Instagram Marketing – Shane Barker https://shanebarker.com Mon, 25 Sep 2023 09:43:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://shanebarker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/cropped-favicon-32x32-1.png Instagram Marketing – Shane Barker https://shanebarker.com 32 32 How to Host an Instagram Takeover Successfully: The Best Ideas & Examples https://shanebarker.com/blog/instagram-takeover-ideas/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/instagram-takeover-ideas/#respond Mon, 25 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=78160 Instagram boasts over 2 billion monthly active users, making it the fourth most popular social platform. 90% of these users follow at least one brand.

Due to its large audience, Instagram is a great platform to popularize your brand and connect with your clients. One of the best ways to do so is to host successful Instagram takeovers.

This Instagram marketing strategy can help you increase engagement, get new followers, and boost your conversion rates.

In this guide, I will show you how to run a successful Instagram takeover and share Instagram takeover ideas that have worked well for different brands and influencers. I’ll also share some good examples to inspire your takeover campaigns.

Summary

To run a successful Instagram takeover, you should:

  • Clearly define your campaign goal, which could be increasing brand awareness, promoting an event, or showcasing a new product.
  • Collaborate with your preferred guest (influencer or industry expert) to develop a content plan that includes engaging visuals, videos, and captions.
  • Provide the guest access to your account with clear guidelines about your brand voice and conduct.
  • Use your existing social media channels to create buzz around the takeover and build anticipation by leveraging hashtags and teasers.
  • Measure results and optimize your takeover campaign strategy on the go for maximum exposure, engagement, and sales.

What is an Instagram Takeover?

An Instagram takeover is when an Instagram user temporarily takes control of another Instagram account to create and share content for a specified period of time.

The host account, which is most often a brand, allows the guest to create and share content on their account.

Why Should You Do an Instagram Takeover?

You should do an Instagram takeover to increase engagement, gain new followers, and promote new products or upcoming events.

Takeovers often attract more views, likes, comments, and followers for both the host and guest accounts. It helps them reach a broader audience and gain exposure to each other's followers.

How to Do an Instagram Takeover Successfully (The Ideas You Need)

Instagram takeovers require prior planning to be successful. There are some factors to consider and big decisions to make for you to achieve your intended goals from the takeover.

Here’s how you can run an Instagram takeover successfully:

1. Identify the Goal for the Instagram Takeover

What do you want to achieve from this takeover campaign?

You must define clear goals for your Instagram takeover. For example, you can plan to do one for:

  • Increasing brand visibility
  • Engaging a new audience
  • Driving traffic to your website or a particular landing page
  • Promoting a specific product or service
  • Creating hype around an upcoming event

2. Choose a Guest to Take Over Your Instagram Account

Once you’ve defined your goals for the takeover, you must choose a guest. Select someone whose audience aligns with your target audience’s demographics.

The guest could be an influencer, a partner brand, an employee, or a customer with a strong online presence.

Choosing someone whose audience is similar to yours means the takeover campaign will help you attract similar audiences. Plus, the content they share will likely capture your audience’s interest and engage them.

When vetting potential guests, you can use a tool like Inflact or Upfluence to analyze their Instagram profiles, audience demographics, and influence over people.

3. Decide on a Format for Your Instagram Takeover

There are various formats you could use for an Instagram takeover. Coordinate with the guest to determine a takeover format that suits both parties and ensures maximum visibility and engagement.

For instance:

  • Instagram Stories takeover: You allow the guest to post content on your IG Stories during the takeover. IG Stories are a great way to experiment when trying something new on your account. You can save the top-performing Stories as Highlights so they don’t disappear after 24 hours.
  • Instagram Live takeover: You let the guest go Live from your Instagram account. Through Live sessions, they could unbox your new product and host a giveaway or share their life experiences with your audience.

    Giving someone control over your Instagram Live requires a lot of trust since there will be no chance to edit what is said and done during the Live session.
  • Instagram Feed takeover: You allow the guest to post content on your main feed. Ensure the posts are consistent with your brand’s aesthetics and values. You can co-create content or share your guidelines and give them the creative freedom to experiment.

4. Develop a Content Plan for Your Instagram Takeover Campaign

Collaborate with the guest to create a content plan for the takeover campaign. It could include photos, videos, Stories, and captions that will be shared during the takeover.

Collaborating helps the guest and host understand the goal of the takeover. It also helps diversify the content type and tone to keep the audience interested. The content must align with your brand's image and messaging.

5. Schedule the Takeover Period Posts in Advance

Unless you’re hosting an Instagram Live, you must establish a posting schedule to maintain a consistent flow of content throughout the takeover. Decide on the frequency of posts and Stories to keep the audience engaged.

Scheduling posts in advance using a tool like Sprout Social will help ensure that the guest’s content goes live on your account when your audience is most active on Instagram. This is especially critical if your target audience is in different time zones.

You want to make sure as many people as possible see the takeover posts.

It’s good to consider the most active times of your guest’s audience as well when planning the posting schedule. That’s because you want to engage their audience with the collaboration.

6. Provide Account Access and Brand Guidelines to the Guest

Give your account’s login details to the guest who is taking over your Instagram account. Provide clear guidelines to them about your brand’s voice, content style, posting times, and expectations from the takeover.

Let them have creative freedom to engage your audience the way they want to. Trust that they master the art of influencing people.

7. Promote the Takeover

Build anticipation for the takeover by announcing it on your official Instagram account and other social media platforms. Share content teasers and introduce the guest to your audience. Let them know what they can expect.

For example, Broadway Plus announced that Katy Geraghty is going to take over their Stories the next day with an Instagram post. The post received ovr 5K likes and lots of comments.

8. Ensure the Guest Engages with Your Audience

Encourage the guest to engage with your audience during the takeover period. They should respond to people’s comments on the posts, answer their questions, and participate in discussions.

Not just the guest influencer, your brand should also answer users’ questions, respond to comments, and build connections.

Having an effective engagement strategy in place will help build people’s interest in your brand. 

For example, see how both the brand and the guest nutritionist engages people through comments on this post during the takeover period.

IG takeover content engagement example
Source

9. Evaluate Content Performance

After the takeover, analyze the performance of the content by reviewing metrics such as reach, engagement, follower growth, website visits, and conversions.

Use this data to evaluate the success of the takeover campaign and enhance the outcomes of future collaborations.

10. Build Long-Term Relationships with the Guest

Thank the guest for their participation and promote their account to your audience. Depending on the success of the takeover, you can do it again in the future or collaborate with them in other ways for giveaways or brand ambassadorships.

5 Best Instagram Takeover Examples to Inspire Your Next Campaign

In this section, I’ll share five of the best Instagram takeover examples to inspire your next campaign.

These examples show how you can partner with influencers or industry experts to create engaging and effective content that resonates with your target audience.

1. NikkieTutorials and Sephora Takeover

Nikkie de Jager, is a famous Dutch makeup artist and beauty influencer with a massive following of over 18 million on Instagram. She shares creative makeup tutorials and showcases her beauty looks on her account by the name, “NikkieTutorials.”

The makeup and skincare brand, Sephora, invited NikkieTutorials to do an Instagram takeover on their official account.

With her vast following and influence in the beauty community, NikkieTutorials shared her exclusive makeup routines using her favorite products during the takeover period.

The takeover provided Sephora with an opportunity to tap into her extensive fanbase. She showcased her preferred products and illustrated how to achieve stunning makeup looks using them.

The takeover helped increase Sephora’s brand awareness to Nikkie’s audience. The interactions during the takeover exposed Sephora's offerings to a broader audience of makeup enthusiasts.

2. Hoyeon Jung and Calvin Klein Takeover

In a much-anticipated Instagram takeover, the spotlight was on Hoyeon Jung, the talented actress from Squid Game, as she took control of Calvin Klein's Instagram account.

Calvin Klein is known for hosting Instagram takeovers with celebrity guests such as comedian, Pete Davidson, and rockstar, Machine Gun Kelly.

As the day commenced, Hoyeon Jung showed her love for Calvin Klein by starting in morning attire.

Hoyeon Jung grooved to Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself” in an oversized white shirt paired with her Calvin Klein underwear set.

The Livestream showed the audience a glimpse of Hoyeon Jung changing into different outfits. One of these outfits was a vibrant, red, cropped Calvin Klein hoodie.

Squid Game star, Hoyeon Jung took over Calvin Klein's Instagram account - IG takeover example
Source

The takeover helped Calvin Klein tap into Hoyeon’s fanbase and benefited her by offering fans a glimpse into her relatable approach to life's little pleasures.

3. Ohio State University Takeover by Their Students

The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy allowed their students to take over their Instagram account and share glimpses from a day in their lives.

They let different students share their points of view, and what their experiences are in the university regarding education, facilities, trips, and fun things they do outside class.

This takeover allowed the students to express themselves and helped the university gain engagement. It helped them receive comments from a younger population of aspiring students.

At the same time, the students who participated in the takeover also gained new followers. It gave them a boost in confidence to express themselves.

4. Julia Guardiola and VI Peel Takeover

Julia Guardiola is the founder of Social Glow Up. She has collaborated with similar brands to run takeovers and other kinds of campaigns on Instagram.

During one of her best takeovers with VI Peel, she gained over 1,000 followers along with many shares and comments on her posts.

She recommends that if you’re going to run an Instagram takeover, you should collaborate with a brand whose audience aligns with yours.

5. Little, Brown and Company and Their Authors Takeover

Little, Brown and Company are American publishers who have published numerous books by celebrities, politicians, and world-famous authors.

They use Instagram takeovers when introducing a new author and their book.

Here’s an example of Meryl Feinstein from Pasta Social Club introducing her new book, “Pasta Every Day,” on Little Brown’s official IG account:

IG takeover example of a publishing house account by authors
Source

The publishing company uses this exposure to create a buzz around the book and to popularize their authors to their audience.

Some authors, such as Kerry Washington and Michelle Obama, are already famous and have their own following. They leverage these massive numbers to break into new markets and create brand awareness about their publishing company.

How to Promote Your Instagram Takeover Like a Pro

For your Instagram takeover to be successful, you must promote it to your audience. Let’s look at ways to promote and build interest around an Instagram takeover.

1. Announce the Upcoming Takeover

Make formal announcement posts on your and your guest’s accounts way before the takeover. Provide details about the takeover's date, time, and purpose to generate interest.

Instagram takeover announcement example
Source

You can also utilize Instagram Stories to create teaser content about the upcoming takeover. Include countdowns and sneak peeks of what the audience can expect during the takeover to generate excitement.

2. Mention the Takeover on Other Social Channels

Include information about the takeover in your email newsletters or blog posts. Encourage your subscribers and readers to follow both Instagram accounts and participate in the event.

Promote the takeover on your other social media platforms, such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, or TikTok. Leverage your existing audience to drive traffic to your Instagram account.

3. Create a Hashtag for Your Takeover Campaign

Develop a unique and catchy hashtag specific to the takeover and encourage the audience to use it when discussing or sharing content related to the event.

A branded hashtag will also be helpful when tracking the overall visibility and increasing engagement.

4. Partner with the Right Influencers or Guests

Partner with the right influencers or complementary brands to do the Instagram takeover. Ensure that they cross-promote their takeover-related content on their accounts and drive their followers to engage with the event.

5. Use Instagram Ads to Boost Your Takeover Content Reach

Invest in Instagram Ads to promote the takeover to a broader audience, especially if you want to reach people outside of your existing followers. Instagram allows you to target the ads to groups that fit your target audience's demographics, interests, and behaviors.

How to Measure the Success of Your Instagram Takeover

To evaluate whether or not your Instagram takeover was a success, check for these metrics:

  • Follower growth: Track the number of new followers gained during and after the takeover on your (host) account. Compare this to your typical follower growth rate to assess the impact.
  • Engagement metrics: Analyze engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and saves on the takeover posts. Compare these metrics to your account's average engagement rates to determine if the takeover outperformed your usual content.
  • Hashtag performance: If you used a specific takeover-related hashtag, track its usage and reach. Analyze the hashtag's volume of posts during the takeover period and its impact on engagement.
  • Cost analysis: If you incurred costs for the takeover, for example, paying a guest influencer or placing ads for promotion, calculate the return on investment (ROI) by comparing the costs against the benefits, such as increased sales or greater brand visibility.
  • Story views and interactions: Measure the number of views, taps, replies, and interactions on the Stories shared during the takeover. Compare these metrics to your typical Story performance.
  • Conversion metrics: If you had specific goals like tool or newsletter sign-ups or product purchases, track these actions attributed to the takeover. Measure the conversion rate and compare it to your usual conversion rates.
  • Audience sentiments: Monitor comments, direct messages, and mentions related to the takeover. Evaluate the direction of the comments to understand the audience's perception and feedback.
  • Takeover poll: Conduct a poll on your Instagram Stories to gather feedback from your audience about the takeover. Ask about their satisfaction score, what they enjoyed, and areas for improvement.
  • Guest feedback: Collect feedback from the guests who conducted the takeover to understand their views on the event's success. Ask them for insights about engagement and audience reception.

FAQs

Do I need to pay my takeover partner?

Whether or not you need to pay your takeover partner depends on your specific collaboration agreement and the nature of the partnership.

Some Instagram takeover partnerships are mutually beneficial and don't involve monetary transactions. In such cases, both parties gain exposure to a new audience.

However, if your takeover partner is a professional influencer or content creator with a significant following, they may expect compensation for their time, effort, and influence.

Discuss the expectations and compensation details upfront to ensure clarity.

What should I ask my Instagram takeover partner to do?

Be clear about your expectations from the takeover and share guidelines that are important for your brand. This is the first step to hosting a successful Instagram takeover. 

Here are a few things you should discuss in advance:

– The type of content you'd like them to create, such as photos, videos, IG Stories, or a combination of any of these. The content should resonate with your audience and represent your brand.

– The takeover date and time and the frequency and timing of posts. Also, decide on a posting schedule to maintain consistency and engagement throughout the event.

– Guidelines about your brand’s voice, messaging, and style to ensure they maintain a cohesive brand image during the takeover.

– Promotional strategies for the takeover content by both the host and the guest, to maximize reach and participation.

When is the best time for an Instagram takeover?

The ideal timing for an Instagram takeover depends on your audience's behavior and the purpose of the takeover.

Here are some factors to consider:

– Weekdays often have higher engagement rates, especially Tuesday to Thursday. However, weekends might also work well, particularly if your target audience is more active during those days.

– Conduct the takeover during peak engagement hours when your target audience is most active on Instagram.

– Align the takeover with relevant events, holidays, product launches, or marketing campaigns
to capitalize on increased interest and engagement.

– Analyze your audience's behavior using Instagram Insights to identify when they are most active. Tailor the takeover schedule to match these busy periods.

– If your audience is based in multiple time zones, plan the takeover to accommodate a broad range of your audience. Consider publishing according to different time zones.

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Uncovering the Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram https://shanebarker.com/blog/best-time-to-post-reels-on-instagram/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/best-time-to-post-reels-on-instagram/#respond Mon, 11 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=77948 Posting Reels on Instagram can help you connect with your target audience, convert them into leads, and increase sales. A recent study shows that Reels have an average engagement rate of 1.23% and an average reach rate of 30.81%.

However, the feat of organically boosting your visibility and engagement relies on finding the best time to post on Instagram.

So, at what time is your target audience most active on Instagram? 

If you're experiencing this dilemma, you're on the right page. We'll look at what various studies suggest about the best time to post Reels on Instagram and why posting at the right time matters.

Let's get started.

Quick Summary
  • The best time to post Reels on Instagram is during the lunch break (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
  • The best days to post Reels are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
  • The best time to post Reels on Thursday is 5 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m.
  • The optimal time for posting Reels varies depending on your industry.
  • Conducting your account’s audience research gives you the best time to post Reels on Instagram for maximum engagement.

What Are the Best Times to Post Reels on Instagram?

Finding the right time to post on social media to engage your audience can be tough as there's no one-size-fits-all posting time. However, several studies have a consensus on the best times to post Reels on Instagram. I’ll show you what they say.

1. The Best Times to Post Reels on Instagram According to My Findings

My Instagram account has a diverse following and a good reach. Digging deep into my Instagram Analytics, here’s what I found:

The best time to post Reels on Instagram is during lunch breaks (between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.).

A chart showing different optimal times to post Reels on Instagram from Monday to Friday

Here's a deeper look at the best time to post Reels on each day of the week:

  • The best time to post Instagram Reels on Monday: Mondays start with blues and the worry of the new week doesn’t allow many people to check their social accounts early in the morning. However, many people utilize the lunch break hour (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) to stay on the go with what's popping up on their feeds.
  • The best times to post on Reels on Tuesday: The contentment of finishing off Mondays could be the reason why many people check out their IG accounts early in the morning on Tuesdays. The best time to post Reels on Tuesdays is between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
  • The optimal time to post Reels on Wednesday and Thursday: Like Mondays, many users are active on their accounts during the lunch break hour.
  • The best time to post Instagram Reels on Friday: Instagram users show a different engagement pattern on Fridays. Most people are active at mid of the day, possibly because they are looking for a new thing to try over the weekend. The ideal time to post on Friday is between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

2. The Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram According to Industry Experts   

Several agencies conducted studies to establish the best times to post on Reels. Below are some of their findings:

CoSchedule’s Findings About the Best Times to Post on IG

According to CoSchedule, the best time to post Instagram Reels is before work, during lunch breaks, and after work (9 a.m., 12 p.m., and 7 p.m.).

The best days to post Reels are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Whereas, Monday, Saturday, and Sunday are the worst days to post on Instagram. 

The same study lists the following as the best time to post Reels on Instagram for engagement:

  • 8:00 a.m.
  • 9:00 a.m.
  • 11:01 a.m.
  • 11:58 a.m.
  • 12:01 p.m.
  • 7:59 p.m.
  • 8:00 p.m.

HubSpot’s Findings About the Best Times to Post on Instagram

According to HubSpot, Thursday is the best day to post on Instagram (5 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m.).

The best time to post Reels on Instagram on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday is 5:00 a.m. On Monday, the best time to post Reels is 11 a.m. (when people are getting ready for lunch) and 5 p.m. (when they are exhausted).

