding Instagram feeds to any WordPress website. This easy-to-use plugin comes with multiple features with its straightforward interface.

You can create your feed based on hashtags, connect multiple accounts, and tailor your feed using the customization features of this Instagram plugin for WordPress. Moreover, you can add “Follow” and Load More“ buttons for your embedded feed.

Here are some interesting features of SpotlightWP to look out for:

• Connect accounts manually with the access token
• Live preview facility for customization
• Multiple design layouts for customization
• Shortcode supported

Pricing:

SpotlightWP has several pricing plans available starting from $59/year.

Social Feed Gallery

Social Feed Gallery, formerly known as Instagram Feed Gallery, is a popular plugin for creating Instagram galleries on WordPress websites. With the easy integration process of this Instagram plugin for WordPress, you can showcase your feed in a diverse way.

This flexible WordPress Instagram plugin will allow you to curate custom feeds based on different design layouts, change the position of the elements, choose a custom color scheme, highlight posts with specific hashtags, and more.

Here are some interesting features of Social Feed Gallery to look out for:

• Connect multiple user accounts
• Image popup and multiple design layouts
• Highlights posts based on hashtags
• Auto cache clear options
• Add the “Load More” button

Pricing:

Social Feed Gallery has several pricing plans available starting from $49/year.

Feed Them Social

You can leave the worries of integrating feeds from multiple social platforms with Feed Them Social. With its beautiful customization layout, this plugin can be a good choice for adding your Instagram feeds.

You can add your Instagram feed to the sidebar, posts, or any pages you prefer with Feed Them Social and it can add two “Follow” buttons, on the top and bottom of the embedded feeds. Additionally, you can aggregate photos from its supported social platforms and showcase them on your site.

Here are some interesting features of Feed Them Social to look out for:

• Connect multiple feeds
• Customize the font colors
• Responsive to all kinds of devices
• Live preview available while editing
• Shortcode supported

Pricing:

Feed Them Social has several pricing plans available starting from $50/year.

WPZOOM Social Feed Widget

WPZOOM Social Feed Widget is designed to effortlessly showcase your Instagram feeds. This Instagram plugin for WordPress comes with a wide range of customization options to tailor your Instagram feed to match the vibe of the website.

WPZOOM activates its image loading while a visitor scrolls down through the site and provides a good user experience and the loading time becomes faster. You can adjust the size of your image as well.

Here are some interesting features of the WPZOOM Social Feed Widget to look out for:

• Add multiple feeds
• Adjust column number and choose from multiple layouts
• Highlight photos
• Responsive support team

Pricing:

WPZOOM Social Feed Widget has several pricing plans available starting from $49/year.

Ending notes

Okay, this is the end! If you have come this far after reading such a long article, we commend your patience, and we would be more than happy to share this brief on the Instagram plugin for WordPress with you.

Among all the plugins we have discussed, we suggest you go with WP Social Ninja. If you dream big with your business and make the most out of your social platforms, this plugin will give you complete control of your social presence on your website.

If you look closely at the price range of the other plugins and the functionalities they offer, WP Social Ninja is undoubtedly the top choice in the market and can become your most trusted ally.

Let us know your experience with this WordPress Instagram plugin! Till then, cheers!