Instagram is a leading photo-sharing network that has great potential for generating traffic for a lot of websites or blogs. Instagram can be used for both individuals and businesses alike. Business owners using Instagram for business have unlocked many features that are missing in the personal platform.
For one, Instagram has provided some creative ways to improve marketing for businesses. The inclusion of Instagram Stories ads can help you attract more people who can eventually become your customers.
Another important feature of Instagram that is beneficial for online marketers is scheduling Instagram posts. This amazing feature is essential for saving valuable time and getting more followers.
The purpose of this article is to mainly instruct online marketers to schedule Instagram posts step by step.
Can You Schedule Instagram Posts?
This is a big question from business owners. Yes, just about anything can be scheduled on the internet today.
For a website developer, blog posts can be scheduled. For an email marketer, emails can be scheduled. So who says Instagram posts can't be scheduled?
The question should be "How can I schedule Instagram posts?" With the right app to schedule Instagram posts and the following steps, just anybody can schedule Instagram posts.
Why Schedule Instagram Posts?
Before delving into the steps to schedule Instagram posts, there is a need to first highlight the benefits of scheduling Instagram posts in Instagram marketing.
1. Time-saving
Scheduling Instagram posts can save you valuable time. Instead of racking your brains on what your next post will look like, an Instagram scheduler helps to plan your post.
2. Increase your productivity
Better engagement implies increased productivity. The Instagram scheduler provides a good amount of time for you to research on titles, images, videos, hashtags, and captions. You invest less for more – that's being productive.
3. Grow your followers
One of the biggest secrets of achieving success using social media is to post relevant posts frequently – this increases your brand's visibility. Followers love consistency so scheduling your posts on Instagram will keep your followers updated in real-time, knowing when to expect new posts from your brand.
4. Stay connected with your Instagram followers
When you post at the time your audiences are online, there's an increased tendency of getting more likes. When someone visits your profile, they instantly get convinced about what you posted because you took the time to be creative about the captions and hashtags.
5 Steps to Schedule Instagram Posts
Having listed the benefits, below are 5 steps for those who want to learn how to schedule Instagram posts.
STEP 1: Switch to a business profile
This is the first thing you want to do if you still run your business with a personal Instagram account. Converting your personal Instagram account into a business profile allows you access to Instagram's advanced tools that will help you promote posts, get more followers, add links to your stories, and schedule posts. Converting your account is easy. Simply:
- Open the Instagram app on your phone
- Tap the hamburger icon
- Click on "settings"
- Click "Account"
- Click "Switch to Professional Account"
- select "Business" and follow the prompts
Since Facebook and Instagram are owned by the same company, you'll be mandated to connect your Instagram account to your Facebook business Page.
STEP 2: Be creative in your Instagram content
The best posts are well-composed and not written in a hurry. Take your time to plan what you want your audience to read – by now you should know what your audience likes and what interests them.
Gather all your photos, videos, and text for each post and curate content for Instagram. Once you've gathered all your photos and videos, you can use the "Later" option to upload your content to your Media Library, and then store them there until you're ready to post.
STEP 3: Find the ideal time to post on Instagram
The most effective posts are those that get more likes and followers. Why? These posts were uploaded when a majority of the followers are online. There are tools [like the Instagram Insights tool] to review your audience metrics. This advanced tool helps you to know when your audience is most likely to be online. Save that time; you'll use it to schedule posts for Instagram.
STEP 4: Connect your Instagram account with an app to schedule Instagram posts
There are tools and apps that can help you schedule Instagram posts. Sign up with any of these tools [listed below] and link your Instagram account.
STEP 5: Schedule your posts
After linking your Instagram account with a post scheduler app, you can now start creating your posts in the queue. Each queue represents your best time to post having researched your best time to post. Amazing tools like Quick Schedule Instagram Posts allow you to schedule your stories too using a simple drag-and-drop feature. Don't forget to add compelling Instagram captions, hashtags, @s, and location. Select time and date, preview, and then save. Tools like Hootsuite allow you to compose each post with the option to schedule for later in place of "Post Now."
3 Helpful Tips When Scheduling Instagram Posts
1. Optimize your captions and hashtags
Writing your captions and hashtags can be time-consuming; however, this is one of the most effective methods of driving traffic. Optimizing your captions will give your post an increased tendency to get to your targeted audience.
2. Use Linkin.bio to drive more traffic and boost sales
Linkin.bio can be used to add links to any of your Instagram posts that you've published for later. A click on your bio will immediately take visitors to a specific URL. This way, they can buy a specific product from your Instagram post instead of first accessing your bio on Instagram profile.
3. Never spam your audience
Spamming will only tarnish your brand image and eventually make you lose your Instagram account. You should post less promotional content and more informational content. A good rule is to post three useful contents and then on the fourth time, promote [i.e. ratio 1:3]. Also, get used to posting as a photo album for posts with lots of images.
12 Best Post Schedulers for Instagram Marketing
Below are the best apps to schedule Instagram posts:
1. Hootsuite
2. Quick Schedule Instagram Posts
3. Creator Studio
4. Buffer
5. Later
6. Ninja Outreach
7. Sendible
8. Shorby
9. Short Stack
10. Awario
11. Social Insider
12. Photer Loo
Conclusion
Instagram, like other social media platforms, is rolling out different functionalities and smart business owners are already taking advantage.
The essence of these functionalities is to help improve your marketing efforts. There are functional apps that you can use to schedule your posts but it requires you to do it the right way and follow the aforementioned steps.
We've got you covered. We hope you save time, increase your followers, and boost your engagement with the information on this article.
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