Other optimal times to post Reels are:

  • 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays
  • 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays
  • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays
  • 11 a.m. on Saturdays
  • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays

Influencer Marketing Hub’s Findings About the Best Times to Post on IG

A 2022 study by Influencer Marketing Hub suggests that the best times to post Reels are:

  • 6 a.m., 10 a.m., and 10 p.m. on Mondays
  • 2 a.m., 4 a.m., and 9 a.m. on Tuesdays
  • 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 11 p.m. on Wednesdays
  • 12 a.m., 9 a.m., and 7 p.m. on Thursdays
  • 5 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on Fridays
  • 11 a.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. on Saturdays
  • 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 4 p.m. on Sundays

Hootsuite’s Findings on the Best Times to Post Reels on Instagram

A Hootsuite study indicates that the best time to post Reels on Instagram is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays. Here’s a further breakdown of their findings:

  • The best time to post Reels on Monday is 12 p.m. when most of your audience is on lunch break.
  • 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. is the best time to post Reels on Instagram on Tuesday with 9 a.m. being the peak hour.
  • Wednesday, 11 a.m. is the overall best time to post Instagram Reels.
  • The best time to post Reels on Thursday is 12 p.m.
  • On Friday, the best time to post Reels is between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.
  • Saturday, 9 a.m. is the best time to post Reels.
  • 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. is the best time to post Instagram Reels with 7 p.m. being the peak hour.

While these studies point in the same direction, it is advisable to conduct your own research to find a strategy that works for your specific audience.

Why Does Posting at the Right Time Matter?

Instagram has approximately 2.38 billion active monthly users, making it a good marketing hub for many brands. And to reach your target audience, you need to post at the right time.

Here's why: 

1. Staying Competitive

Instagram is a highly competitive platform. So, posting Reels when your target audience is active helps you reach a larger percentage of the audience. This boosts your brand's organic reach, engagement, conversions, and sales, helping you stay competitive. 

2. Determining Visibility

Instagram’s algorithm favors recency when determining the visibility of posts and Reels. The algorithm also considers relevancy and user activity when ranking content on the feed. Posting content that aligns with these algorithms and at the right time increases its visibility and reach.

3. Catering for Different Time Zones

For businesses whose audience is spread across different timing zones, timing your posts ensures your audience has equal chances of seeing your content when they're active.

4. Boosting Engagement

Posting when your target audience is online significantly increases your chances of receiving likes, comments, and shares. This boosts your visibility and improves conversion and sales rates.

5. Satisfying Your Audience 

After identifying the unique patterns of your audience, you'll need to satisfy their taste and preferences. Posting at times when they're active every day keeps them engaged and helps you build brand loyalty. 

Tips for Finding the Best Times to Post on Instagram Reels

Creating relevant Reels isn't enough to achieve a higher ROI. The key is posting your content when the target audience is active on Instagram.

But how do you find the best time to post Reels on Instagram for your account? Here are a few tips to help you know when to post Instagram Reels for your audience:

1. Analyze the Posting Times of Your Top-Performing Reels

If you're wondering when to post Reels on Instagram, start by reviewing your top-performing Reels.When did you post the Reels? Did they reach your target audience? You can use Instagram analytics tools to monitor the performance of your content.

Analyzing past engagements on a reel to get future insights

Analyzing the performance of your past content gives you their average engagement or impression rate. This helps you identify the time when your target audience is active on Instagram, what type of content impresses them, and the leads you can convert to sales.

You can repurpose your top-performing content and post it as a throwback. This will give your audience nostalgia while saving you time and resources that you’d use to create entirely new content.

And the hashtag, “#ThrowbackThursdays,” seem to perform well for me and most marketers and influencers.You can find more amazing hashtags to boost your content’s reach using tools like Inflact. It also helps you schedule your posts in advance.

2. Know the Location of Your Audience

Recent Reels statistics show that the biggest Reels-watching audience (230.25 million users) is in India, followed by the U.S. with 159.75 million users, and then Brazil with 119.45 million users.

Knowing the geolocation of your target audience gives you insights about the peak hours to post Reels depending on their time zones.

To get more accurate data on where your audience is, consider changing your Instagram account to a business account. This way, you will receive insights from Instagram on where your followers are located.

For example, my IG account Analytics shows that most of my audience resides in the United States, followed by those living in India.

Instagram audience analytics

Similarly, you can check your audience demographics using Instagram Analytics.

For more detailed insights into which states in the U.S. are the audience from, you can check out the analytics in the Meta Business Suite. Here is a screenshot from mine:

Instagram audience insights from the meta business suite

3. Post When Most of Your Audience is Active 

After knowing the geolocation of your audience, the next assignment is to find out when they are active on Instagram. This means you have to analyze their demographic (age, gender, education, financial status, and occupation) to get insights on when they are mostly active and scroll through their feed section.

For example, if you're targeting working professionals, the best times to post Reels on Instagram are early in the morning, during breaks, and in the evenings after work.

But if you're targeting stay-at-home moms, the best times to post Reels would be during afternoon hours.

If your audience is spread across the globe, posting within their specific time zones can be tedious. Creating a content calendar or using social media marketing tools will help you post for people in different time zones every day.

4. Post Consistently

Once the Instagram algorithm makes your content visible on the feed of your audience, post consistently. By posting Reels at the same time, 2-3 times a week, you connect with the audience that forms a habit of seeing your content at that particular time.

Consistency is the best way to create an authentic relationship with your followers. The more the audience interacts with your content, the higher the credibility and trust of your account.

5. Analyze Your Competitors’ Posting Times

Another way to know when to post Reels on Instagram is to research the times your competitors publish their Reels. If their content is reaching and engaging a larger audience, find out the metrics they are using.

You can also consider posting a few minutes before or after the hour mark when your competitors post their Reels. Considering the recency factor of Instagram algorithm, your Reels may stand a chance of popping up in the users’ feeds way before those from your competitors.

6. Consider the Best Posting Times for Your Industry

Different industries have different target audiences and therefore, different best times to post Reels on Instagram. According to CoSchedule’s findings shared earlier, the best times to post on Reels per industry are:

IndustryThe Best Times to Post Reels on Instagram
B2C businesses8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 9 p.m.
B2B businessesBetween 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Media sector9 a.m., 12 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Higher education industryFrom 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Healthcare industry10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Software industry11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m.

To get higher reach and engagement, always ensure you are posting when your industry’s target audience is active on Instagram.

7. Consider Your Audience’s  Work Breaks on Each Day of the Week

It's a no-brainer that engagement and activity on Instagram vary depending on the day of the week.

For example, on Mondays, the rush to start a new week may prevent people from logging into their Instagram accounts in the morning.

On the other hand, the first thing many people do after waking up from Tuesdays to Fridays is to check out their Instagram feeds. This makes 5 a.m. the best time to post Reels on Instagram during these days.

The likelihood of people checking their social accounts during work breaks is also high. So, posting Reels during lunch break hours boosts your chances of reaching more people and leading them to your landing pages.

8. Test Different Posting Times for Your Instagram Reels

While the tips above provide insightful data that bring you closer to the best time to post Reels, conducting your account research is the deal breaker.

Carry out trial and error (split tests) experimentation throughout the week and mark the engagement your Reels get at different times and days.

After collecting enough data on when your target audience is most active, take that as your best time to post on Instagram Reels.

Start Posting Reels on Instagram at Optimal Times

Posting Reels whenever you feel like will not get you a greater ROI. The best way to Instagram success is to study your target audience and post when they’re most active on Instagram.

From conducting your account’s audience research to analyzing competitors’ posting times, you’ll find the best time to post Reels on your account.Take advantage of social media scheduling and analytics tools like Inflact and Sprout Social to schedule posts at optimal times, boost engagement, gain more followers, and convert more leads into sales.

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What is Engagement Rate? How to Calculate It https://shanebarker.com/blog/how-to-calculate-engagement-rate/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/how-to-calculate-engagement-rate/#respond Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:47:43 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=77477
Quick Summary
  • Engagement rate = [Total number of user engagements (likes, comments, shares) / Total number of followers or subscribers] * 100
  • A good engagement rate varies from platform to platform and industry to industry. So, compare your engagement rate with that of accounts similar to yours.

I remember when I hit 5000 likes on Twitter (now rebranded as X)! I wanted to celebrate.

Gaining over 29,000 followers on X, another 25,000 followers on LinkedIn, and more on Instagram and Facebook has been instrumental to the growth of my brand.

I can attribute the success of my social media brand presence to one thing ⇒ Engagement.

Quality user interactions with your content on social media are what truly matters. It is the key to building a successful online presence.

A high number of followers might create a superficial appearance of success, but engagement reveals how many followers are genuinely engaged with your content.

Building a loyal, engaged audience provides long-term sustainability for your brand. It also creates a community that actively supports your brand, reducing the reliance on short-term marketing tactics.

In this guide, I’ll teach you how to calculate your engagement rate on different social media platforms. I’ll also share insights on how to optimize your social media marketing strategies to increase engagement and business.

What is Engagement Rate?

Engagement rate is a measure of the level of interaction that your audience has with your content on an online platform. 

This metric is commonly used to measure the effectiveness of your social media marketing and digital advertising campaigns. Instead of focusing solely on the number of followers or views, engagement rate focuses on the number of actions taken by an audience, such as likes, comments, or shares.

A higher engagement rate indicates that your content resonates well with the audience, generating more interactions and driving more action. It helps you assess the effectiveness of your published content and make informed decisions about your marketing strategies.

Why Should You Track Engagement Rate? What Makes It Importance?

Tracking engagement rate provides deep insights into whether you’re succeeding on a platform or not. Here are some reasons why tracking engagement rate is important:

  • It helps evaluate content performance. Engagement rate helps you understand how well your content resonates with your target audience. When you track this metric, you can identify which pieces of content generate more user interactions. This will help you adjust your content strategy to create more relevant posts.
  • It helps analyze the effectiveness of each social media platform. Different platforms may yield varying engagement rates.

    For example, you may have a good engagement rate on Instagram and a low one on Twitter. Tracking engagement rates across platforms will help you identify the most effective marketing channels for your brand where you should focus your efforts.
  • It helps understand audience interests and behaviors. For instance, you may find your audience very active when you focus on a particular topic while they don’t engage with other content.

    Analyzing the type of content that receives the most interactions will give you an understanding of what appeals to your audience and tailor your future content accordingly.
  • Engagement rate is a crucial metric when measuring your marketing success. It goes beyond metrics like follower count and shows whether or not a campaign drives meaningful interactions and potential conversions.
  • Calculate the effectiveness of your ad spend with engagement rate. A high engagement rate on your sponsored Facebook posts indicates that your ads are worthwhile.
  • Compare your engagement rate with that of your competitors to find out where you stand in the market. It can help you identify areas where you excel and where you need to improve to stay ahead of your competition.

How to Calculate Engagement Rate: 7 Important Formulas

As mentioned, different social platforms have varying demographics and engagement styles. Therefore, you should know how to calculate the engagement rate on different platforms.

I’ll share how to calculate the engagement rate on the top seven social platforms.

Some key terms to remember:

  • Total engagements: The total number of likes, comments, and shares on a specific post.
  • Total followers: The number of followers or subscribers you have on your account.

Instagram Engagement Rate Calculation Formula

Instagram engagement rate is calculated as follows:

Engagement rate (%) = (total engagements / total followers) * 100

For example, if a post receives 500 likes and 100 comments, and your Instagram account has 10,000 followers, the engagement rate for that post would be:

(500 + 100) / 10,000 * 100 = 6%

A good engagement rate on Instagram is 3% to 6%. An engagement rate above 6% is excellent, especially for larger accounts with a substantial following.

P.S. Discover some tips on how to grow your IG following.

Facebook Engagement Rate Calculation Formula

For Facebook, you calculate the engagement rate as follows:

Engagement rate = (total engagements / total page followers) * 100

For example, if you have a Facebook Page with 50,000 followers, and a post receives 500 reactions, 100 comments, and 50 shares. The engagement rate for that post would be:

(500 + 100 + 50) / 50,000 * 100 = 1.3%

A good engagement rate for Facebook Pages is around 0.5% to 1.5%. Higher rates are considered excellent and are achievable for well-targeted content.

Snapchat Engagement Rate Calculation Formula

Snapchat engagement rate = (total engagements / total followers) * 100

For instance, if you have a Snapchat account with 20,000 followers and a snap receives 200 views. The engagement rate would be:

(200 / 20,000) * 100 = 1%

Snapchat content is temporary by design. If you get an engagement rate of 1% to 3%, then you’re doing excellent on the platform.

YouTube Engagement Rate Calculation Formula

YouTube engagement rate = (total engagements / total subscribers) * 100

So let’s say you have a YouTube channel with 10,000 subscribers, and a video receives 1,000 likes and 50 comments. Your YouTube engagement rate is:

(1,000 + 50) / 10000 * 100 = 10.5%

YouTube engagement rates are usually lower due to the passive nature of video content consumption. For example, many viewers may enjoy your content but they might not leave a comment.

A good YouTube engagement rate is around 0.5% to 2%. However, channels with a lower subscriber base can get higher engagement rates.

TikTok Engagement Rate Calculation Formula

TikTok engagement rate = (total engagements / total followers) * 100

If you have 500,000 followers on TikTok, and your video receives 100,000 views, 20,000 likes, and 5,000 shares. To calculate the engagement, do the following:

(100,000 + 20,000 + 5,000) / 500,000 * 100 = 25%

TikTok is known for its high engagement rates’ good ones ranging from 10% to 20%. Engagement rates above 20% are considered excellent.

X (formerly Twitter) Engagement Rate Calculation Formula

X engagement rate = (total engagements / total followers) * 100

For example, if you have 50,000 Twitter (X) followers and a tweet (now post) receives 500 likes, 100 retweets, and 50 replies. You would calculate your engagement rate this way:

(500 + 100 + 50) / 50,000 * 100 = 1.3%

A good engagement rate on Twitter (now X) is 1% to 3%. Engagement rates above 3% are considered excellent.

X user interactions are mostly in real time. Therefore, the engagement rates may be higher as compared to other platforms.

LinkedIn Engagement Rate Calculation Formula

Engagement rate (%) = (total engagements / total followers) * 100

Suppose you’re a company with a following of 10,000 on LinkedIn, and one of your posts receives 50 likes and 20 comments. The engagement rate for the post would be:

(50 + 20) / 10,000 * 100 = 0.7%

Due to its highly serious and professional nature, LinkedIn often exhibits lower engagement rates compared to other social platforms. A good engagement rate on LinkedIn is around 0.2% to 0.6%.  A rate above 0.6% is considered excellent.

Remember: Engagement rates vary significantly between different types of accounts, so it's essential to benchmark your performance against similar accounts in your industry. This will help you better assess if you’re performing well in your industry.

How to Calculate Your Engagement Rate Automatically

Manual calculation of engagement rate can be tedious and time-consuming, especially when you’re dealing with multiple posts and platforms. Automating the process will help save time allowing your marketing teams to focus on other essential tasks and strategic planning.

One tool that can help you automate calculating your engagement rate is Semrush’s BuzzGuru app.

It is a powerful and user-friendly platform designed to help you measure the effectiveness of your social media content. It saves you time and effort by generating automated reports for your campaigns.

With BuzzGuru influencer analytics, you can easily grow your social presence, identify competitors’ strategies, and work with influencers who offer the best engagement rates in similar niches.

The built-in analytics features of individual social media platforms also give you insights into your engagement rates.

With automatic calculations, you can quickly assess the engagement potential of your content as it unfolds. This enables you to respond promptly to audience reactions and adjust your strategies on the fly.

How to Use Engagement Rates in Your Social Strategy

Engagement rates are a valuable tool for measuring the success of your social media marketing campaigns. By tracking your engagement rates and using them to make informed decisions about your content strategy, you can create a more effective and successful social media presence.

Here are some ways to use engagement rates in your social media marketing strategy:

  1. Monitor your engagement rate over time. This will help you identify successes and failures, and make necessary adjustments to your strategy.
  2. Use engagement rates to understand your audience's preferences, behaviors, and needs. This will help you tailor your content strategy to meet their needs and interests. You can identify common themes or topics that resonate with your audience.
  3. Create content that encourages engagement and sparks conversations. Ask questions, run polls, seek feedback from your audience, and respond promptly to comments and messages. This shows that you value their input and helps foster a community around your brand.
  4. Focus on quality over quantity. Instead of bombarding your audience with numerous posts, prioritize high-quality content that adds value and elicits meaningful responses. Content that evokes emotions or educates your audience is more likely to generate engagement.
  5. Partner with influencers with an engaged following in your niche. Influencers can amplify your message and reach a broader audience, increasing the potential for interactions and conversions. You can use the engagement rate metric to evaluate an influencer’s influence on the decisions of their followers.
  6. Pay attention to when your audience engages the most on social media. Use analytics tools to determine the optimal times to post your content. By aligning your posting schedule with peak engagement periods, you can increase the chances of your content being seen and interacted with.
  7. Leverage social listening. Monitoring social conversations about your brand and industry provides opportunities to connect with your audience and address their concerns directly. You can respond to mentions and engage with users discussing relevant topics.
  8. Measure ROI. The ultimate goal of tracking the engagement rate metric is to measure the return on investment (ROI) of your social media marketing efforts. You should also track metrics like generated leads, website traffic, and conversions.

Using engagement rate as a guiding metric, you can optimize your social media marketing approach, cultivate brand loyalty, and drive tangible results for your business.

Never Ignore Your Engagement Rate Again!

Engagement rate helps you gauge the effectiveness of your content strategy and make data-driven decisions to optimize your social media marketing efforts.

As you've seen, a high engagement rate signifies that your content is striking a chord with your audience. Encouraging user engagement will help build a community of followers who are loyal to your brand, propelling your business toward greater visibility, reach, and success.

With the power of engagement rate calculations, you can identify your top-performing posts, understand audience preferences, and fine-tune your posts to meet audience needs.

