BEST INSTAGRAM GROWTH TOOLS
Instagram posts are the new way to interact with your audience and grow your business. Learning how to schedule your posts will help you get optimal results, so getting familiar with when to post, when to take them down, and where to post is very important.
Instagram has more than a billion active users and over 20 million business profiles. These figures are an indication of the tough competition that exists on Instagram.
To rise above the competition on the platform and succeed in your marketing, you have to be a very organized and dedicated individual. This is where scheduling Instagram posts comes in.
In this article, we are going to talk about tools you need to schedule your posts and other tools you need to prepare quality Instagram posts such as video converters, photo editors, and video editing apps.
If you also want to learn from mistakes businesses make while scheduling their posts, then we encourage you to read to the end.
Is It Possible To Schedule Instagram Posts On Instagram?
Yes, it is! You can schedule IGTV videos and Instagram posts for up to 6 months in advance using the Facebook Creator Studio, which is a new feature that was first introduced by TechCrunch in Amsterdam.
Facebook officially launched the Creator Studio update to enable business owners to schedule IGTV broadcasts and Instagram posts in advance. Previously, it was only possible to schedule posts in advance using third-party tools.
How To Schedule Instagram Posts on Instagram
You can schedule Instagram posts using Facebook’s Creator Studio. The Creator Studio dashboard is where it all happens. You may trim your image, add a description and tags, define the location, and schedule when it will go public. If you have several posts scheduled for publication, you may go into your list and reschedule them based on your interests.
Here is how you can easily schedule your Instagram posts using Creator Studio:
- Link your Instagram account with your Creator Studio
- Select the content you need to schedule from your Facebook page or device.
- Crop your image (if need be)
- Add your Instagram location, and caption (only if you want to)
- Click on the “Publish” button to select your schedule.
- Select date and time
Your scheduled Instagram posts will be published on the selected date and no further action will be needed from your end.
The only challenge with the post-scheduling feature on Instagram is that regular users cannot use it, since it is limited to business accounts used by brands and influencers.
The limitations that existed in the past when scheduling posts were lifted when Creator Studio was introduced. It is now easy to add multiple photos to a post, something that was not previously possible using third-party tools.
Using Third-Party Tools To Schedule Instagram Posts
It is still possible to schedule Instagram posts using third-party social media apps such as SocialFlow, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social. Hootsuite was the first to make this feature available and has enabled millions of customers to schedule and publish multiple contents, according to Ryan Holmes, Hootsuite CEO.
Using Hootsuite, customers can also manage multiple team members, Instagram accounts, and large volumes of content. Hootsuite has the same downside as Facebook Creator Studio, therefore to use it to schedule posts, you will need to have a business profile.
How To Convert Your Instagram Account To A Business Profile
Converting your existing Instagram profile to a business one is easy. Simply head to your Instagram account click “Account Settings”, then scroll down to click “Switch to Business” Profile. After doing that, you can follow the instructions. You’ll be asked to link your Instagram account to your Facebook account.
Remember, the scheduling tool will only work if you have an Instagram business profile that is linked to a Facebook page. Once you’ve connected your Instagram account to your Facebook page, enter the email address, your location address, and phone number then tap “Done” to switch your profile.
Apart from being able to schedule your Instagram posts, you can use the multiple business profile features available to help you grow your business on Instagram. Some of these features include Instagram Ads, Instagram analytics, and Insights.
Tools For Scheduling Instagram Posts
You’re ready for the following step now that you’ve created a business profile and linked it to your Facebook page.
There are other third-party programs available, but we’ve selected four of our favorites.
Each is aimed toward a distinct type of business. So have a look and decide which of these four tools is best for you.
Later
This tool is best for businesses that have a strong focus on Instagram. It allows users to schedule posts to Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. However, you may not be able to use it with other popular platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+.
Later allows you to upload media directly from Good Drive and Dropbox, and it has a free plan that allows you to schedule about 30 posts for every social platform.
You must subscribe to one of their premium plans, which start at $9 per month, to schedule additional posts, manage multiple social accounts, or add team members.
Buffer
You can use Buffer to schedule all your social media in one place. It is best for small businesses or individual entrepreneurs with several social media accounts.
Schedule your posts directly to Instagram and other social networking sites including Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, and Facebook.
It allows you to manage all of your posts from a single dashboard, which you can access from your computer’s browser or the Buffer iOS and Android mobile apps.
There is also a browser plugin that allows you to add items found online to your social media agenda. The free plan available in the app allows users to connect and manage up to 3 social accounts, except Pinterest. You may also plan up to ten posts for each social account at once.
If you want to make extra posts and social accounts begin at $15 per month.
Hootsuite
This is a social media management tool that is mostly used by businesses and marketers looking to take their businesses to another level. This tool enables you to schedule and publishes your posts on Instagram. You can also use it to manage other social media accounts including Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Apart from planning social media posts, Hootsuite includes a plethora of additional capabilities to assist you in managing, monitoring, and growing your social reach. They also emphasize the creation of improved workflows, expanding throughout your business, and producing a measurable ROI.
The free plan helps to connect and manage up to 3 social media accounts. You may also schedule up to 30 posts simultaneously.
Plans begin at $25 per month for managing multiple accounts, putting in additional team members, or scheduling more posts.
