How (and Why) to Schedule Posts on Instagram

One of the great bonuses of technological innovation is newly-automated processes. For the tedious things you used to loathe doing, you can “set it and forget it” which can make your life a little easier. 

If your jam-packed content calendar has you running in all directions, it may be time to automate with social media management tools. In this article, we will explain reasons to focus on automation, give you a taste of our favorite third-party tools, and explain how to schedule a post on Instagram. 

Why You Should Schedule Posts on Instagram

We think that organizing your posting schedule should be on your priority list. Here are a few reasons why: 

More efficiency

In this day and age, time is one of our most precious commodities. When you use your time more efficiently by simplifying your workflow, you can then apply it in other ways that increase the quality of your content. 

One example of this is using extra time, money, and resources to write longer, well-crafted captions. These captions (decked out in hashtags and emojis) then give your audience more context to your post and are more likely to engage with your post. 

Or go the other way. Being more efficient with posting can help you focus on getting some much-needed downtime to replenish those creative juices. It pays to take a break once in a while!

More cohesion

Pick a day when you are feeling your artistic energy the strongest to churn out your content. When you batch create your content, it will resemble itself more because you had the same mindset when you created it. 

This type of cohesion attracts more followers because when they look at your feed, they will have a better idea of what you are all about.

More consistency

It is said that consistency is the key to social media marketing strategy. When your audience knows you produce content consistently, they are more likely to follow you. This is because they know they can count on you; a certain trust has been established that you are skilled in the particular niche they are interested in. 

As a result, your engagement rates are likely to increase because you’ve built credibility, presence, and a track record that followers/potential customers won’t forget. 

Our Favorite Social Media Management Tools

From small businesses to well-known brands that are powerhouses of content, all companies can benefit from using a scheduling tool. There are a variety of tools to choose from, ranging from free to more advanced paid versions. 

Choose the one that suits the needs of your business most. Here are a few of our favorites: 

• Pallyy: This is one of the best Instagram scheduling tools. It features Instagram analytics, real-time social media scheduling, comment management, and brand tracking. There is a free plan, as well as a paid version with more options. 

• Hootsuite: Lots of social media managers’ secret weapon is Hootsuite. Capable of working with a variety of social networks from Facebook to LinkedIn, this is an all-in-one tool. Hootsuite allows you to create posts (including carousel posts), schedule Instagram stories and posts, manage team members and measure ROI. This third-party tool is on the pricier side, so it should be reserved for more complex social media strategies. 

• Sprout Social: Another paid scheduling tool with high functionality that works best for large businesses, Sprout Social features a unified social inbox, publishing, scheduling, and metrics. 

• Creator Studio: This free Instagram content management tool is available to anyone with a business profile in Meta. You can create and schedule posts, explore insights, manage all messages, and find ways to monetize content you already have. 

You may be asking yourself whether you need iOS or Android to download these apps. But, the good news is that you don’t have to take up valuable space on your phone with bulky mobile apps to schedule your Instagram post. Utilize your desktop to optimize and automate the process with ease. 

How to Schedule Posts on Instagram with Creator Studio

Third-party apps work through the ability to gain API access to Instagram. In the past, these apps have taken a more hands-off approach by simply sending push notifications that remind you to post, rather than doing it themselves. 

But now that has changed with the advent of Creator Studio from Facebook. Since Facebook and Instagram are intertwined, this makes the process of posting to the ‘gram easier and seamless. 

How to Schedule Your Instagram Posts

So how to schedule content on Instagram? As we’ve mentioned, you must have a business account in Meta and connect your Instagram business account to your Creator Studio. 

Keep in mind that creator profiles work best for personal brands and influencers, and Instagram business profiles are for those brands and influencers who have already built up their methods of monetization.

Next, you can easily schedule your posts on Instagram. 

Here is how to schedule posts on Instagram: 

1. Within the Creator Studio, add content you want to share on Instagram. This could be a photo, video, text, or any other multimedia file on your computer. You can also pick your Instagram content directly off of your Facebook page. 
2. Edit within the tool if needed. This could be cropping an image or tagging an account. 
3. Write the caption of your post and add the location if you’d like to include it. 
4. Click on the dropdown arrow beside the blue “Publish” button, then click “Schedule”. 
5. Pick the date and time you’d like your content to show up in your followers’ Instagram feeds. We recommend picking high-traffic times because these are the best time to post to boost your content’s success.

Instagram Marketing Has Never Been Easier

The key to satisfying the Instagram algorithm is to create efficient, cohesive, consistent content that your followers can depend on. This can be done by scheduling posts with a social media management tool. 

Instagram marketing has never been easier with tools like Creator Studio, and of course, Tappie.