I’d love to hear from you. Have you made changes to your social strategy based on the engagement rate? Share your experiences in a comment below.

FAQs

What does a low engagement rate mean?

A low engagement rate indicates that your audience is not actively interacting with your content. It suggests that your posts are not resonating with your followers, leading to fewer likes, comments, shares, and other forms of engagement.

A low engagement rate can indicate that your content may need improvement or that your content is not targeting the right audience.

What is a good engagement rate?

A good engagement rate can vary depending on the social media platform, industry, and audience size.

For example, you can not compare LinkedIn engagement with Instagram rates. However, an average engagement rate of 1% to 3% is common for most social media platforms.

Note: Benchmark your engagement rate against competitors and industry averages to determine what is considered good in your sector.

Is a 15% engagement rate good?

A 15% engagement rate is considered excellent. It is way above the average engagement rate on most social media platforms and for most industries.

Achieving such a high level of engagement indicates that your content is highly relevant, resonates strongly with your audience, and elicits a significant response from your followers.

How do I improve my engagement rates?

Improving engagement rates requires a strategic approach to your social media marketing efforts. Follow these tips to enhance audience engagement:

Understand your audience's preferences, interests, and pain points to create content that speaks directly to them.

Focus on creating informative and visually-appealing content that captures attention and encourages interaction.

Respond promptly to comments, messages, and mentions. Show genuine interest in your audience and foster meaningful conversations.

Incorporate images, videos, and other multimedia formats in your posts as they tend to attract more engagement than text-only content.

Maintain a regular posting schedule to keep your audience engaged and informed.

Run contests or giveaways to incentivize engagement and reward your followers.

Utilize formats like Instagram Stories, TikTok Live, and Facebook Live to share behind-the-scenes content and encourage real-time interactions with your audience.

Keep tracking your engagement rate to analyze the performance of different types of content and topics. Use this data to refine your strategy and focus on what works best.

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Affiliate Marketing on Instagram: A Comprehensive Guide https://shanebarker.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-on-instagram/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-on-instagram/#respond Mon, 14 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=77262
Summary
  • If you’re a content creator or an influencer, here is the step-by-step guide to help you thrive into the world of affiliate marketing on Instagram.
  • You’ll learn how to set up a Creator account, explore top affiliate networks like ShareASale and CJ Affiliate, and build and nurture your audience.
  • Find inspiration with real affiliate marketing examples and start making money on Instagram.

Are you tired of spending countless hours scrolling through your Instagram feed, only to find that your efforts yield nothing but double-taps and fleeting moments of virtual fame? 

Well, it's time to say goodbye to those days of mindless scrolling. You can now use Instagram as a powerful tool for your financial success. 

Welcome to the exhilarating realm of affiliate marketing on Instagram!

Imagine transforming your passion for photography, fashion, fitness, or any other niche into a thriving online business. 

With affiliate marketing, you have the opportunity to monetize your Instagram presence.

Whether you're an aspiring influencer, a budding entrepreneur, or simply someone looking to make some extra income, affiliate marketing on Instagram offers unparalleled potential.

But how exactly does affiliate marketing work on Instagram? 

How can you navigate the ever-changing algorithms, engage your audience, and effectively promote products without coming across as too salesy? 

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll discuss everything from selecting the right affiliate programs to creating compelling content and building a loyal following. Let’s get started.

What is Affiliate Marketing on Instagram?

Affiliate marketing on Instagram is when you promote someone else's product or service on your Instagram account and get a commission if someone buys it through your link.

You’ll be referred to as an Instagram content creator, influencer, or affiliate when you start promoting products or services from brands in your niche. Many brands will track sales driven by you using a unique code or affiliate link.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Work on Instagram?

For influencers new to IG affiliate marketing, here are some key terms you should know about Instagram affiliate marketing:

  • Affiliate partnership: Collaborate with brands or join affiliate programs to promote products on Instagram. Get unique affiliate links to track referrals and sales.
  • Promotional content: Create engaging content showcasing products or services of the partner brand, including images, videos, Stories, Reels, and reviews.
  • Affiliate links: Add your unique affiliate links to direct users to the brand's website or landing page.
  • User engagement: Encourage followers to click on your affiliate links and make purchases.
  • Referral tracking: Track referrals and attribute sales to your affiliate link using cookies or other mechanisms.
  • Commission earnings: Earn commissions for successful sales or actions, with rates predetermined by the brand or program.
  • Performance monitoring: Use analytics tools to monitor the number of clicks, conversions, and earnings you drive. Optimize your promotional strategies based on insights.
  • Transparency: Disclose your partnership with brands and commissions earned using hashtags like “#ad,” “#sponsored,” or “#affiliate.”

IG Affiliate Marketing Basics: How to Promote Affiliate Links on Instagram

As an influencer or content creator, you can use various strategies for successful IG affiliate marketing.

  • Sponsored posts: Create dedicated posts showcasing the product, emphasizing the benefits of using it and your personal experience. Encourage your followers to purchase through your unique affiliate link.
  • Product reviews: Provide in-depth reviews of the products, highlighting their quality and functionality. Include your affiliate link for quick purchases.
  • Giveaways and contests: Collaborate with brands for Instagram giveaways. Encourage your followers to participate and use your affiliate link for tracking sales generated from entries.
  • Instagram Stories: Utilize Stories for short-term promotions and exclusive deals. Add swipe-up links with your affiliate URL to direct your followers to the brand's page.
  • Affiliate codes and coupons: Share unique discount codes or coupons with your audience. When they purchase items using your link, you will earn a commission while your followers enjoy a discounted price.
  • Affiliate link in bio: Include your affiliate link in your Instagram bio and prompt your followers to explore and purchase the promoted products through it. This centralizes access to your recommended products.

What Are the Benefits of Affiliate Marketing?

For influencers, affiliate marketing brings numerous benefits:

  • Passive Income: Earn commissions as long as your audience engages and makes purchases through your affiliate links, creating a passive income stream.
  • Flexibility: Work on your terms, choose the products to promote, and manage your efforts alongside other commitments.
  • Low Risk: Minimal upfront investment is needed as you don't handle products or customer service, making it cost-effective.
  • Diverse Revenue: Promote products from different brands or participate in multiple programs to earn from various sources.
  • Audience Trust: Build credibility by promoting quality products and providing genuine recommendations, fostering trust and long-term relationships with your audience.

How to Set Up An Affiliate Marketing Program on Instagram

If you're new to the world of affiliate marketing, you're in luck because getting started is a breeze. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you kickstart your journey:

Step 1: Use a Creator Instagram Profile

To effectively run an affiliate marketing program on Instagram, it's crucial to switch your Instagram account to a Creator profile.

IG Creator profile
Image via Hootsuite

This type of profile is specifically designed to meet the needs of bloggers, influencers, and content creators like yourself, offering valuable tools to grow your affiliate business on the platform.

To make the transition, simply follow these steps:

  • Open your Instagram account and access Settings.
  • Navigate to the Account section.
  • Choose the option to “Switch to a professional account” and then select “Creator.”
  • You will be prompted to pick the category that best describes your affiliate niche.
  • Provide your contact information to complete the process.

By switching to a Creator profile, you gain access to a range of beneficial features. Among these are advanced insights that offer valuable information about your follower growth and audience demographics. 

This knowledge can help you tailor your affiliate marketing strategy to better resonate with your target audience.

Furthermore, the Creator profile allows you to manage inquiries more efficiently. 

You can easily handle questions from potential customers who are interested in the products or services you are affiliated with, as these inquiries are conveniently organized within your Instagram Direct Messages.

Step 2: Choose an Affiliate Network or Program

To set up a successful affiliate marketing program as an Instagram influencer, you have two main approaches: using affiliate networks or directly partnering with brands that offer affiliate marketing programs.

Option 1: Join an Affiliate Network

These networks provide a convenient way to get started with affiliate marketing. They offer tracking technology, reporting tools, and payment processing, making it easier for you to manage your affiliate partnerships. 

Some popular affiliate networks include:

a. ShareASale: Known for its suitability for Instagram affiliate marketing, ShareASale offers a wide range of B2C-focused programs across various niches. With regular additions of new programs, you can discover brands that align with your audience. Social media users and influencers are welcome to join the platform.

ShareaSale-Affiliate Influencer Network

b. CJ Affiliate: While traditionally catering to bloggers, CJ Affiliate is also suitable for social media channels. It has an extensive partner network with well-known brands, though it may require a separate application for each brand.

CJ Affiliate-Affiliate Influencer Network

c. Pepperjam: A versatile network working with both prominent and niche brands, Pepperjam appeals to new and experienced affiliates alike. It offers a user-friendly platform with flexible commission structures and comprehensive analytics tools.

Pepperjam- Affiliate Influencer Network

d. Rakuten: This platform has stricter requirements but offers a sleek interface and various analytics tools for monitoring and optimizing performance.

Rakuten -Affiliate Influencer Network

Option 2: Try Affiliate Programs

You can also explore affiliate marketing programs offered directly by brands. This means you'll be promoting products from brands that offer commissions on sales made through affiliate links.

How Affiliate Programs Work -infographic
Image via BigCommerce

Popular programs in this category include Shopify, Amazon Associates, and the eBay Partner Network.

Moreover, as an influencer, you can take a proactive approach by reaching out to brands you already know and love. 

You can pitch the idea of collaborating on an affiliate marketing basis, which can lead to fruitful partnerships and further expand your affiliate marketing business. 

This personalized approach allows you to establish stronger connections with brands and tailor your promotions to resonate better with your audience.

Step 3: Build and Nurture Your Instagram Audience

Building and nurturing your audience is crucial for successful Instagram affiliate marketing. An engaged following builds trust, credibility, and higher conversion rates. 

It attracts brands for potential long-term partnerships and maximizes the impact of your promotions, leading to steady affiliate income. 

Here are some tips on how to build and nurture a targeted IG following:

  • Identify Your Niche: Focus on a specific niche that aligns with your interests and expertise. Being niche-specific allows you to target a more dedicated audience interested in your content.
  • Create High-Quality Content: Post visually appealing and valuable content regularly. Use high-resolution images, captivating captions, and storytelling techniques to engage your audience.
  • Interact with Your Audience: Respond to comments, direct messages, and mentions. Engaging with your followers shows that you value their interactions and fosters a sense of community.
  • Use Instagram Stories: Utilize Instagram Stories to share behind-the-scenes content, product reviews, and personal experiences. Stories create a more intimate connection with your audience.
  • Host Giveaways and Contests: Organize giveaways and contests that require user participation. These events can increase engagement, attract new followers, and create excitement around your affiliate promotions.
  • Collaborate with Other Influencers: Partner with influencers in your niche for cross-promotions. Collaborations introduce your content to a new audience and can lead to mutually beneficial growth.
  • Be Consistent: Post consistently and maintain a regular posting schedule. Consistency helps your audience know when to expect new content from you.
  • Provide Value: Focus on offering valuable information, entertainment, or inspiration to your audience. Strive to solve their problems and fulfill their needs.

If you want more tips on building an engaged audience on Instagram, check out my post on “How to Grow Your Instagram Account.”

Step 4: Read FTC Guidelines Thoroughly

As an affiliate marketer, adhering to strict guidelines concerning disclosing your relationship with affiliated brands is essential. 

The FTC mandates that the disclosure should be clear and conspicuous, ensuring that both the review and the affiliate link are visible simultaneously to your audience.

Affiliate Disclosures - FTC guidelines
Image via FTC

For instance, a suitable disclosure could be, “I earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post.” Remember, if the disclosure and the link are not presented together, there is a risk that readers may not make the necessary connection.

Fortunately, Instagram has introduced a feature designed to aid affiliate marketers in meeting the FTC's endorsement requirements. 

Utilizing the “paid partnerships” label, prominently displayed in your posts, will explicitly indicate your financial incentive for sharing the brand's content. 

By incorporating this label, you can ensure compliance with FTC guidelines and maintain transparency with your audience. 

Step 5: Identify and Incorporate Affiliate-Friendly Content

To excel in Instagram affiliate marketing, begin by selecting products or services that resonate with your brand and align with your audience's interests. 

Choosing relevant affiliate products ensures a natural fit within your content, making it more compelling and authentic for your followers. 

Next, focus on creating high-quality, visually appealing content that showcases these affiliate products effectively. 

Here’s an example of how beauty and fashion influencer Jenn Im promotes affiliate products by showing her audience how to use them to create a glam look.

Affiliate-friendly content on IG - example
Affiliate-friendly content on IG – example

Utilize captivating images, videos, and well-crafted captions to engage your audience and increase their interest in the promoted products.

Moreover, storytelling can be a powerful tool to make your affiliate product promotions more engaging and relatable. 

By sharing personal experiences or narratives related to the products, you create an emotional connection with your audience, fostering a deeper interest in the products you promote.

Step 6: Use Trackable Affiliate Links

For efficient tracking of your affiliate marketing efforts, it is essential to obtain trackable affiliate links from the respective affiliate programs. Once you set them up, you’ll be able to track the number of clicks and conversions.

Trackable affiliate links - metrics
Image via MonsterInsights

These links allow you to monitor the performance of each promotion accurately. 

Additionally, consider shortening and customizing the affiliate links to improve aesthetics and tracking. Customized links are visually appealing and easier to remember, facilitating seamless sharing with your audience. 

Take advantage of various tools available to monitor link performance and conversion rates. By analyzing data on click-through rates, conversions, and other metrics, you can gain valuable insights into the success of your promotions and identify areas for improvement.

Step 7: Monitor and Analyze Performance

Keep a close eye on your affiliate marketing performance to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts. Regularly track and document key metrics and results from each promotional campaign. 

By systematically analyzing which products and strategies perform best, you can optimize your future affiliate marketing endeavors. 

Determine the top-performing products and content formats that drive the most engagement and conversions. Utilize this data-driven approach to make informed decisions and continuously improve your affiliate marketing strategy.

Remember: Striking the right balance between regular content and affiliate promotions is essential to maintain your audience's interest and trust. Avoid bombarding your followers with too many affiliate posts, as this can lead to follower fatigue and a decline in engagement. 

Instead, focus on providing genuine value and thoughtful recommendations to foster stronger connections with your audience, leading to more meaningful conversions.

5 Next-Level Instagram Affiliate Marketing Campaigns

As an influencer, you can find inspiration in these five brands with next-level Instagram affiliate programs. Discover captivating content ideas and unique promotional strategies that can elevate your affiliate marketing game and unlock new opportunities for success.

1. Weezie

In the realm of Instagram affiliate programs, Weezie stands out as a brand that excels in connecting with both shoppers and affiliates. 

Renowned for their incredibly comfortable robes and towels, Weezie has established a thriving affiliate program by regularly collaborating with influencers. 

Their approach involves affiliates highlighting specific gifted products and sharing genuine reasons for their love and admiration. 

By emphasizing the unique features and benefits of Weezie products, the brand effectively engages its audience and generates successful affiliate partnerships.

2. Piece of Cake Moving & Storage

Piece of Cake Moving & Storage successfully utilized Instagram affiliate marketing by partnering with the renowned real estate agent, Cash Jordan. Through this collaboration, Roadway Movers leveraged Cash Jordan's influence and engaged his dedicated followers. 

Cash Jordan seamlessly incorporated Roadway Movers' affiliate codes into his Instagram post captions, providing his audience with exclusive benefits and discounts.

Additionally, Cash Jordan created an impactful Instagram video where he passionately highlighted the exceptional quality of Roadway Movers' moving service and promoted a 10% discount using his unique code. 

This strategic approach effectively showcased Roadway Movers' offerings to Cash Jordan's audience, driving conversions and fostering a genuine connection with potential customers. 

3. Topicals

Topicals, a skincare brand, successfully collaborated with Instagram influencer Sean Garrette to promote their FADED Brightening & Clearing serum. Sean Garrette, known for his expertise in skincare, shared his positive experience with the product on his Instagram account @topicals.

He highlighted the serum as one of his favorite treatments for targeting discoloration, capturing the attention of his engaged followers. In the caption, Sean included a discount code, offering his audience exclusive savings on their purchase of the FADED serum. 

This collaboration effectively showcased the benefits of Topicals' product through Sean Garrette's genuine endorsement, driving interest and engagement among his dedicated followers. 

The inclusion of a discount code further incentivized his audience to try out the product, creating a win-win situation for both Topicals and Sean Garrette.

4. WYSE Lifestyle

WYSE Lifestyle, a clothing brand, successfully collaborated with Instagram influencer Rebecca Stevens to promote their collection. 

Rebecca Stevens, known for her fashion sense, created a series of engaging Instagram Stories where she showcased herself wearing various pieces from WYSE Lifestyle's clothing line. 

In each Story, she passionately explained why she loves the clothes, highlighting their quality, style, and comfort. To make the collaboration even more enticing, Rebecca included a discount code in one of the Stories, providing her followers with exclusive savings on their purchases.

WYSE Lifestyle x Recca Stevens collaboration - affiliate marketing on IG example

WYSE Lifestyle, a clothing brand, went the extra mile to showcase their collaboration with Instagram influencer Rebecca Stevens. They recognized the value of Rebecca's engaging Instagram Stories and their impact on their audience. 

As a result, WYSE Lifestyle featured Rebecca's Stories in their Highlights section, ensuring that the content remains easily accessible for their followers to view and engage with even after the 24-hour story expiration. 

By prominently displaying Rebecca's Stories in their Highlights, WYSE Lifestyle further emphasized the authenticity and positive reception of the collaboration, creating a lasting impression and reinforcing the value of their partnership.

5. Bunnings

Bunnings, the renowned home improvement retailer, partnered with Instagram influencer Chantel Mila, known for her expertise in styling, organizing, and cleaning hacks, to demonstrate the effectiveness of their cleaning products for achieving a spotless bathroom. 

Chantel Mila created a series of informative and engaging Instagram Stories showcasing the Bunnings squeeze mop, spin mop, and power scrubber in action.

In her Stories, she provided valuable insights and step-by-step instructions on how to use each product for maximum cleaning efficiency. 

To make it convenient for her followers, Chantel Mila included direct product links for all three items in her Stories, enabling her audience to easily explore and purchase the recommended cleaning tools. 

