How To Add a Location on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide

Instagram location tags are an awesome way to let your followers discover the world through the screen. Pinning the street, city, or country where your photos were taken allows others to live vicariously through you. But have you ever wanted to post about a new, uncrowded spot and couldn’t find it in the location feature? In this guide, we’re going to show you how to add a location on Instagram.

It can be frustrating wanting to share about an obscure place or city online and not finding it on Instagram. It may happen more often than you think, especially if you love scoping out new places and hidden gems. There are millions of beautiful spots and establishments in the world. You can’t expect every village, street, or business location to be on Instagram’s database.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t pin an area’s exact location on your Instagram post. You have the power to create new location tags, pin their place on the map, and even name them.

Whether you’re an influencer promoting a new business or a personal creator posting about unpopular travels, this is for you. Keep reading this guide to discover how you can make custom locations on Instagram and geotag them in your posts.

Why It’s a Good Idea To Add Custom Locations on Instagram

You might be asking why I should go out of my way to make a new location on Instagram. Will anyone even benefit from it?

There are many different reasons why adding a custom location on social media is a terrific idea. Not only will it make your content more valuable, but it can help promote specific areas and business locations.

Here are some reasons why you should take it upon yourself to add a new location if the need arises. 

It Helps Promote Unique Spots and Hidden Gems

Instagram is the perfect place not just for documenting your travel adventures but also for looking for travel inspiration. According to a Facebook IQ podcast, 67% of people use Instagram to look for vacation ideas. Meanwhile, 61% of travelers go on Instagram to find potential spots to visit while they’re traveling in different cities. That’s why so many travel influencers have developed a passion for sharing their travel secrets and experiences online.

But not every corner of every city in the world has an Instagram location tag. Because they’re so under-the-radar and obscure, many hidden gems and unmarked areas cannot be tagged on the platform. Adding a location tag for these helps people discover places all around the world that are off the beaten path.

Adding location tags for lesser-known places gives people an idea of the prettiest secret jewels in different cities. It’s perfect for people who don’t like touristy places that are overhyped and crowded. It’s also amazing for promoting a community’s local culture and unseen wonders.

It also doesn’t hurt to add recognizable location hashtags to posts with your new geotags. That way, people immediately have an idea in which city or country they’ll find these undiscovered marvels. Examples of location hashtags include #ILoveNewYork or #LasVegasStrip.

It Gives Local Businesses the Exposure They Deserve on Social Media

Adding location tags for new small businesses in your community can help give them recognition online. It also spreads the word about what they have to offer and where people can check out their physical location. It’s useful for local shops with no digital presence, pop-up stores or restaurants, and other relatively inaccessible businesses and establishments.

Plus, tagging emerging business locations is a way of recommending the brand to others in your local area. This is an awesome way to connect with your community and engage with local followers. It’s like your little contribution to your neighborhood and the businesses within it.

It Can Potentially Create New Trending Locations on Instagram

Adding new locations to the database also paves the way for potential trending locations on Instagram. This allows for small, unrecognizable spots to become crowd favorites online. This can happen to anything from a local street mural to your favorite artisanal coffee shop.

Setting up a location tag is the first step to making a business’s physical location trend online. The more people hear about it, the more they’ll try to visit the place and post content of their own. And if they use the location tag, too, the word about this new spot spreads even more.

How To Add a Location on Instagram Step by Step?

Adding a new location on Instagram is easy, but the magic doesn’t quite happen on the platform. Instead, you can add a new location through Facebook, Instagram’s sister platform under Meta. That means you need to have at least a Facebook account to add a location to Instagram.

Oh, and you also need to ensure that your device’s location services and permissions are available for Facebook. It’s a requirement if you want to add a custom location to Meta’s huge database of places you can geotag. You can do this in your phone settings.

Now that you’re all set, here’s how you can add a new location tag on Instagram:

1. Open the Facebook app on your device.

2. Click the “What’s on your mind” section at the top of the screen to create a new post.

3. Click Check in at the bottom of the post settings. It should have the signature red location pin logo beside it.

4. Scroll to the bottom of the list of locations you can tag and click Add a new place.

5. Fill in all the necessary details of your new location. This includes the place name, address, and city, although the last two are optional. You also need to pin the exact location of this place on a digital map.

6. When you’re done, click Save Custom Place.

And you’re done! But you’ve got to be patient. The new location might not be available for tagging for a few days or weeks. Just check in from time to time to see if it shows up on Instagram’s available locations.

Also, if you’re adding a location tag for your own business, be sure to claim the location as your own. Just search for the place’s name on Facebook and click “Claim this location.”

