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There are so many moving parts to posting on Instagram. Taking a quality picture, filming reels editing, writing captions, finding hashtags, and then to post it at peak engagement time?! It can be overwhelming, right? Well I'm here to help take the pressure off at least one of those daunting tasks, publishing your posts.
If you haven’t already, switch your profile to business or creator mode. This will allow you to view your insights. Insights are a whole different topic, but in short it will show you your peak engagement time. Of course, this is when you’re going to want to post! Well, what happens when life gets in the way and you can’t manage that specific time? APPS! Oh the wonderful world of technology we live in.
There are so many apps for all sorts of things, but these are my two favorites. First is Planoly. This app is so easy to use! After you link your Instagram (it also will plan pinterest) you can start planning immediately. However, just like most free things there is a limit on usage. 30 uploads for each month are free. You can upload directly from your camera roll, drop box, google drive, or even pick out free stock photos. Not only can you schedule your grid posts, but also your stories! Which is perfect for travel or when you know you wont have internet.
The next is Later. Also a top contender. Not quite as light and user friendly as Planoly. I find this app to be a bit more business like and advanced. Down to the basics on this one. You can plan your grid and preview it, see your calendar for however far out you desire, look at your scheduled as well as already published. You can also link various accounts if you're managing multiple businesses.
Now on a real note. Apps can be great! Read all of the reviews, try them all to figure out what you like best. Everyones account and preference is different, but be fair warned. These apps can cause a degrease in engagement which will take time to build back. Instagram is smart, too smart, and they aren't big on outside sources helping you grow your page. So my take is to make sure you have a solid engagement strategy in place, this however does not including liking and commenting on similar accounts as yours.
You might even remember seeing social media expert accounts saying you need to like and comment on others post to increase your engagement? But this takes so much time and effort trying to find the right people to connect with. In fact I use to recommend this strategy but it’d very outdated and can take a lot of energy.
So what should you be doing?
Respond to all comments on your own posts
Add call to actions to your content
Respond to all DM’s
Ask questions to your story and respond to them individually
Why will this work?
The right people are already there and are coming to your page to connect with you, so you want to make sure you engage with them to keep your profile updated.
So to conclude, using a scheduling app without an engagement strategy in place and lower the amount of comments, likes and shares you get. This is due to the fact Instagram know you have outsourced but as soon as you have an engagement strategy in place this will not matter. P.S Make sure your connect also follows a solid strategy and if it does it will speak for itself and engagement will no longer be an issue.
Want more?
Check out my brand new Instagram audit services here