This collaboration effectively highlighted the functionality and practicality of Bunnings' products while leveraging Chantel Mila's expertise to provide valuable cleaning tips and solutions. 

By integrating product links in her Stories, Chantel Mila facilitated a seamless path for her audience to access and purchase the showcased Bunnings products, driving engagement, and conversions for both parties involved.

Ready to Get Started With Instagram Affiliate Marketing?

Remember that success in affiliate marketing requires patience, persistence, and continuous effort. Embrace the journey, even during challenging times, and stay committed to refining your approach based on performance data and audience feedback. 

With dedication and a data-driven approach, you can steadily improve your affiliate marketing outcomes and achieve long-term success in this dynamic and rewarding field. 

If you have any questions related to affiliate marketing on Instagram, please feel free to add them in the comments section.

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10 Best Instagram Collage Apps for Stunning Visuals https://shanebarker.com/blog/best-instagram-collage-app/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/best-instagram-collage-app/#respond Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:20:12 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=76788 If you love sharing your photos on Instagram, you know how important it is to make them stand out from the crowd. One way to do that is to create stunning collages that showcase your creativity and personality.

Collages are also a great way to tell a story, capture a mood, or highlight a theme.

But how do you make a collage on Instagram that looks professional and eye-catching? You need a good Instagram collage maker!

There are tons of Instagram collage apps out there, but not all of them are created equal. Some have limited features, poor quality, or annoying ads. Others are too complicated, too expensive, or too boring.

That's why I've done the research for you and found the best Instagram collage apps that you need to try right now. These apps are easy to use, have tons of options, and produce excellent results.

Give them a try and let your creativity shine!

Summary

The Best Instagram Collage Apps and Their Features

In this section, we will explore the top 10 Instagram collage apps and highlight their features, supported platforms, unique selling points (USPs), and more.

Whether you're an influencer, a social media enthusiast, or a user that just wants to spice up your Instagram feed, these apps will help you curate your favorite moments in beautifully-crafted collages.

So, get ready to impress your followers with stunning photo compositions!

1. Instagram’s Story Layout Feature

Instagram's Story layout feature allows you to combine multiple photos into a single collage and share them as a Story. This is a great way to share a series of photos that are related to each other, such as a photo shoot, glimpses of a vacation, or a collection of outfit ideas.

To create a collage in your Instagram Story, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Instagram app and tap on the “+” icon at the middle of the footer menu.
  2. Select “Story” from the menu.
  3. Tap on the “Layout” icon in the left-hand menu.
layout option in IG story
  1. Choose a layout for your collage. There are a variety of layouts to choose from, including 2×2, 2×1, 3×1, 1×2, and 3×3 grids.
layout grids by Instagram
  1. Add photos to your collage by tapping on the “+” icon in the bottom-left corner. You can add photos from your camera roll or take a new photo.
add photos on Instagram Story layout option
  1. Once you've added all of your photos, you can adjust the size and position of each photo by dragging them around. Once satisfied, click on the tick mark at the center of the screen.
instagram story collage
  1. You can then add text, Stickers, and music to your Instagram Story collage, just like you add them to your other Stories.
instagram story text and emoji stickers
  1. When done, tap the “Share” button to share your collage as an Instagram Story.

Platforms supported: Android, iOS

Instagram’s Story layout feature is built directly into the platform, which ensures a seamless experience. You don't need to switch between different collage-making apps or platforms.

You can also directly share your collages with your followers without exporting or downloading any files. It saves you time and effort.

Ultimately, using Instagram's Story layout feature for creating collages helps you conveniently elevate your storytelling to engage your followers.

However, if you want to explore more layout options and designs for your collages, or filters for your collage photos, you can try other photo editing apps and collage makers.

2. Unfold

Unfold is a popular Instagram collage app that allows you to create beautiful and engaging collages for your Stories, posts, Reels, TikTok, and other social media platforms. The app offers a wide variety of templates, fonts, and features that you can use to customize your collages.

Here are some of the features of Unfold:

  • 400+ templates for social content, designed by professional designers
  • Brand kit (custom colors and fonts) to create collages that match your brand or personal style
  • Filters and effects to enhance your photos and videos
  • Instagram feed planner to ensure that your collages look good together and that your feed is consistent
  • Fonts and stickers
  • Post scheduler for Instagram
  • One custom bio site link to promote all your resources through one link in your Instagram bio

Unfold is a paid app, but there is a free version that you can try.

It lets you select templates for both Instagram posts and Stories, and add your photos in the collage template frames. You can easily share your created collage on Instagram Stories or feed directly from the Unfold app.

Unfold app collage templates

However, in the free version many templates and editing options are locked. You can only access them using the premium version of the app, including the IG feed planner.

unfold plus collage template (paid)

Platforms supported: Android, iOS

Pricing

  • Free version available with limited features
  • Unfold Plus: $7.26 per year with a 3-day free trial

3. PicMonkey

PicMonkey is a photo editing and graphic design software that offers a variety of features, including collage making. It is a web-based app that can be used through a browser to create collages, and can also be downloaded as an app for Android and iOS devices.

Here are some of the features of PicMonkey that you can use to create collages:

  • Designer-crafted Instagram layouts to create polished posts and Stories
  • Custom grids to control the layout of your collage and create something truly unique
  • Editing tools like filters, graphics, text, stickers, and effects
  • Export options in a variety of formats, including PNG, JPG, and PDF

PicMonkey is a great option for creating collages if you are looking for a powerful and versatile tool to create beautiful and engaging collages.

But if you want access to features like:

  • Smart resizer
  • One-click background remover
  • Premium stock photo library
  • Brand kit – custom fonts and logos
  • Animated elements

You’ll need to sign up for their Pro or Business plans. These features are not available with the Basic plan.

Its plus points include the availability of a wide range of Instagram collage templates!

picmonkey collage templates

Platforms supported: Web, Android, iOS

Pricing

  • A 7-day free trial
  • Basic plan: $72 billed annually
  • Pro plan: $120 billed annually
  • Business plan: $228 billed annually

4. Collage Maker

Collage Maker is a free app to make collages for your Instagram posts and Stories. It comes with:

  • Freestyle collage templates
  • 100+ collage layouts
  • Skin and beauty filters for your photos
  • Photo frames for different occasions like birthdays
  • Mirror effect
  • Text, filters, stickers
  • Background remover
  • 500+ emojis and stickers

While most collage apps for Instagram offer templates with 5-6 photos max., this app has templates with an option to include up to 10 photos.

All of this is for free.

collage maker instagram collage templates of up to 10 photos

Just select the templates you want to use and add your photos. You can also add background patterns, stickers, and text.

add stickers and text using collage maker IG collage app

The only downside is that Collage Maker runs ads, which could be annoying while designing your collages. To prevent this, I recommend installing an ad blocker on your phone.

Platforms supported: Android, iOS

5. Pic Jointer

Pic Jointer is a collage maker app with a simple and user-friendly interface. It is a top pick for photographers who want to enhance their portfolio photos’ quality with preset filters from Light Creative Lab.

Pic Jointer allows you to create impressive collages with:

  • Simple and elegant collage templates
  • Filters
  • Text
  • Stickers
  • Colors

However, most of its collage templates are locked for free version users, which means you’ll need to upgrade to their premium plan.

paid instagram collage templates by pic jointer

With the free-to-use, simple templates, you can create collages like these:

create simple Instagram collages with Pic Jointer

You can make in-app purchases to remove ads, use paid templates and elements, and even upgrade to a premium plan for a year.

Platforms supported: Android, iOS

Pricing

  • Remove ads: $1.57
  • Remove ads and use all templates: $2.49 per year

6. SCRL

SCRL is a collage app that allows you to create seamless scrollable collages for Instagram, which are perfect for multi-photo carousel posts.

You can freely layer your camera-roll pictures across multiple frames in your canvas to create a compelling narrative using this app.

The SCRL app allows you to:

  • Use a wide variety of aesthetic templates.
  • Create carousel posts, overlapping multiple frames.
  • Use different fonts.
  • Remove backgrounds.
  • Create panorama collages to post as Instagram carousels.
  • Add stickers and other animated elements to your collages from GIPHY.
  • Add a gradient instead of a solid color in the background of your collage pictures.
  • Choose between four fonts and 14 color styles.
  • Save your collages as a video.
  • Use filters, text, stickers, and effects.
  • Change canvas size.

Here’s another example of a scrollable carousel collage for Instagram, created using the SCRL app:

Platforms supported: iOS, macOS

Pricing

  • Premium: $34.99 per year

While a free version is also available, you can unlock features, such as access to all templates, the ability to add videos to your collages, and the ability to remove the SCRL watermark from your collages with the premium subscription.

7. Photoblend

Photoblend is a photo editing app that allows you to blend two or more photos together to create a unique and creative image. It uses effects and tactics like double exposure, multi-exposure, blending, mixing, and overlays to help you blend multiple images into one aesthetic image.

Photoblend IG collage app

With this Instagram collage app, you can:

  • Use a variety of blending modes to control how your photos blend together. These modes include overlay, multiply, and screen.
  • Adjust the opacity of each photo in your blend to control how much of each of them is visible.
  • Use masks to control which parts of each photo are blended together.
  • Adjust the brightness, contrast, and saturation of your photos to improve the blended outcome.
  • Use pre-created blend styles for different categories like nature, animals, and monuments.
  • Add text and stickers to your photo blends.
  • Use preset photo filters and effects.

Here’s an example:

Photoblend collage making options

Platforms supported: Android, iOS, macOS

Pricing

  • Photoblend Pro: $2.99

Photoblend is a great option for creating unique and creative photo blends. The app offers a variety of features that you can use to control the look of your blends.

However, this collage app can be a bit overwhelming for beginners. If you’re looking for simple, layout-based photo collages, this app isn’t the right one for your needs.

8. Collage Maker by InShot

InShot is a full-fledged photo and video editing app that also lets you make collages for your Instagram feed posts and Stories. The Collage Maker by InShot is one of the best free collage maker apps for iOS and Android devices.

With this app, you can create stunning collages of 1-9 photos using:

  • Pre-designed collage layouts
  • Background patterns, colors, and gradients
  • Custom border spacing
  • Text and stickers
  • Photo effects and filters
  • Canvas resizer
  • Doodles
  • Frames

It’s very simple and easy to use. Just tap “Collage”. Then select up to nine photos that you want to include in your collage, pick a desired layout, and get started.

InShot collage app for Instagram posts and Stories

InShot’s Collage Maker also allows you to:

  • Add a border to your collage layout.
  • Apply filters to your selected photos to enhance their quality and style.
  • Add stickers.
create collage, add filters and text using InShot collage maker

Platforms supported: Android, iOS

Pricing

  • InShot Pro: $17.99 billed yearly
  • It costs $3.99 per month if billed monthly

Though it offers a free-to-use version, some features and templates are only available in the paid version.

9. Layout from Instagram

Layout is a free collage app from Instagram that's perfect for creating collages of your Instagram photos and videos. It offers various layout options and editing tools, while also allowing you to add music to your collages.

You can easily combine up to nine photos into one collage and adjust the size, shape, and position of each photo.

Layouts from Instagram - IG collage app

It also lets you flip, rotate, or mirror your photos for more fun effects.

And the best part?

Layout integrates seamlessly with Instagram, so you can access your photos from your gallery, or take new ones with the app's built-in camera.

And this Instagram collage app runs ad-free.

Here are some of the features of Layout from Instagram:

  • Instagram collage templates
  • Direct sharing option to Instagram Stories and feed posts

You can add text and Instagram Story Stickers when sharing your collages to Stories.

Layout from Instagram is a great option for creating collages if you are looking for an app that is specifically designed for Instagram collages.

But it only offers limited layouts so if you want to create more complex collages, I recommend that you pick other Instagram collage apps on this list.

Platforms supported: iOS, Android

Pricing

  • Free

10. PicCollage

With a wide range of templates, stickers, fonts, and backgrounds, PicCollage offers creative tools to design beautiful collages for your Instagram feed posts and Stories. You can also add text, filters, and effects to your photos.

Here are some of the key features of this Instagram collage app:

  • Collage layouts for different occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
  • Freestyle collages
  • 100+ fonts
  • 50K+ stickers and backgrounds
  • Doodles for personalization
  • Filters and photo editing options
  • Animations

Here’s an example of creating a collage with the PicCollage app:

PicCollage app for IG collage making

When you create collages from its free version, there will be a watermark on your content. You’ll need to upgrade to their VIP plan to unlock more templates and elements, and remove the watermark.

remove watermarks with paid version of PicCollage

Other than its Android and iOS apps, PicCollage has also launched an online web editor to make it easy for you to create collages through your system.

PicCollage's web editor for IG collages

PicCollage lets you share your collages directly to Instagram or other social media platforms, or save them to your camera roll.

This Instagram collage app is free to download, but you can upgrade to a premium version for more features and no ads.

Platforms supported: Web, Android, iOS

Pricing

  • VIP: $37.54 per year after a 7-day free trial

A Comparison of the 10 Best Instagram Collage Apps

I’ve also compared each of these Instagram collage apps based on the platforms they support, whether or not they provide a free version, and their key features.

Instagram Collage AppPlatforms SupportedFree VersionPremium PricingAdsFeatures
Instagram’s Story Layout featureAndroid,iOSYes100% freeNoLayout grid options
Add text, Stickers, music, effects 一 same as other IG Stories
UnfoldAndroid,iOSYesStarts from $7.26 per yearNo400+ templates,

Fonts and stickers,

IG feed planner
PicMonkeyWeb,Android,iOSNo,
A 7-day free trial
Starts from $72 billed annuallyNoImpressive collage templates,

Brand kit,

Background remover
Collage MakerAndroid,iOSYesFree foreverYesFreestyle collages,

Collage templates with more number of photos,

Stickers, frames, and patterns
Pic JointerAndroid,iOSYes but limited templatesStarts from $2.49 per yearYesQicker photo picker,

Collage templates,
Stickers,

Filters from Light Creative Lab
SCRLiOS,macOSYes but with watermark$34.99 per yearNoScrollable collages,

GIFs, stickers, custom fonts upload,

Background remover,
Gradient backgrounds
PhotoblendAndroidYesStarts from $2.99YesCreative photo blends,
Tezt, stickers, and effects
Collage Maker by InShotAndroid,iOS
YesStarts from $17.99 billed yearlyYesCollage layouts,
Border, filters, stickers
Layout from InstagramAndroid, iOSYesFree foreverNoCollage layouts,

Resize, swap, and mirror, flip, and zoom in/out photos,

Collage border,

Direct sharing to Instagram Stories and feed posts
PicCollageWeb,Android,iOS
Yes but with watermarked content$37.54 per year after a 7-day free trialYesCollage layouts for different occasions,

Stickers, filters, fonts, and backgrounds,

Freestyle collages,

Animations

The Best Practices for Creating Instagram Collages

Here are some additional tips for creating great Instagram Story collages:

  • Choose the right layout. There are many different layouts you can use for your Instagram collages. Some popular layouts include:
    • Grid layout: This is the most common layout for Instagram collages. It consists of a grid of squares or rectangles.
    • Freeform layout: This layout allows you to arrange your images however you like. It can be a good option if you want to create a more unique collage.
    • Story layout: This layout is specifically designed for Instagram Stories. It consists of a vertical stack of images or videos.
  • Use high-quality photos. The quality of your photos will make a big difference in the overall look of your collage. The photos you choose should be clear, sharp, and well-lit.
  • Choose images that complement each other. This means that the photos you choose for your Instagram collage should have a similar color scheme, tone, visual style, or subject matter. This will help create a cohesive look and make your collage visually appealing.
  • Choose a layout that suits your photos. The layout should help highlight the content of your photos. Think about the story or theme you want to convey and how the images will flow together when deciding on the layout of your collage.
  • Consider borders and spacing. Use borders or spacing between images to create separation and enhance the visual appeal. Experiment with different border widths, or overlap images slightly for a more dynamic look.
  • Add text or stickers to your collage: Text and stickers can help add more context, tell a story, or add additional information. Use readable fonts and ensure that the text is readable against the background color tone and images.
  • Use a collage app. There are many different collage apps available for both Android and iOS devices (we’ve discussed how some of them work, above). These apps can help you create collages quickly and easily.
  • Preview and optimize your collages for Instagram. Before posting, preview your collage to ensure that it looks cohesive. Also consider how it will appear in the Instagram feed or Stories, and make any necessary adjustments to avoid any cropping or distortion.
  • Promote your collages. Once you've created your collages, don't forget to promote them! You can share them on your Instagram feed, Stories, and on other social media channels.

Be creative! There are no rules when it comes to creating Instagram collages. Have fun and experiment with different layouts and designs.

Ready to Take Your Instagram Collages to the Next Level?

These are just some of the best Instagram collage apps that I recommend you try. They will help you create amazing collages that will impress your followers and boost your engagement.

Collages are indeed a fun and easy way to express yourself and show off your photos on Instagram.

So what are you waiting for?

Download these apps today and start making some awesome collages to glam up your Instagram feed and Stories!

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How to Create a Collab Post On Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide https://shanebarker.com/blog/how-to-create-collab-post-on-instagram/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/how-to-create-collab-post-on-instagram/#respond Fri, 28 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=76744 In the ever-evolving social media landscape, Instagram continues to push boundaries with its innovative features. One such gem is the Collab feature, a powerful tool that empowers users to unlock the potential of collaboration and forge connections that transcend individual efforts. 

Whether you're a content creator seeking to join forces with like-minded individuals or a brand looking to amplify your reach, understanding how to create Collab posts on Instagram can be a game-changer.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll show you how to use the Collab feature on IG so you can get more engagement and reach on your posts.

What is an Instagram Collab post?

An Instagram Collab post is a jointly created Feed Post or Reel that appears simultaneously on two profiles. It involves one IG user initiating the post and inviting another IG user to collaborate, resulting in shared visibility of the post, along with its comments, likes, and shares, on both accounts. 