Sprout Social
This tool is best for established businesses and marketing teams. Sprout Social is designed with a social media management solution that larger organizations can use.
The software allows you to monitor, manage and schedule your posts on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.
With an integrated social CRM, it also helps to manage your customer relationships.
Furthermore, Sprout Analytics is a complete solution that allows you to extract valuable insights from your social data in order to make educated strategic decisions.
Sprout Social offers a free 30-day trial, and monthly memberships begin at $99 a month.
Tools You Can Use To Prepare Quality Content On Instagram
Large businesses and influencers on Instagram have access to apps for businesses that they can use to fine-tune their content before posting.
Before your scheduled posts go live, you want to ensure that they are outstanding. The images and videos you post usually give an impression about your brand, so you want to ensure they are the best.
Let’s look at some of the tools that can help:
Image Editing Apps
These are applications you can use to improve how your business captures, edits, and designs images. Photo editing tools can help edit JPEG or raw image files, add filters, remove unwanted elements, change color, and more.
Video Editing Apps
Utilize some popular video editing apps to capture and design your brand’s videos. Insert interesting visual effects, make transitions, add subtitles, and other features to provide your audience with an engaging way of viewing your video.
Video Converter
If you have important business videos with source format that your computer cannot read or understand, there is a solution! You can use an online converter for video to help you change them to the format you want.
What Is The Best Time To Post On Instagram?
Once you have converted your personal Instagram account to a business profile and connected it with Facebook, you need to also know when to post your scheduled posts.
The optimal time to post on Instagram may change depending on the niche and business.
As a result, you should monitor your progress and experiment to determine what works best for your company.
Fortunately, Instagram Insights makes this simple. Simply go to your profile on the menu and press the three lines. Then select “Insights.”
Once there, click the “Audience” option and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the screen to discover when your followers are most active.
You may view your audience’s activity for an hour or a day. Furthermore, if you click the graph, Instagram will disclose the actual number of people in your audience that were active during those periods.
When Is The Best Time To Schedule Instagram Posts In General?
With so much contradicting advice available online, determining the optimal time to schedule Instagram posts may be tough. But we have some excellent news for you.
The image below can help you know the best time to post on Instagram.
What Mistakes to Avoid When Scheduling Instagram Posts
Scheduling is fantastic – but don’t overdo it. Here are three pitfalls to avoid when scheduling Instagram posts.
Forgetting To Engage With Your Audience
Since you schedule Instagram posts, it’s probable that you won’t be online when they go live, and so won’t be replying to new comments as they come in.
Developing engagement with your followers is another important aspect of growing your following. It is worth bearing in mind that Instagram’s algorithm favors high engagement levels.
So, create time to reply to your Instagram comments. Furthermore, remember to spend time enjoying and commenting on other people’s posts.
Forgetting To Edit Your Posts
It is always essential to create quality content on Instagram. When you schedule numerous Instagram posts all at once, you may make a mistake. There’s always the possibility that you’ll schedule a post that, upon closer inspection, is unclear, inadvertently humorous, or simply insulting.
Set some time to evaluate your planned Instagram posts for flaws to avoid making these basic blunders.
Alternatively, you can have another member of your team review them before you post them.
Scheduling Too Far in Advance
You might be tempted to schedule Instagram posts in bulk at a go. There is usually nothing wrong with doing that. However, you may not have enough time to respond to trends or events as they happen.
For instance, you might have included a joke in a scheduled post, only for it to be published during an international war or disaster. Such a situation can expose your brand for the worse. Users will think your brand is insensitive and not concerned with other people’s affairs. Therefore, only schedule posts that you can easily manage better.
What Are The Benefits of Scheduling Instagram Posts
Here are the benefits of scheduling posts that will help you learn more about what we’ve already talked about.
- You can post frequently and easily to stay engaged with your followers
To keep your followers interested and Instagram’s algorithm pleased, you must post frequently and consistently. When you schedule Instagram posts, this becomes considerably easier.
Scheduling allows you to share a lot of stuff on Instagram without disrupting your personal or business life.
- You can batch your post creation to increase the quality
Creating eye-catching content on Instagram is not easy. Furthermore, thinking of the best caption and Instagram hashtags can take time. Therefore, being able to schedule your posts ahead means you have more time to do them properly.
Take your time to select the best images, captions, videos, and hashtags. You can also come up with a narrative that will go together with your posts.
- You can upload your content directly from the computer and save time
Smartphones are great and there are a lot of great images and video editing tools you can use to create content on the go. However, if you want to create high-quality images and videos, you may need a larger screen device like a laptop or tablet.
If you use a professional camera to capture images and videos on Instagram, then you will need a computer to send or upload them. It can be difficult to send perfectly captured images and videos to a smartphone and upload them through the app.
- You can create a strong and a consistent brand voice and look
Consistency is key when it comes to branding. It helps you stand out and attract more followers. Apple Inc Vice President once said that it is important to make a consistent brand experience. Therefore, you need to mix your Instagram profile with great quality images, text, colors, and videos that are consistent with what your brand is about.
Conclusion
Scheduling Instagram posts has several benefits. You can make a collection of posts and upload them directly from your computer. In addition, it is easy to create a consistent look for your brand and keep your followers engaged with a well-planned schedule.
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Written by Allison Langstone
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