Best Locations for Instagram Posts You Might Want To Create

But what type of locations should you add to the database? Honestly, you can be as creative as you want. From obscure side streets to new restaurants, it’s up to you to decide which locations deserve to be added on Instagram.

Are you not sure what kind of location tags might be interesting and entertaining on Instagram? Here are some of the best locations for Instagram posts that you might want to add and tag in content.

Tag Hidden Gems in Cities and Countries You’ve Explored

Create location tags for hidden gems and uncharted territories you stumble upon when you’re traveling. Adding locations like these can help backpackers, photographers, and those on the prowl for lesser-known gems on their travels.

This is especially useful for beautiful outdoor spots and attractions that are difficult to find on a map. Just make sure to pin their exact location to make it easy for fellow travelers to find in person.

Here are some examples of hidden gems you might want to add locations for:

• Small waterfalls, coves, and other nature spots when you’re traveling in the countryside.
• Tiny but beautiful alleys in European towns.
• Random streets with stunning wall art that everyone should see.
• Mom-and-pop restaurants that don’t have a social media presence.
• Spots and side streets that give you a great view of the city or sunset.
• An Instagrammable spot with stunning buildings but no famous landmarks nearby.

Instagram Location Ideas for Promoting Small, Local Businesses

Adding location tags to small businesses is a terrific way to lend a hand in promoting local brands and shops. Here are some Instagram location ideas for businesses you should consider adding a geotag for:

• Your local fruit stand or food stalls that everyone in the community loves.
• Family-owned cafés and eateries.
• Small, offbeat surf shacks and shops along the beach.
• Vintage clothing stores and thrift shops that don’t get much foot traffic.
• Food trucks that change their exact location every couple of weeks.
• Independent shops selling local delicacies or souvenirs.

Witty, Funny Locations for Instagram Posts

A clever way to use Instagram’s location feature is by adding places without an actual physical location. You can then tag those locations on posts to make them more humorous and give more context to your content. It’s an awesome way to get a laugh out of your followers and make your posts more memorable and engaging.

Here are some funny locations for Instagram posts and in what context they might be hilarious:

• “No Chill Zone” (for a post about having a small argument with your partner)
• “Living in Your Mind Rent-Free” (for a cute, flirty selfie)
• “The Nap Queen’s Castle” (for a photo dump of pictures of yourself while napping)
• “The Witches’ Coven” (for a fun photo with your girlfriends)
• “We Got Lost” (for a series of funny photos from travel mishaps)
• “Splitsville” (for a post about a celebrity breakup)

How To Add Your New Location to an Instagram Post

When your new location is available on Instagram, you can finally tag your photos with it. Here’s how to geotag your content to make sure the new location shows up on your post.

1. Open Instagram and click the plus sign at the bottom of the page to create a new post.

2. Choose the media you want to upload.

3. Edit the details of your post, like the caption, photo filters, or music.

4. Click Add location and type the name of your new location in the search bar.

5. Choose the location from the list. Make sure to double-check the spelling and address of the place before clicking on it!

6. Finally, hit Share. Your new location tag should show up on the top of your feed post.

You can also tag your location on Instagram Stories through the interactive location sticker. Here’s how to do it:

1. On your Instagram home page, click your profile photo on the top-left corner of the screen to open Stories. You can also do it by swiping right on the home screen.

2. Upload the photo or video you want. Alternatively, you can point and shoot your content in real time. Then, customize your Story post with all the filters, text overlays, or music you want.

3. Click the sticker tray at the top of the editor.

4. Select the Location sticker.

5. Search for the name of your new location and click on it when you see it on the list. This should create a sticker with the name of the location.

6. Tap on the sticker to change its color and styling. Pinch and zoom to resize it, and drag it to position it wherever you want on your post.

7. When you’re happy with your Story post, hit Share.

Make Creative Locations for Instagram To Make Posts More Valuable and Exciting

If you can’t find a specific location you want to tag on Instagram, don’t feel down. As long as you have a Facebook account, you can make your own precise, valuable, and creative locations for Instagram. And when they’re officially on the database, feel free to geotag away on your feed posts and Instagram Stories! That way, your followers know exactly where you took the stunning photos and videos you share with them.

Now that you know how to add a location on Instagram, you can post about more up-and-rising spots. If you want more people to see your content and learn about your favorite emerging places, work with Path Social.

Our algorithm promotes your posts directly to your niche audience. That means those who will most likely enjoy your travel posts will see your beautifully curated content. If they love your posts—and the new places you share—they’ll potentially follow your page. As a result, working with us gets you a boost in followers who love and engage with your content every time. Start gaining followers today!