It's important to note that each post can only have one collaborator, excluding yourself. Also, the inclusion of Lives and Stories is yet to be integrated into this new Collab feature on Instagram.

instagram collab post example
Image via Instagram

Why Should You Create Instagram Collab Posts?

By partnering with other creators, you can create impactful content that benefits both parties and amplifies your message. Here are the key reasons why you should consider creating Instagram collab posts:

1. Increased Discoverability

Creating Instagram Collab posts enhances the discoverability of your content, making it easier for users to find and engage with your posts.

When you collaborate with another user to create a Collab post, it simplifies both your audience’s process of navigating that post and seeing each other’s profiles.

Unlike tagging someone in an IG Feed post where users have to tap multiple times to access the tagged user's profile, Collabs allows users to tap just once on the profile name shown in the header.

2. Boost Reach

Perhaps the most obvious reason is capitalizing on increased reach for your product brand or influencer brand account. If it feels like you’re always fighting the Instagram algorithm, Collabs can help you get into people’s Feeds through the accounts they are already following and engaging with regularly.

3. More Engagement

With more people discovering your content through Collabs, you create greater opportunities for engagement. 

Even if you and your collaborator share a similar audience, a significant portion of their followers is likely outside your regular circle. Therefore, a collab post provides a larger pool of new audiences potentially interacting with your content. Likewise, posting your Instagram content at strategic times can further amplify engagement.

4. Better Follower Growth

Instagram users who follow creators and influencers they know, like, and trust are easily convinced to follow someone they endorse.

When your Collab posts appear in people's feeds with the implicit seal of approval from a brand or creator they already follow, they are more inclined to click on your profile and hit the “follow” button compared to appearing randomly on their Explore page. 

5. Increased Relevance in Users' Feeds

With Instagram's evolving feed organization, having your content appear under two profiles can help your brand maintain relevance. Users can now create custom lists of posts from chosen accounts, and collaborating on a post with another account increases the chances of your content appearing in users' custom feeds.

6. Reduction of Duplicate Content

Instagram Collab posts effectively minimize the duplication of content promoting your brand. If your collaborators are reposting the same content as that of your account’s, it creates competition for views and likes. However, with Collabs, a view from one account benefits everyone involved, eliminating the need to compete with your own content.

7. Increase Sales from Instagram Shopping

The Collab feature can yield even greater results especially if your brand already utilizes posts that include purchase links. By integrating Collabs with Instagram shopping, you not only enjoy the aforementioned advantages but also increase the likelihood of converting viewers into buyers when they land on your Collab post.

How to Create an Instagram Collab Post

To create an Instagram Collab post and ensure it goes live, follow these two phases:

Phase 1: Post Creation

  1. Begin by creating a Feed Post or Reel in the usual manner, adhering to your typical process.
  2. Include any desired customizations and specific details to enhance the post.
  3. Access the post details menu and choose “Tag People.”
instagram tag people
  1. From the menu, select “Invite Collaborator.”
instagram invite collaborator
  1. Utilize the search bar to locate the user you wish to collaborate with, and then tap “Done.”
instagram invite collaborator
  1. Finalize all post details before proceeding to tap “Share.”

By following these steps, you can successfully initiate an Instagram Collab post and bring it to life, allowing you to collaborate and share engaging content with your chosen collaborator.

Phase 2: Accept an Instagram Collab Post

When an Instagram collab creator sent you an invitation for a Collab post, you need to accept it to proceed with the collaboration. 

accept instagram collab request
Image via Twitter

Follow these steps to accept the invitation:

  1. Navigate to your activity page on Instagram.
  2. Look for the notification indicating the Collab post invitation and click on it.
  3. Tap “Review” to access the post details.
  4. Finally, choose “Accept” to confirm your participation in the collaboration.

By completing these steps, you will successfully accept the Instagram Collab post invitation and become an active collaborator, allowing the shared post to appear on both your profile and the creator's profile simultaneously.

6 Collab Post Ideas You Can Use For Instagram Marketing

The Collab feature on Instagram is a versatile tool that opens up a world of possibilities for various types of campaigns.  Here’s how you can use this feature to make the most of Instagram marketing:

1. Partner with Complementary Businesses or Fellow Influencers

The Collab feature on Instagram presents a compelling opportunity to promote a complementary business and unlocks synergistic benefits. By collaborating with other businesses or influencers in your niche, you can tap into their existing audience and expand your reach organically. 

Partnering with a complementary brand allows you to create engaging and mutually beneficial content that resonates with both audiences. Consider joint product giveaways, co-create content featuring your products or services, or cross-promote each other's accounts.

Instagram influencers Liane (@lianev) and Andrea (@andreaespadatv) embraced the Collab feature to co-create captivating pregnancy content. 

They decided to showcase their unique journeys by making a delightful Reel that featured both of them during their pregnancies, and eventually with their precious babies after birth.

This creative collaboration allowed their audiences to witness the parallel experiences, share in the joys and challenges, and celebrate the beautiful transformations of motherhood. 

2. Host a Contest or Giveaway 

The Collab feature on Instagram presents a golden opportunity to leverage the power of collaboration for hosting an enticing contest or giveaway

This initiative encourages participants to follow both accounts and tag their friends in the comments to enter. That way both collaborators can grow their IG account organically.

Meghan (@meghanyuriyoung) and TwentyTwenty Arts (@twentytwentyarts) collaborated to host an exciting giveaway on Instagram using the Collab feature. 

With a heartfelt caption, they announced their partnership and shared their deep appreciation for art and its impact on their well-being. 

The giveaway aimed to support TwentyTwenty Arts' Life on the Line fundraiser, raising awareness and funds for Toronto youth mental health programs. It featured special limited-edition pieces donated by talented artists like @songdahae.

To enter the giveaway, participants were encouraged to share the post, donate, and tag the person they turn to for support during challenging times. 

The giveaway not only promoted a great cause but also created a sense of community and support among the participants.

3. Launch a New Product

If you're launching a new product or service, leverage the Collab feature to involve your audience in the process. 

By collaborating with influencers or loyal customers, you can create anticipation and build a buzz around the product. 

Utilize the Collab feature to showcase sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and involve collaborators in the product development or testing phases. 

Encourage collaborators to share their experiences and reviews, amplifying the reach and credibility of your product. By leveraging the Collab feature, you can generate pre-launch interest and create a sense of excitement, ultimately leading to a successful product launch.

Leveraging the star power of Jennifer Lopez, who plays a lead role in the movie, Netflix collaborated with her using the Collab feature to create engaging content. 

Through joint posts, they effectively showcased snippets of the film, behind-the-scenes moments, and exclusive interviews with JLo, captivating the attention of their followers.

This collaboration allowed Netflix to tap into JLo's massive fan base, increasing the reach and visibility of “The Mother” and generating anticipation among viewers.

4. Support a Cause

Using the Collab feature on Instagram to support a cause is a powerful way to raise awareness and inspire action. By collaborating with influencers, and nonprofits or like-minded organizations, you can amplify your reach and establish credibility. 

To utilize the Collab feature, start by identifying partners aligned with your cause. Create compelling content that educates, engages, and encourages your audience to take action. 

This can include sharing impactful stories, organizing fundraisers, or promoting volunteer opportunities. 

Blair Imani, a prominent activist and advocate for intersectional feminism, recently collaborated with FEMINIST – a digital platform to further support the cause.

This collaboration served as a platform to emphasize the need for diverse voices and perspectives to be heard and recognized in cinema. It contributes to the ongoing dialogue on equality and social change.

5. Showcase Your Products

Creating Collab posts on Instagram is also an effective way to engage your audience and boost sales by showcasing your products or demonstrating their uses. 

When creating Collab posts, you can focus on highlighting the unique features and benefits of your products through creative content, such as demos or tutorials. 

Choose influencers who have expertise in your industry and a genuine interest in your products to ensure authentic and impactful content. Utilize the Collab feature to tag and promote each other, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship that resonates with both your audiences.

Revolve (@revolve) and Amyle (@amyle.nails) exemplify how Collab posts on Instagram can effectively showcase products. In a recent post, they featured stunning fall nails created by Amyle using the Nails Inc Keep It Tonal Quad Set, available for purchase at Revolve Beauty. 

The caption invited followers to save the post for their next nail appointment, providing inspiration and a CTA to shop the products.

The showcased reel offered a glimpse into her comedic prowess, leaving viewers eager to witness her live performance. Through this collaborative approach, Jesse effectively promoted her upcoming show, engaged her audience, and encouraged ticket sales.

6. Make Announcements


If you want to make impactful announcements about upcoming shows or events, creating Collab posts on Instagram is a powerful strategy. They can effectively create anticipation, drive ticket sales, and ensure a successful turnout for your shows or events.

Comedian Jesse Kirsan harnessed the power of the Collab feature on Instagram to showcase a hilarious reel from her recent show at the New York Comedy Club. 

In her post caption, Jesse announced her upcoming performance in Raleigh, NC, and encouraged her followers to grab tickets from her website.

Ready to Use the Collab Feature on Instagram?

In conclusion, the Collab feature on Instagram has revolutionized the way creators and brands connect, engage, and expand their reach. By leveraging the power of collaboration, you can unlock new opportunities, increase your brand's visibility, and build meaningful partnerships. 

As you embark on your Collab journey, remember to stay authentic, be open to new ideas, and foster genuine connections with fellow creators. 

And if you're looking to take your Instagram collaborations to the next level, be sure to check out our comprehensive article on, “How to Improve Your IG Growth Strategy.” 

Start collaborating, create remarkable content, and watch your brand thrive on Instagram. The possibilities are endless!

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Top Instagram Reels Hashtags to 10x Your Growth https://shanebarker.com/blog/instagram-reels-hashtags/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/instagram-reels-hashtags/#respond Fri, 21 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=76598
Quick Summary
  • Instagram Reels Hashtags can increase the discoverability of your Reels and help you gain more followers and leads.
  • The right hashtags allow interested Instagrammers to find your brand or business and connect with it.
  • Using a mix of popular and niche-specific hashtags can help you reach a wide audience.
  • Instead of adding some random hashtags to Reels, use a good hashtag generator tool to find the right tags and track the performance of your Reels.

Are you looking to reach a wider audience on Instagram for better engagement and leads? Sharing Reels with the right hashtags can help!

Instagram Reels hashtags can put your content in front of the right audience and encourage them to interact with your brand or business. If you use Instagram for business, relevant hashtags can help you reach your prospective customers and increase profits.

In this article, I will tell you how to find the right hashtags for your Instagram Reels. I will also share a list of the top 230 hashtags that can boost the discoverability of your content on the platform and benefit your business.

What are Instagram Reels Hashtags?

Instagram Reels Hashtags are some simple words or phrases that help categorize Reels on Instagram, making it easier for users to find content around a specific topic in one place. They are one of the most powerful Instagram marketing tools that you can use to boost the visibility of your brand or business on this social media site.

The following are some Instagram hashtag basics to keep in mind:

  • A hashtag always starts with the hash (#) symbol.
  • A hashtag does not contain spaces and symbols.
  • Short and specific hashtags are best for Instagram Reels and posts.

Why Should You Use Hashtags for Instagram Reels?

Instagram hashtags help you connect with a specific group of people who are likely to engage with you or buy your products,  benefiting your brand or business. Using the right hashtags will also make your content easily discoverable on the platform, along with other Instagrammers’ content.

Here are some reasons why you should use hashtags for Instagram Reels:

  1. To boost the visibility of your Reels: Hashtags can make your Reels appear higher on the Instagram “Explore” Page. Getting your Reels on the “Explore” Page of Instagram can help you reach a wider audience and boost followers and engagement.
  2. To grow your audience: As more users see your reels, so is your potential to increase your customer or client base.

    Instagram allows users to follow hashtags that interest them. So, when a user follows a specific hashtag, Instagram Reels with that particular hashtag will appear in their Feed. Hence, hashtags can help you reach non-followers and give you the opportunity to convert them.
  3. To make your content discoverable to the target audience: Hashtags categorize content and increase their discoverability on the platform.

    For example, if you have a coffee shop, you can use hashtags such as “#coffeeshop”, “#coffeeaddict”, “#coffeetime”, “#coffeelover”, and “#ilovecoffee” to reach your target audience.

    You can also use location-specific hashtags, like “#hustoncoffeeshops” or “#dallascoffeeshops”, for better reach and more leads.

    Location-based hashtags will make your coffee shop easily discoverable to coffee lovers in the locality. When someone runs a search for coffee shops in Huston or Dallas on Instagram, your Reel is likely to appear higher on their search results. 
  4. To connect with like-minded people: Hashtags help create a community of like-minded people that are open for collaboration, exchange of engagement, and brand boosting. Rather than creating a community of your own, you can use some existing hashtags of other Instagram pages or communities with a good number of posts.

    For example, for your coffee shop business, you can use some popular existing hashtags such as “#coffeeshop”, “#coffeeshopvibes”, and “#coffeetime”.

    Adding a few popular hashtags to your Reels allows you to join other community conversations, making your business visible to prospective customers.

These are some reasons to use Instagram Reel tags.

Keep in mind that adding some random hashtags to your Reels just to gain more visibility is counterproductive. Irrelevant hashtags can lead to a shadowban and affect your profile’s visibility and engagement. Instead, use hashtag generator tools to find the best Reels hashtags that can boost engagement and benefit your business.

Also, do some research on how to use hashtags to promote the presence of your brand on the platform and achieve your desired results. For example, you must not use too many hashtags as they may appear spammy to users.

Top 230 Hashtags for Instagram Reels

Even if you have a perfect Instagram caption with the right keywords, a set of trend-worthy hashtags is key to make your content visible to the right audience and generate engagement.

I have curated a list of the most popular hashtags for Instagram Reels for some top categories, such as food, fitness, fashion, travel, parenting, funny, cute, technology, and trending. Make sure you use your discretion in using them, adding only what’s relevant to your brand or business.

Best Instagram Hashtags for Food Reels

  1. #food
  2. #foodreels
  3. #foodie
  4. #goodeats
  5. #yum
  6. #yummy
  7. #hungry
  8. #foodstagram
  9. #goodeats
  10. #nomnom
  11. #delish
  12. #foodlover
  13. #healthyfood
  14. #foodblog
  15. #dessert
  16. #tasty
  17. #tastyfood
  18. #mealsandreels
  19. #foodgasm
  20. #breakfasttime
  21. #lunchbox
  22. #chocolatelover
  23. #cooking
  24. #homemadefood
  25. #healthymeals

Best Instagram Hashtags for Fitness Reels

  1. #fitness
  2. #fitnessmotivation
  3. #fitnessreels
  4. #gymlife
  5. #workout
  6. #workoutmotivation
  7. #fitnessvideo
  8. #workoutvideos
  9. #fitnessgoals
  10. #fitnessaddict
  11. #fitnessfreak
  12. #fitfam
  13. #workoutreels
  14. #exercise
  15. #exercisemotivation
  16. #homeworkout
  17. #homefitness
  18. #fitnesslife
  19. #fitnesslifestyle
  20. #fitnesstips

Best Instagram Hashtags for Travel Reels

  1. #travel
  2. #travelmore
  3. #travelgram
  4. #travelreels
  5. #travellife
  6. #travelholic
  7. #travelawesome
  8. #traveladdict
  9. #instatravel
  10. #travelbug
  11. #traveldiary
  12. #traveling
  13. #igtravel
  14. #travelingram
  15. #traveltips
  16. #wanderlust
  17. #wanderlusting
  18. #nature
  19. #adventuretravel
  20. #beachvacation
  21. #naturetravel
  22. #vacation
  23. #solotravel
  24. #travelbug
  25. #tourist
  26. #holiday
  27. #beachlife
  28. #traveler
  29. #beautifulplaces
  30. #placestovisit

Best Instagram Hashtags for Fashion Reels

  1. #fashion
  2. #instafashion
  3. #fashionreels
  4. #fashionstyle
  5. #fashiongram
  6. #fashionblogger
  7. #fashionable
  8. #fashionaddict
  9. #fashionblog
  10. #fashiontrends
  11. #fashioninsta
  12. #fashiondaily
  13. #fashionkids
  14. #fashionstyle
  15. #stylefashion
  16. #styleblogger
  17. #styleoftheday
  18. #stylegram
  19. #styleguide
  20. #streetstyle
  21. #bloggerstyle
  22. #nailsofinstagram
  23. #fashioninfluencer
  24. #fashionphotographer
  25. 100. #kidsfashion

Best Instagram Hashtags for Parenting Reels

  1. parenting
  2. kids
  3. motherhood
  4. momlife
  5. parentingtips
  6. parenthood
  7. parentinglife
  8. mumlife
  9. dadlife
  10. fatherhood
  11. babies
  12. newborn
  13. toddler
  14. toddlerlife
  15. parentighacks
  16. momblogger
  17. positive parenting
  18. homeschool
  19. homeschooling
  20. familytime

Best Instagram Hashtags for Funny Reels

  1. #funny
  2. #funnyreel
  3. #funnyyreels
  4. #funnyvideos
  5. #funnymeme
  6. #funnyanimals
  7. #funnykids
  8. #memestagram
  9. #fun
  10. #comedy
  11. #comedyreels
  12. #comedyvideos
  13. #comedymemes
  14. #comedyclub
  15. #haha
  16. #lol
  17. #humor
  18. #humour
  19. #lmao
  20. #laugh

Best Instagram Hashtags for Cute Reels

  1. #cute
  2. #cutebabies
  3. #cutekids
  4. #cuteanimals
  5. #instacute
  6. #instacute
  7. #cutekidsclub
  8. #cutepets
  9. #cutecats
  10. #cutedogs
  11. #cuteness
  12. #cutest
  13. #adorable
  14. #adorablebabies
  15. #adorableanimals

Best Instagram Hashtags for Technology Reels

  1. #tech
  2. #technology
  3. #technologytrends
  4. #technologyrocks
  5. #technologynews
  6. #technologylover
  7. #technews
  8. #innovation
  9. #business
  10. #gadgets
  11. #smartphone
  12. #techblogger
  13. #newtechnology
  14. #techtrends
  15. #techlover
  16. #techies
  17. #techreels
  18. #techgadgets
  19. #cooltech
  20. #techno

Best Instagram Hashtags for Trending Reels

  1. #instagramreel
  2. #instagramreels
  3. #igreel
  4. #reelit
  5. #reelitfeelit
  6. #reelitin
  7. #reellife
  8. #reelsinstagram
  9. #instagrammer
  10. #reelvideo
  11. #reelvideos
  12. #videoreels
  13. #reelsvideo
  14. #reelsdaily
  15. #newreel
  16. #videooftheday
  17. #igaddict
  18. #instafamous
  19. #viralreels
  20. #reeloftheday
  21. #firstreel
  22. #trending
  23. #viral
  24. #reelsexplore
  25. #reelsforyou
  26. #reelsindia
  27. #dancereels
  28. #trendingreels
  29. #instamoment
  30. #explorepage
  31. #instagood
  32. #instaworthy
  33. #explore
  34. #explorepage
  35. #explorepageready

Popular hashtags for Instagram Reels

  1. #nature
  2. #love
  3. #music
  4. #family
  5. #friends
  6. #sunset
  7. #motivation
  8. #grateful
  9. #art
  10. #beautiful
  11. #healthylife
  12. #wellness
  13. #selflove
  14. #selfcare
  15. #homedecor
  16. #peaceful
  17. #greenery
  18. #greenlife
  19. #goals
  20. #inspiration

These are some of the top Instagram Reels tags that you can use to grow your presence on this social media site and gain new followers and leads.

A few tips:

  • Use a mix of niche-specific and trending Reels hashtags for your Instagram Reels.
  • Choose hashtags that aim to attract real customers rather than spammers. For example, a hashtag like “#followforfollowback” or “#followback” can help you gain followers but not customers or people who would actively engage with your Instagram content.
  • Use only 3-5 relevant hashtags within the caption.
  • If you want to add more hashtags to your Instagram Reels, add them as a comment.

How to Find the Best Instagram Reels Hashtags for Your Brand

If you really want your Instagram posts to perform well, you may have to put some effort into it. I will share a few tips that can help you find the best hashtags for your Instagram Reels:

1. Check Reels on the Explore Page

Instagram’s “Explore” page primarily shows Reels similar to yours that are garnering lots of engagement on the platform. View some of the top Reels relevant to your niche and check the hashtags that were used.

For example, if you are posting travel-related Reels on Instagram, the “Explore” page will show some of the top and trending travel content which will include both photos and Reels. Tap on a couple of Reels and view the hashtags to get a fair idea of the ones that will put your content in front of your target audience to boost engagement.

2. Use Instagram’s Search Function

Tap the magnifying glass icon at the end of your Instagram page and you will see a Search box at the top of the screen. You can use this Search box to find the right hashtags for a specific topic.

For example, to find hashtags for Travel Reels, type “Travel Reels” in the Search box and then tap the “Tags” option at the top of the screen. This will generate a list of the best hashtags for travel Reels.

3. Use Hashtag Research Tools

Hashtag research tools can generate the right hashtags for your Instagram Reels and save you from manually finding the relevant ones. Some of these tools can also help you track how your hashtags are performing.

The following are some popular hashtags generator tools that you can use for your Instagram content:

Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder:

Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder helps you find the best hashtags for your Instagram content. Simply type a relevant Caption for your content and the app will generate a list of the best hashtags you can use.

Key features of Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder:

  1. The app displays color-coded tag options for Niche, Good, Best, and Competitive hashtags that makes the entire process a breeze. You can easily choose the right combination of hashtags for your Instagram Reels to reach your target audience.
  2. With the Tailwind Hashtag Finder tool, you can also choose to auto-post hashtags in the first comment.
  3. You can save your favorite hashtag lists and use them for your future posts.
  4. Tailwind allows users to schedule content for the entire week.
  5. The tool has a “forever-free plan” that you can use for 1 Instagram account, 1 Facebook account, and 1 Pinterest account. This plan allows you to schedule up to 20 posts/month for free across different social media sites.

Inflact:

Inflact is yet another AI-based Instagram hashtag generator tool that you can use for the right hashtag suggestions. This smart tool can analyze keywords, photos, or post URLs and generate the best hashtags for your content.

Key features of Inflact:

  1. You can enter up to five key phrases to generate hashtags by keyword. This can help expedite the hashtag research process.
  2. Based on the popularity of hashtags, Inflact segregates them into Frequent, Average, and Rare. Adding more frequently-used hashtags will limit the discoverability of your IG Reels in searches. Rarely-used hashtags are good to boost the visibility of your content.
  3. The tool has a readymade trending hashtags list for different niches, such as travel, food, fitness, fashion, and photography.
  4. The tool can analyze Instagram profiles for free.
  5. Inflact is also a good hashtag tracking tool. It can measure the performance of hashtags so you can make changes to your Instagram marketing strategy accordingly.

Aside from these, you can also use some other popular Instagram hashtag generator tools like HashTagsForLikes, Flick, Kicksta, and All Hashtag to find relevant hashtags for Instagram Reels in a jiffy.

How Do Hashtags Work on Instagram Reels

If you are still wondering how hashtags work on Instagram Reels, I’ll explain it with a few examples:

  1. Helps categorize content: When you use a hashtag for your Reel, Instagram adds the Reel to that hashtag page. Instagrammers following the hashtag page can see your Reel, and this can help boost engagement and generate new leads. Hashtags also help other users find the product or service they are looking for in one place.

    For example, suppose you have a coffee shop in Orlando. You create a Reel on Instagram and use some relevant hashtags for it, such as “#coffeeshop”, “#orlandocoffeeshops”, and “#orlandocoffee”.

    If a prospective customer runs a search for coffee shops in Orlando or follows any of the hashtags you have used, they can see your Reel there. This increases your odds of connecting with new people and gaining more customers.
  2. Boosts visibility: Hashtags can make your content visible on the “Explore” page of users who use the same hashtags or engage with content containing the same hashtags.

    For example, you have a travel page on Instagram and you use hashtags like “#travel”, “#travelmore” and “#traveladdict” for the photos and Reels you share with your audience. If you visit the “Explore” page of your Instagram account, you will find content containing one or more of the same hashtags.

    Similarly, you have an Instagram travel page and you watch health and fitness Reels often. So, along with travel content, you will also see content related to health and fitness on the “Explore” page.
  3. Grows business organically: Hashtags make your Reels discoverable to the right audience, the ones who will be interested in your products or services. Hence, relevant hashtags for Instagram Reels can help you gain organic followers and prospective customers.

    Suppose you have an online clothing store for kids. The right hashtags, such as “#kidsclothing” and “#kidsclothes” will make your brand visible to Instagrammers who are looking for the kind of products you sell. This can help generate new leads and increase your sales and profits.

These are some top ways how hashtags work on Instagram Reels. The right # for Instagram Reels can step up your Instagram game and benefit your brand or business.

Use the Best Instagram Reels Hashtags to Maximize Engagement

Instagram Reels hashtags label or categorize content and help both content creators and other users. Relevant hashtags can make your Reels visible to people who are likely to engage with your content and buy your products/services.

To get an idea about the best # for Instagram Reels, you can check the hashtags used in some of the top-performing posts on the “Explore” page. Hashtag generator tools can also help you with a quick hashtag search.

So, if you want your Reels to reach the right audience, make sure you put in some effort to find the best hashtags.

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How to Hide Likes on Instagram Posts Before and After Sharing Them https://shanebarker.com/blog/how-to-hide-likes-on-instagram/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/how-to-hide-likes-on-instagram/#respond Mon, 17 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=76394
Quick Summary
  • Instagram allows users to hide the number of likes on their posts to ease social pressure and competition.
  • You can hide likes on a post or Reel at any time, before publishing it or after.
  • You can also hide the like count on the posts of other Instagrammers.
  • Hiding likes on Instagram can help users focus on the quality of the content rather than its popularity.

Are you wondering how to hide likes on Instagram to ease competition and maintain a positive environment online? I will walk you through the steps!

Instagram allows users to hide and unhide likes on the photos and Reels they share on the platform. This is a good way to remove the pressure and encourage healthy interaction among Instagrammers.

In this article, I will show you how to hide likes on your Instagram posts before and after publishing them. You will also learn how to track likes on your Instagram posts even if you have hidden them from your audience.

How to Hide Likes on the Posts of Other Instagrammers

If you want to hide likes on the Instagram posts of other people to view their content without being judgemental or for any other reason, here’s how you can do it:

  1. Go to your Instagram profile page and tap the “hamburger icon (≡)” in the top right corner.
Hamburger icon on Instagram profile
  1. Tap on the “Settings and Privacy” option.
Settings and Privacy option on Instagram
  1. Next, tap on the “Hide Likes” option.
Hide likes option on Instagram
  1. Toggle on the “Hide Likes” option.
toggle hide likes

This is how you can hide the number of likes on Instagram posts shared by other users on this social media site. In place of the default numerical value of likes under each post, you will now see “Liked by username and others.” 

Here’s an example:

Example of an Instagram post with the likes count hidden

How to Turn Off the Like Count on Instagram Posts Before Publishing Them

If you are creating a new Instagram post and don’t want the number of likes to show, you can hide them before hitting the publish arrow in the top right corner.

Here’s how you can hide likes on your Instagram posts before sharing them with your audience:

  1. Open your Instagram account and tap on the “Add (+)” icon at the bottom of the screen.
Create a new post on Instagram illustration
  1. Select “Post” from the row of tabs at the end of the screen to create a new post.
Option to create a new Instagram post
  1. Select the photo/s you want to share with your audience from your phone’s gallery and tap on the arrow in the top right corner.
Create a new post on Instagram illustration
  1. Choose a filter or music for your post (optional) and go to the next page.
Illustration to edit an Instagram post
  1. Next, tap on the “Advanced Settings” option.
Advanced Settings option on Instagram
  1. Tap on the slider adjacent to the “Hide like and view counts on this post” option.
Option to hide like view counts on an Instagram post
  1. Last, go back to the post, add a caption to it, and share it with your audience.

This is how you can turn off likes on Instagram before sharing a post with your audience. You can follow the same steps for Reels as well.

Steps to Hide Likes on Your Instagram Posts After You’ve Published Them

You can also hide likes on your Instagram posts any time after publishing them. The rules are quite flexible in this regard and you can hide likes even if it has been years since you shared the content with your audience.

Here’s how you can remove likes on Instagram in a jiffy:

  1. Open your Instagram account and go to the post on which you want to hide the like count.
  2. Tap on the “three dots” in the top right corner of the post.
Steps to hide likes on Instagram posts
  1. Tap on the “Hide Like Count” option.
Hide like count option for Instagram posts

That’s it! This will hide the number of likes on the post from you and your audience.

Example of an Instagram post with like count hidden

You can use these steps to hide likes on any post on your Instagram profile grid, including Reels. If you wish to unhide the like count at any time in the future, follow the same steps and tap on the “Unhide Like Count” option.

A Quick Tip:

If you want to hide like count on Instagram Reels that you’ve removed from the profile grid, here’s how you can do it:

  1. Go to your Instagram profile page and tap on the Reels tab.
  2. Open the Reel for which you want to hide likes and tap on the “three dots” in the bottom right corner.
  3. Next, tap on the “Manage” option.
  4. Last, tap on the “Hide Likes” option.

This is how you can hide the number of likes on Instagram Reels. While you can still see the like count for Reels that are visible under the Reels tab, the same will be hidden from your audience.

A Few Tips:

Reasons to Turn Off Likes on Instagram

If you are wondering why anyone would want to hide Insta likes, or why Instagram rolled out this option, here are the reasons:

  1. Encourage healthy interaction: Instagram is a widely-used social media site where like-minded individuals can connect with each other and promote their businesses. Hiding this Instagram metric from the public view will help you and other Instagrammers focus on connecting with people instead of competing with them.
  1. Depressurize users: Some people tend to take online success quite seriously, so much so that they end up feeling worthless if their social media content does not perform well.

    Users obsessed with these Instagram metrics also delete posts and Reels with few likes, views, and comments. This kind of mindset defeats the whole purpose of being on this social media site, which is to share quality content and connect with other Instagrammers.
  2. Maintain emotional well-being: While it is exciting to see more likes on your Instagram posts, there is a flip side to it. If a post does not perform as expected, you may feel anxious and disheartened.

    For example, an Express VPN survey stated that about 85% of young adults ages 16 – 24 in the United States reported experiencing negative self-esteem because of social media pressure.

    So hiding likes on your Instagram posts can reduce the ripple effect of this kind of pressure on yourself and to others and prevent any negative impact on everyone’s mental health.
  3. Increases focus on content: Getting low likes on one or more Instagram posts can make you feel your content is not good for the audience. For example, according to a study conducted by Pew Research Centre, about 29% of the respondents felt the pressure to post content that will attract more likes and comments.

    However, this metric hardly defines your brand’s success and credibility as conversions happen behind the scene. Instead, use the platform to focus on building meaningful connections by sharing content that resonates with your audience.

    With likes hidden from public view, you and your audience can focus on the content without being judgemental.

Keeping Instagram’s likes hidden from the public eye can help create a healthier online environment where users share quality content instead of seeking validation through the number of likes they get on their posts.

How to Track Likes on Your Instagram Posts When They are Hidden

If you have turned off the like count on your Instagram posts, you can still track them within Instagram Insights.

However, to access the Insights of the posts on your Instagram account, you must have a Business or Creator account. If you don’t have one, you can easily switch to a professional account. 

Here’s how:

  • Tap the “hamburger icon (≡)” in the top right corner.
  • Next, tap on the “Settings and Privacy” option.
  • Scroll down to “Account Type and Tools” and tap on the option.
  • Tap on the “Switch to Professional Account” option and follow the instructions thereafter.

Once you have switched to a professional account, you will see the “View Insights” option in the bottom left corner of every post. Tap on this option for the overview of an Instagram post in terms of likes, reach, and engagement.

Instagram post insights tab
Instagram post insights

You can check Insights of any Instagram post the same way and keep tabs on their engagement rate.

A Few Tips

  • If you are looking to boost brand awareness, reach a wider audience and increase engagement on your Instagram posts, using branded content tools on Instagram can help. These tools are great for discovering the right influencers/businesses on the platform for paid partnerships.
  • You can use the best hashtag tools on Instagram to make your content visible to a wider audience, boost engagement, and generate new leads for your business.
  • If your Instagram growth has been sluggish of late, you can try the top Instagram analytics tools to track and measure your performance and plan your future Instagram strategy accordingly.
  • You can use the best influencer outreach tools to connect with the right social media influencers and work with them to reach your target audience for better engagement and leads.

Should You Hide Likes on Your Instagram Posts?

I hope you have understood how to hide likes on Instagram and the benefits of this feature. Since you can hide and unhide likes on your Instagram posts at any time, you can always give it a try.

If Instagram metrics have been bogging you down of late, hiding the like count can help depressurize your experience on the platform. And since like counts are considered more as  vanity metrics on Instagram, the numbers make little or no impact on your overall engagement.

On the contrary, hiding likes will help other Instagrammers focus on your content and engage with it through comments and shares. You can also focus on the quality of your content, which is more important to monetize Instagram.

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15 Best Apps for Instagram Stories That You Should Check Out [Free and Paid] https://shanebarker.com/blog/apps-for-instagram-stories/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/apps-for-instagram-stories/#respond Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=76192 With the ever-growing volume of content flooding Instagram, it's essential to find ways for your content to stand out. By discovering apps for Instagram Stories that offer animated text, overlays, or augmented reality effects, you can create captivating and memorable Stories that leave a lasting impact.

Moreover, we'll unveil how apps designed for Instagram Stories can fulfill your content needs whether you’re an influencer, business owner, or marketer.

From advanced analytics and scheduling capabilities to professional editing features, these apps will empower you to streamline your content creation process and maximize the engagement and reach of your Stories.

15 of the Best Apps for Instagram Stories That You Should Check Out

While shortlisting the best IG Story apps, I have considered factors such as features and functionality, ease of use, customization options, design quality, and overall value for enhancing your creative potential with Instagram Stories.

1. Mojo

With Mojo, you can use its wide range of templates and features to craft the perfect Story sequence. They have templates across categories like fashion, photography, beauty, food, and others.

Mojo IG Story app templates

Whether promoting time-sensitive sales or events, Mojo helps you save time and effort by designing stories that won't overshadow your brand timeline. It also enables you to engage your audience by adding interactive polls, quizzes, and questions to your stories.

Mojo IG Story app Stickers

You can explore a meticulously curated collection of music tracks, royalty-free videos, and stunning fonts. This makes it easier than ever before to create IG Stories that are visually appealing.

Key Features

  • A diverse selection of templates and features for creating captivating Instagram Stories.
  • Save time and effort in creating story sequences that flow seamlessly.
  • Seamlessly integrate with Instagram's specifications for optimal vertical content display.
  • Boost audience engagement with interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and questions.
  • Craft captivating narratives throughout the 15-second timeframe with Mojo's carefully curated templates.

Pricing

  • MOJO Free: $0/month
    • Access to all free templates
    • Choose from royalty-free music, photos, and videos
    • Share content quickly across multiple social platforms
  • MOJO PRO: $19.99/month
    • Includes all features of MOJO Free
    • Unlock animated templates, text styles, stickers, and video effects
    • Create on-brand content with custom fonts, logos, and colors
    • Resize content for various formats with a single tap
    • Remove picture backgrounds
    • Add auto captions
  • MOJO Teams: $10/month/user
    • Designed for 1-10 people
    • Includes all features of MOJO PRO
    • Share logos, fonts, and brand colors within your team
    • Manage team members and share templates
    • Convenient centralized billing
  • MOJO Enterprise: Get a personalized quote based on your needs
    • Includes all features of MOJO Teams
    • Collaborate effectively with brand-consistent content sharing
    • Implement approval workflows for content validation
    • Seamless integration with other tools
    • Dedicated support and built-in security and compliance measures

2. Instories

Instories’ featured templates enable you to create fabulous designs for any occasion with just a couple of clicks. Whether it's for business or lifestyle, they provide ready-made templates to inspire your design ideas.

Instories IG Stories app

This IG Stories app gives you all the necessary tools and options to effortlessly make your own designs. It includes a library of 500+ stylish templates, an integrated photo and video library with over 180 million photos, and 32,000 videos and animations.

Instories IG Stories app - gallery

The best part is that Instories provides a versatile range of format options suitable for Reels, Stories, IG posts, IGTV, TikTok videos, square video posts, and other custom sizes.

Key Features

  • Access 500+ ready-made designer templates for various occasions.
  • Customize templates with colors, animations, fonts, backgrounds, and text effects.
  • Create animated paper collage effects and swap backgrounds with the “Remove BG” feature.
  • Choose from 200+ text animations and mix and match 100+ fonts.
  • Utilize an intuitive video and animated photo editor with trendy transitions.
  • Access an unlimited music and sound library, including music extraction.
  • Upload media and logos, and animate them with available transitions.
  • Use overlays, stickers, callouts, and a “Call to Action” sticker pack for enhanced visuals and sales boost.
  • Customize your designs by selecting the appropriate format, such as Instagram Post, Instagram Story, Instagram Reels, Instagram IGTV, Tik-Tok Video, or Square Video Post.

Pricing

  • Available for free of cost
  • For advanced features, Instories Pro has pricing plans between $14.99 to $119.99

3. Typorama

Typorama is a user-friendly app that empowers you to create visually stunning typographic designs for your IG Stories, without the need for any design skills. With Typorama, you can effortlessly transform your text and photos into amazing visuals that captivate your audience.

Typorama IG Stories app
Image via Apple

The app simplifies the process by automatically generating complex text layouts with various fonts and typefaces. Along with IG Stories, you can also use it to design posters or FB cover photos.

Typorama - IG Stories app - editing options

In just a few taps, you can have your text beautifully arranged on a background of your choice, saving you hours of work that would otherwise be required using software like Photoshop. 

Once you’re done with your graphic, you can also directly share it on IG and other social media platforms using Typorama.

Key Features

  • Over 100 professionally designed fonts and typefaces from top experts
  • Enhance designs with badges, ribbons, curved text, and artistic ornaments
  • Apply 3D distortions, gradient colors, and shadows to add depth and dimension
  • Use gradual deletion to cleverly position text designs behind elements in photos
  • Polish photo backgrounds with professional filters, overlays, and adjustments
  • Thousands of ready-to-use stock photos from trusted sources
  • Advanced crop options for perfect sizing on social media, wallpapers, posters, and more
  • Design and apply custom watermarks or logos for brand promotion


Pricing

  • Free version available
  • Typorama PRO Monthly: $2.99 per month
  • Typorama PRO (Monthly): $3.99 per month
  • Unlock Everything: One-Time payment of $5.99
  • Typorama PRO: One-Time payment of $14.99
  • Typorama PRO (Special Offer): One-Time payment of $17.99
  • Remove Typorama Logo: One-Time payment of $4.99
  • Unlock Premium Text Styles: One-Time payment of $3.99
  • Typorama PRO (Monthly): $5.99 per month
  • Unlock All Overlays: One-Time payment of $1.99
  • Typorama PRO: One-Time payment of $29.99

4. StoryArt ‑ Insta Story Maker

StoryArt is an Instagram story editor app that provides a wide range of features and templates to help you create stunning collage layouts for your Instagram Stories and Reels. It has an extensive library of over 2000 story templates and 400+ animated templates.

StoryArt templates

With StoryArt, you can easily customize your stories and video status with just a few taps. It offers mojo filters, professional editing tools, and a variety of high-quality templates with different styles and borders to make your stories visually appealing. 

Additionally, StoryArt allows you to create original highlight covers, add stylish icons and logos, and express yourself with unique text designs.

StoryArt editing options
Image via Apple

The app also offers a collection of vintage film filters, glitter effects, and other high-quality filters to enhance the visual impact of your stories. With StoryArt, you can resize, trim, and adjust the speed of your videos, ensuring they fit perfectly within Instagram's size requirements and at the speed you prefer. 

Key Features

  • Over 3000 flawless layout and animated templates for creating stunning collages, including squares for Instagram Stories, Highlight covers, and Reels.
  • Over 70 different themes such as Film and Unfold, to enhance your visual storytelling.
  • More than 1000 highlight cover templates with icons and stickers to make your profile stand out.
  • Creative Facebook and Instagram highlight covers with different background colors and stylish fonts
  • Vintage film filters, glitter and sparkle effects, and mojo filters you can apply to add creative and eye-catching elements to your stories.
  • Sun Blind Effect to utilize and incorporate trendy avatan-like effects into your Stories.
  • Text tools with hype type fonts, creative word designs, and 50+ text animations for expressive and captivating storytelling.
  • Precise controls to adjust video speed, resize, trim, zoom, and clip images or videos using professional editing tools.

Pricing

  • 1-month subscription: $2.99
  • 1-year subscription: $9.99

5. Unfold

Unfold is an all-in-one app for Android and iOS that lets you create and design stunning Instagram Stories, posts, and Reels using customizable templates.

Unfold - IG Stories app - filters

It offers photo and video editing with unique filters and effects, advanced text tools with curated fonts and styles, and being able to plan your Instagram feed in advance.

Unfold Bio Site

You can also create a Bio Site for your link in your IG Bio, and easily export and share your content to Instagram and other platforms. Unfold simplifies the process of creating engaging social media content with its user-friendly interface and versatile features.

Key Features

  • Easily stitch video clips together using exclusive Reels templates.
  • Create captivating content with template collections like Film.
  • Plan and preview your Instagram Feed for a cohesive aesthetic.
  • Build a beautiful hub for all your social bios' links with Bio Site Creation.
  • Edit photos and videos with filters, effects, and advanced text options using the Editing Tools.
  • Adjust brightness, contrast, shadows, highlights, and more with the Advanced Editing Tools.

Pricing

  • Starts at $12.99/month

6. Storyluxe

You can elevate your storytelling game on Instagram by utilizing Storyluxe's diverse range of film frames, tape, love, collage, and neon templates. With over 700 meticulously-designed photo and video templates, it lets you take your Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram Stories to a new level.

Storyluxe - IG Stories app
Image via WhereLifeIsGreat

From vintage-inspired tones to vibrant and modern hues, Storyluxe offers a wide array of options to suit your style. Plus, many of the templates, filters, and backdrops are freely accessible.

Storyluxe- IG Stories app - editing options
Image via Electricrunway

Once you've perfected your creations, easily export and share them across multiple platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, email, and more. With Storyluxe's seamless integration, your Stories can reach a broader audience and leave a lasting impression. 

Key Features

  • Access a vast collection of 700+ photo and video Instagram story templates featuring diverse styles like film, paper, love, collage, and neon. 
  • Personalize your creations with customizable backdrop textures and colors.
  • Enhance your Stories with custom text using 16 handpicked designer fonts. 
  • Adjust the color and size of the text to match the brand tone of your content.
  • Infuse your unique touch by customizing Storyluxe-branded templates with your own chosen words or phrases, or select from their curated branding options.
  • Elevate the visual appeal of your content with a range of distinctive photo filters that add a vintage film aesthetic.
  • Enjoy the flexibility of utilizing numerous templates, filters, and backdrops free of charge.
  • Seamlessly export and share your creations across multiple platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and email.

Pricing

  • Price: Free
  • In-App Purchases:
    • Monthly Unlimited Access: $3.99 and $6.99
    • Yearly Unlimited Access: $29.99

7. InShot

InShot is a robust music video editor and photo editor that offers professional features to enhance your editing experience. Consider what you can do with InShot: trim and cut videos or movies, add music, text, stickers, and glitch effects, blur your background for added style, and eliminate the need for cropping.

InShot- IG Stories app

Utilizing InShot, you can craft visually stunning IG Stories by editing and saving long videos without any time limitations. It provides you with professional basic video editing features so you don’t need to go to another video editing app

InShot- IG Stories app - editing options

Whether you want to add a catchy soundtrack, overlay text to convey a message, apply stickers for added fun, or experiment with glitch effects to create a unique visual style, InShot equips you with the tools necessary to bring your ideas to life. 

Key Features

  • Trim, cut, merge, and adjust video speed.
  • Add vlog music, custom music, sound effects, and voice-overs with easy sync features.
  • Add text and emojis to videos and photos with precise syncing using timeline features.
  • Choose from cinematic filters and unique effects like glitch, noise, and retro DV.
  • Create smooth transitions between clips for a professional touch.
  • Overlay video and photo layers, use chroma key, and apply masks for creative compositions.
  • Add motion to layers (text, stickers, PIP) with the keyframe tool.
  • Blur borders, add colored borders, and adjust video/photo position for Instagram-ready content.
  • Add text, stickers, apply filters, and adjust various settings for captivating photo stories.
  • Export videos in high resolution, including 4K and 60fps, and easily share to social media platforms.

Pricing

  • Price: Free
  • In-App Purchases:
    • InShot Pro – Monthly: $3.99
    • InShot Pro – Yearly: $17.99
    • Remove ads: $3.99
    • InShot Pro – Lifetime: $39.99
    • Transition pack – Power: $3.99
    • Video Effect – FORM Pack: $1.99
    • Filter pack – CINEMA: $1.99
    • Transition pack – Glitch: $3.99
    • Filter pack – SKIN: $1.99
    • Filter pack – CREATE: $1.99

8. Life Lapse

Life Lapse empowers you to become the director of your own mini-movies. This app is great for aspiring filmmakers or social media enthusiasts who want to bring their creative ideas to life. With just a few taps, you can start capturing stunning stop-motion videos that will mesmerize your audience.

Life Lapse IG Stories app

Life Lapse offers a user-friendly interface that anyone can navigate effortlessly. Its intuitive design ensures that you spend less time fumbling with settings and more time focusing on what matters most: your imagination. No technical expertise is required!

Life Lapse - IG Stories app - editing options

You can also access their extensive collection of regularly updated stop-motion video tutorials. The tool comes with comprehensive guides that will walk you through the process, demonstrating step by step how to craft captivating social media videos that align with the latest trends, perfectly tailored for your brand.

Key Features

  • Ghost feature for enhanced video precision
  • Interval timer for seamless frame capture
  • Custom grids for precise composition
  • Exposure lock for consistent lighting
  • Advanced stop motion editor to elevate your videos
  • Speed control, freeze effect, and boomerang feature for dynamic visuals
  • Brightness/contrast editing for customized aesthetics
  • Royalty-free music integration for a captivating audio experience
  • Extensive customization options to personalize the look and feel of your videos

Pricing

  • Free version available.
  • In-App Purchases:
    • Life Lapse Pro: $49.99.
    • Life Lapse Pro Monthly: $9.99 per month.
    • Lifetime Access: $149.99.

9. Canva

Canva is a powerful design platform that offers a wide range of creative tools and templates, allowing you to easily create professional-looking visuals — even with zero design experience. Canva is uniquely user-friendly that it can cater to anyone with varying skill levels, from students to professionals to business owners.

Canva IG Stories app

With Canva, you can use it for a variety of purposes, such as designing social media graphics, marketing materials, presentations, invitations, and much more.

Canva IG Stories app - Elements

It has a vast library of templates, high-quality images, fonts, and graphics to choose from, enabling you to customize your designs according to your specific needs and preferences. You can even draw over the templates using their special “Draw” feature.

Canva IG Stories app - AI Presenter

You can use Canva on iOS, Android as well as desktop. They also have a unique new AI feature that lets you add AP presenters. You can add your text and they will create an AI presenter within seconds. 

Key Features

  • User-friendly drag-and-drop editor for easy design creation
  • Access to a vast library of over 250,000 free templates for various design purposes
  • Wide range of templates available for social media posts, presentations, and other design projects
  • Extensive collection of free photos and graphic elements to enhance your designs
  • AI-powered design tools that provide suggestions and automate certain design processes
  • Convenient image and video background remover for removing unwanted backgrounds
  • Ability to schedule content on Instagram and other platforms, ensuring timely posting
  • BeatSync feature that allows matching video footage to a soundtrack for synchronized editing.

Pricing

  • Canva Free: $0
    • Access to basic design features and a limited library of templates and assets.
  • Canva Pro: $12.99 per month per person
    • Offers additional benefits such as unlimited access to premium templates, an extensive library of photos and graphics, advanced design tools, background remover, and the ability to schedule content.
  • Canva for Teams: $14.99 per month per person
    • Designed for collaborative work with team members. It includes all the features of Canva Pro along with team collaboration tools, brand management, and enhanced workflow control.

10. Adobe Express

Adobe Express is an all-in-one design tool that lets you create high-quality graphics. With amazing artwork generated by Adobe Firefly AI, you can also easily design flyers, TikToks, resumes, and Reels to help your content stand out.

Adobe Express - IG Stories app

In Adobe Express, you have the power to create professional content without the need for any technical expertise. Whether you need custom-sized flyers, logos, banners, social posts, Instagram Reels, or TikTok videos, this app has got you covered.

Adobe Express - Remove Background option

It's an all-in-one solution that enables you to create videos, marketing materials, and social media content, as well as edit photos and PDFs. With Adobe's generative AI tools and easy one-click tasks like background removal. 

Plus, with the ability to access linked Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files, you can stay synced up and make changes effortlessly, whether you're working alone or in a team.

Key Features

  • Design flyers, TikToks, resumes, and Reels with Adobe Express, powered by Adobe Firefly AI.
  • Stand out with professional content using custom sizes, logos, banners, and social posts.
  • Create video, marketing, and social content all in one place, with easy editing for photos and PDFs.
  • Make impressive social videos effortlessly with its drag-and-drop functionality.
  • Access thousands of professionally-designed templates and Adobe Stock resources for inspiration.
  • Unleash your creativity with AI-powered text-to-image and text effects tools.
  • Collaborate in real-time with your team and save time with seamless file sharing.
  • Sync up with linked Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files for faster creation and updates.

Pricing

  • Free Plan for Individuals: $0/month
    • Access all core features, including thousands of templates, design assets, Adobe Fonts, limited royalty-free Adobe Stock photos, basic editing, and 2GB of storage.
  • Premium Plan for Individuals: $9.99/month, or save 16% with an annual subscription.
    • Includes additional features such as advanced editing suite, more storage, and enhanced access to templates and design assets.
  • Free Plan for Students: $0/month
    • Enjoy free access to Adobe Express with basic editing, thousands of templates, over 2,000 unique Adobe Fonts, and 2GB of storage.
  • Plan for Nonprofits: Nonprofit organizations can receive a one-year renewable subscription to Adobe Express Premium for free, allowing up to 10 users to access all features of the plan.
  • Specialized plans are available for businesses and teachers as well. Please get in touch with their sales team for more details.

11. PhotoGrid

PhotoGrid is an exceptional Collage App that empowers you to craft breathtaking images for various social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.

PhotoGrid IG Stories app - templates

With its versatile features, you can seamlessly combine photos and videos to create captivating video grids, effortlessly trim your videos, and add artistic touches to your Instagram videos and photos, such as blurred backgrounds, without any intrusive watermarks.

PhotoGrid IG Stories app

The app offers an extensive collection of over 20,000 diverse collage templates, allowing you to explore endless possibilities for your creative expression. 

Plus, you can easily share your masterpieces with friends and colleagues without worrying about any watermarks detracting from your stunning visuals.

Key Features

  • Combine photos and videos to create a cohesive video grid
  • Add blurred backgrounds to your IG photos without the need to crop them
  • Trim and synchronize videos for better alignment
  • Customize your own watermark and logo, and add social media logos easily.
  • Different ratios available for various platforms.
  • Choose from different types of fonts
  • Rotate, crop, resize, or blur your photos easily
  • Add text, Stickers, text, and backgrounds to your social media graphics
  • Adjust the saturation, contrast, brightness, and layout of your photos

Pricing

  • Free version available.
  • PhotoGrid Premium: $33.99.
  • PhotoGrid Plus: $4.99.
  • Remove Watermark: $0.99.
  • Perfect Grid Experience: $2.99.
  • PhotoGrid Pro: $29.99.
  • PhotoGrid weekly2.99: $2.99.
  • Layout Package: $0.99.
  • Perfect Grid Experience: $23.99.
  • PhotoGrid Plus: $33.99.
  • PhotoGrid Pro: $3.99.

12. Microsoft Hyperlapse

With Microsoft Hyperlapse, you can turn those ordinary videos into extraordinary time lapses!Whether you want to show off your epic 12-mile hike or relive the thrill of zooming down the slopes on your ski trip, Hyperlapse has got you covered. 

Microsoft Hyperlapse - IG Stories app
Image via Geckoandfly

It takes those awesome moments and condenses them into easily shareable and enjoyable sequences that will leave your friends in awe.

If you're an Android user, you're in luck because Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile is specifically designed for you. Just open the app, hit record or import your videos, and use the slider to adjust the playback speed. 

You can go for a natural pace or go all out with up to 32 times faster speed, which results in some seriously cool and entertaining effects. You can use this platform to create some really cool IG Stories for events, behind-the-scenes shoots or travel-related posts.

Key Features

  • Create time lapses easily with Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile app on Android.
  • Record videos within the app or import existing ones.
  • Adjust playback speed using the intuitive slider, ranging from normal speed to up to 32 times faster.
  • Choose between 720p or 1080p video resolution for recording (device compatibility required).
  • Export videos in 1080p resolution for high-quality playback.
  • Share your time lapses directly to social networks from the app.

Pricing

  • Free to use

13. CutStory

Cutshort is a convenient app that allows you to easily import and edit long videos of any length. With Cutshort, you can choose from various layouts, stencils, and masks to create engaging visual compositions. You can also enhance your videos further by adding stickers, text, or music to make them more dynamic and entertaining.

CutStory IG Stories app

Once you're done editing and customizing fonts, Cutshort automatically cuts the video into fragments of 15 seconds or any other desired length. This final version maintains the chronological order.

CutStory IG Stories app - editing options

These trimmed clips are then saved directly to your smartphone's Camera Roll, ready to be shared on Instagram Stories or other social media platforms.

Key Features

  • Easily import and export videos captured before the past 24 hours, allowing you to promptly share them on your Instagram Stories.
  • Select from various templates or stencils to create captivating video or photo collages.
  • Enhance your videos with custom text or expressive stickers.
  • Divide lengthy videos into separate clips of your desired duration.
  • Ensure seamless storytelling by exporting the clips in the correct chronological order.
  • Preserve the quality of your exported videos without any compression artifacts.
  • Enjoy compatibility with all popular video formats.
  • Elevate your videos with multiple soundtracks, adding depth and richness to the audio experience.

Pricing

  • Free to download and use
  • Remove CutStory watermark: $3.99 (one-time purchase)
  • Pro subscription – Month: $3.99 per month
  • Music editor feature: $2.99 (one-time purchase)
  • Pro subscription – Year: $34.99 per year
  • Hide CutStory watermark: $0.99 (one-time purchase)

14. VSCO

VSCO is a leading photo and video editor that empowers creative individuals with a wide range of tools and features. With over 200 premium presets, you can enhance your photography and video content for Instagram Stories and beyond.

VSCO - IG Story app

Their free photo editor offers 10 VSCO presets to elevate your images, including RAW editing capabilities and adjustments like contrast, saturation, grain, and fade effects. Advanced editing tools like HSL and Split Tone further expand your creative options.

VSCO IG Stories app

On VSCO, you can also connect with a vibrant creative community, explore inspiring content, and participate in weekly photo challenges exclusive to members. They regularly feature creations that use the #VSCO hashtag.

Key Features

  • Free VSCO presets for enhancing photos
  • Ability to import and edit RAW photos
  • Editing tools such as Contrast, Saturation, Grain, Fade, Crop, and Skew
  • Option to save and recreate favorite edits with Recipes
  • Advanced photo editing tools like HSL and Split Tone
  • Borders feature to add a touch of color to images
  • Video editing capabilities with VSCO presets and advanced tools
  • White balance adjustment and color control with HSL for videos
  • Creation of short GIFs with DSCO

Pricing

  • Free

15. Motionleap by Lightricks

Motionleap is a powerful tool for creating captivating and creative Instagram Stories. With its animation features, you can bring your images to life and impress your friends and followers.

Motionleap by Lightricks

Whether you want to animate a single element or multiple elements in your photo, Motionleap gives you the freedom to choose what parts you want to highlight and make them come alive.

Motionleap by Lightricks - IG Stories editing

It seamlessly integrates with other popular apps in the Enlight Creativity Suite, such as Photofox, Lightleap, and Videoleap, ensuring a smooth and familiar editing experience.

With just a few taps, you can animate your images, add elements and overlays, and adjust the speed of the animation. The result is stunning videos that loop back and forth like a boomerang or flow seamlessly like a GIF.

Key Features

  • Easy photo animation with taps, swipes, and motion direction arrows.
  • Anchor points and Freeze brush for precise control and selective freezing of sections in animated photos.
  • Fantastic sky replacement technology with a wide variety of colorful sunsets and animated clouds.
  • Geometric photo animation tool for creating spinning towers, moving historical landmarks, and patterned movement in iconic buildings.
  • Video effects and overlays with control over movement, speed, direction, style, and cinematic camera effects like Tilt, Zoom, and ‘Dolly.'
  • Ability to add moving elements like candle flickers, coffee steam, or butterflies to grab attention and create cinemagraph-like effects.
  • High-end photo editor with an intuitive UI, freeform drawn paths for animation, and multiple export formats including Live Wallpaper.

Pricing

  • Free version available
  • In-app purchases:
    • Unlimited access: $3.88
    • Unlimited access: $6.08
    • Unlimited access: $19.50
    • Unlimited access: $20.69
    • Unlimited access: $11.78
    • Unlimited access: $20.08
    • Motionleap unlimited access: $40.75
    • Motionleap unlimited access: $11.55
    • Unlimited access: $71.82
    • Unlimited access: $19.50

[Please note that these converted prices are approximate and may vary slightly due to currency exchange rate fluctuations.]

Ready to Try New Apps to Create Better IG Stories?

Say goodbye to boring Stories and hello to jaw-dropping animations, mind-blowing effects, and sky replacements that will make your followers do a double-take. These apps aren't just your average Joe—they're equipped with intuitive interfaces, AI-powered magic, and more features than you can shake a selfie stick at. 

So, why settle for mediocrity when you can unleash a whirlwind of visual brilliance? Grab your smartphone, channel your inner Picasso, and prepare to be the talk of the IG town. It's time to sprinkle some enchantment onto your Stories and watch the likes roll in. 

Get ready to rock the IG world like a boss! Please feel free to ask questions on any of the above-mentioned apps for Instagram Stories in the comments section. I’ll be happy to answer them for you.

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Instagram Polls: Top 45 Poll Questions to Ask Your Audience https://shanebarker.com/blog/instagram-polls/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/instagram-polls/#respond Fri, 09 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=75128
Quick Summary:
  • Sharing some fun and engaging Instagram polls can boost your visibility on the platform and help generate new leads.
  • To create a poll, you must use the Polls Sticker available in the Stickers tray on Instagram Stories.
  • IG Polls can help you receive real-time feedback from your audience and keep them engaged with your brand or business.
  • Do not overdo Instagram Polls and use your discretion when framing funny poll questions.

Are you looking to learn about your target audience or drive more traffic to your Instagram page? Creating some interesting Instagram Polls can help!

According to Statista, over 500 million Instagrammers worldwide use Instagram stories every day. Hence, brands and businesses are always looking for ways to leverage Instagram Stories to boost their reach and engagement, and Instagram Poll is one of them.

If you are wondering how to create a Poll on Instagram, I will show you how to do it. I will also share a list of Poll questions you can ask your audience for maximum engagement.

What Is an Instagram Poll?

An Instagram Poll is a smart way to interact with your audience and learn about their likes and preferences. The Poll Sticker is available in the Stickers tray on Instagram Stories. You can add this sticker to your Story and create a Poll with up to four responses for it.

Once you have shared a Poll on Instagram, your audience can view it, select a response, and see real-time results. You can then analyze the votes to understand your audience better and make changes to your Instagram marketing strategy accordingly.

Since the polls you do on Instagram are a part of IG Story, they will disappear after 24 hours.

Top 45 Instagram Poll Questions to Ask Your Audience

Polls are perfect to engage and entertain your followers and keep them coming back to your Instagram page. Asking the right questions can also help you get valuable feedback from your target audience or potential customers.

I will share a few examples of Instagram poll questions here that you can ask your audience for maximum responses. I’ve categorized them into three types so you can browse through each list type to pick the ones that best fit your brand or business. 

“Yes/No” Instagram Poll Questions

These are short and straightforward Instagram poll questions with two simple response options to choose from – Yes and No.

Since this type of poll is easy to answer, it usually generates maximum response. They are ideal to gauge the interest of your target audience in a particular product or service.

Here are some examples:

  1. Did you buy anything from us in the last 3 months?
  2. Are you satisfied with our products or services?
  3. Would you buy this product?
  4. Have you tried our new collection?
  5. Do you use Instagram for business?
  6. Do you follow a fitness regimen?
  7. Do you check your emails regularly?
  8. Have you read this book?
  9. Would you recommend our brand to others?
  10. Do you use this app/tech feature?
  11. Will you invest in this?
  12. Will you attend this upcoming event?
  13. Do you like this product?
  14. Should businesses post on social media every day?
  15. Does email marketing help online businesses?

“Choose One” Instagram Poll Questions

These Instagram poll questions can have two to four response options to choose from. They are perfect if you are looking to have a fun interaction with your audience and boost engagement. You can also slip in a couple of questions related to your work from time to time, and receive quick feedback from your audience.

Look at some of these examples:

  1. Which cuisine do you prefer? a) Italian b) Mexican c) Thai
  2. What is your favorite beverage? a) Tea b) Coffee c) Fruit Juice
  3. What kind of vacations do you prefer? a) Beach vacations b) Camping c) Road Trips
  4. What is your favorite movie genre? a) Action b) Thriller c) Romcom
  5. What is your favorite social media site? a) Instagram b) Facebook c) LinkedIn
  6. What type of scent do you enjoy? a) Floral b) Woody c) Citrus
  7. Which animal would you like to keep as a pet? a) Dog b) Cat c) Rabbit
  8. What’s your ideal weekend activity? a) Shopping b) Hiking c) Clubbing
  9. Are you a) A morning person b) A night person
  10. What’s your preferred me-time activity? a) Read a book b) Take a walk outside c) Journal
  11. What is your favorite sport? a) Football b) Baseball c) Basketball
  12. What is your favorite OTT platform? a) Netflix b) Prime Video c) Hulu
  13. What is your favorite pastime? a) Listening to music b) Watching TV c) Playing video games
  14. What is your favorite time of the year? a) Summer b) Winter c) Fall d) Spring
  15. Which web browser do you prefer? a) Chrome b) Safari c) Firefox d) Opera

“Would You Rather” Instagram Poll Questions

These questions are good to start interesting conversations with your followers. Their responses can tell you a lot about their behavior, mindset, and influences that help them make decisions. Having this information about them can help you plan for your future products and services accordingly. 

Here’s a few of these type of poll:

  1. Would you rather a) Work from the office b) Work from home
  2. Would you rather a) Be invisible b) Be able to fly
  3. Would you rather a) Laze around at home b) Go to a movie
  4. Would you rather give up on a) Hot drinks b) Icy drinks
  5. Would you rather a) Workout in the morning b) Workout in the evening
  6. Would you rather a) Live in the Sahara Desert b) Live in Antarctica
  7. Would you rather a) Be a photographer b) Be a singer
  8. Would you rather a) Go to the gym b) Practice yoga
  9. Would you rather a) Shop online b) Shop in-store
  10. Would you rather a) Go back in time b) See the future
  11. Would you rather a) Live in a city b) Live in the countryside
  12. Would you rather a) Have more time b) Have more money
  13. Would you rather a) Own a boat b) Own an airplane
  14. Would you rather a) Save money b) Travel and explore the world
  15. Would you rather a) Have a pause button on your life b) Have a rewind button

These are some Instagram poll ideas that you can use to drive more traffic to your Instagram page, boost engagement, and generate leads for your business.

An important point to keep in mind:

An Instagram Poll Question can be up to 80 characters only.

A few tips:

  • Keep the questions short and simple for the polls you do on Instagram.
  • Ask fun questions from time to time.
  • Ask questions that will elicit engagement.
  • Frame questions with your target audience in mind.
  • Most people do not respond to open-ended questions, so avoid them.
  • Use suitable images or GIFs to capture the attention of your audience for better engagement.
  • Try different Instagram giveaway ideas from time to time to build brand awareness. This can also help you grow your followers, engagement, and sales. Instagram Quiz Poll is a good option for giveaways.
  • You can also use the right hashtags in your Instagram Stories for better brand exposure and engagement.

How to Make a Poll on Instagram

If you are not sure how to make a poll on Instagram, I will show you the steps to do it.

  1. Go to your Instagram account and tap the “Add icon +” at the bottom of the screen.
Instagram add icon
  1. Select “Story” from the row of tabs at the bottom.
Instagram Story tab
  1. Tap the “Aa” option on the left side.
Create option in Instagram Story
  1. Tap the “Sticker icon” at the top of the screen. This is where you can find Stickers on Instagram.
Instagram stickers tab
  1. Select the “Poll Sticker” from the Sticker tray.
Instagram poll sticker
  1. Type a question in the box and add two to four options. You can customize the poll with stickers and effects if you want.
Tabs to customize an Instagram Story
  1. Share the poll with your close friends or followers.

This is how you can create polls for Instagram; it’s so simple you can do it in just a few steps. So start creating and share them with your audience.

A few tips:

  1. You can also add a background image or video to your Instagram Polls to make it more appealing.

Here’s how you can add a background image to IG Polls:

  • Tap the “Add icon” at the bottom of your Instagram page.
  • Select “Story” from the row of tabs at the bottom of the screen, and then tap the gallery icon in the bottom left.
  • Select an appropriate photo or video from your phone’s Gallery and create a poll.
Steps to add a background image or video to your IG Story
  1. You can also use the “Add Images” Sticker from the Sticker tray to add one or more relevant images to your poll.
How to add photos to IG Story
  1. If your Instagram Stories views are down, using stickers, location tagging, and highlight features can help improve your reach and engagement.

How Can Instagram Polls Help Your Brand and Business

Whether you use Instagram for business or leisure, you can add polls to your Instagram Story and benefit in the following ways:

  1. Boost reach and engagement: A good Instagram poll can catch the attention of your audience and encourage them to participate in it. This can work positively for your Instagram page metrics and help you gain new followers and leads.
  1. Know the audience or Instagram tribe better: The right poll questions can help you understand your audience better. During product or service ideation, you can use your poll data to customize them to fit your audience’s preferences. The same goes for any launch you are planning. 
  1. Increase interaction with the audience: Posting fun and engaging Instagram poll questions from time to time can gradually improve your interaction with your followers. This will also boost the visibility of your website, if you have one, and convert visitors to leads. But be wary about your audience’s cultural background as some funny poll questions may not rub well on them. Observe discretion at all times. 
  1. Get real-time feedback: You can also use Instagram polls to receive quick and real-time feedback from your audience.

    For example, if you want to learn about your customers’ views on a product that you sell on Instagram, you can create an Instagram poll with the product image and specifications and ask your audience to vote.
  2. Keep your followers entertained: The right polls for Instagram can also educate and entertain your audience, giving them reasons to keep coming back to your page. 

How to See Poll Results and Share on Instagram

Here’s how you can view and share the results of an Instagram poll with your audience:

  1. Tap your profile picture on the top left to open your Instagram Story.
Instagram Story tab
  1. Go to the Poll Question and swipe up from the bottom of the screen. You can see the Poll results here.
Instagram Story Poll results illustration
  1. Tap on the “Share Results” option.
How to share Instagram poll results illustration
  1. Customize the Story poll results with text, stickers, and effects if you want and share it with your audience.
Instagram Poll results illustration

This is how you can see poll results on Instagram. The result of an Instagram poll is shared as a separate Story so your audience can see how other people voted. It is always good to share poll results to keep your audience engaged.

Start Using Instagram Polls for Better Engagement

Instagram polls are easy to create and perfect to do to interact with your audience. The right polls can also boost the visibility of your brand and products, and generate more engagement and leads.

Do not overdo with IG Polls though; you can create and share one every few days and check the response of your audience. Keep tabs on the type of questions your audience is responding to and create similar polls for better engagement.

Also, make sure you use fun and creative Instagram poll questions to avoid monotony.Start using Instagram polls right away and leverage this feature to promote your brand or business.

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Best Instagram Scheduling App: 15 Options You Should Check Out https://shanebarker.com/blog/best-instagram-scheduler/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/best-instagram-scheduler/#respond Fri, 26 May 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=74501 As a busy entrepreneur, time is a precious commodity for me. And managing my IG presence is a time-consuming task. But I can’t afford to ignore it either. 

That's why I've found Instagram scheduling tools to be a lifesaver! 

With these tools, I can schedule my Instagram posts in advance and focus on other important aspects of my business without sacrificing my social media strategy. 

I can also ensure that my content is posted at the optimal times for maximum engagement, without having to monitor and manually post on the platform constantly.

In this post, I'll discuss why you should consider using Instagram scheduling tools to optimize your social media efforts. 

We’ll also talk about the best Instagram scheduling apps, their key features, and pricing plans.

What is an Instagram Scheduler?

An Instagram Scheduler allows you to schedule your Instagram posts in advance, so they’re automatically published at your selected date and time. This can help you plan out your content calendar in advance and build a consistent posting schedule. 

Instagram scheduler tools typically offer features such as post scheduling, post previews, and analytics to track engagement and performance.

What Are the Benefits of Using Instagram Scheduling Tools?

Instagram scheduling tools offer benefits such as increased efficiency in content creation and scheduling, improved consistency in posting, advanced planning and previewing of content, and optimization of engagement metrics.

Here are all the benefits of using Instagram scheduling tools:

  • Increased Efficiency: By using scheduling tools, you can streamline your content creation and posting processes, saving time and resources.
  • Improved Consistency: Scheduling your posts in advance helps ensure that you maintain a regular posting schedule, which can boost engagement and visibility.
  • Advanced Planning: With scheduling tools, you can plan your content weeks or even months in advance. You can focus on other work while these tools publish your post consistently on auto-pilot.
  • Preview and Optimization: Many scheduling tools offer the ability to preview how your posts will look in the Instagram feed. Some other tools also provide engagement analytics to help you optimize your content for better results.
  • Timezone Flexibility: Scheduling tools allow users to post at optimal times for their audience, regardless of time zone differences.
  • Multi-Account Management: Some scheduling tools offer the ability to manage multiple Instagram accounts, making it easier for users with multiple profiles to stay organized.

Overall, using Instagram scheduling tools can save you time and enhance the effectiveness of your social media strategies.

How to Choose the Best Instagram Scheduling App

Finding the best Instagram scheduling app took a while for me. I tried a few different apps out there, and I’ve currently found one that perfectly suits my needs as a small business owner.

Based on my experience, I understand you need to invest some time in research before subscribing to any scheduling app.

Here are some key factors to consider when you’re choosing an Instagram scheduling app :

  • Features: Ideally, you should look an Instagram scheduling app that enables you to schedule posts, save captions and IG hashtags, edit images, and manage multiple accounts. Some apps also offer analytics and an option to schedule posts on multiple social networks.
  • User Interface: Choose an Instagram scheduling app that is easy to use and navigate. An intuitive interface will ensure that you don’t have to spend too much training your team on how to use the scheduling app.
  • Pricing: Consider the cost of the Instagram scheduling app. Some apps offer a free trial or a free version with limited features, while others require a monthly or yearly subscription fee.
  • Customer Support: Look for an Instagram scheduling app that offers excellent customer support. The app should have a responsive customer support team that can answer any questions or concerns you may have.
  • User Reviews: Read user reviews of the Instagram scheduling app before making a decision. You’ll get a clear idea of the pros and cons of each app.

    Before you commit to any IG scheduling app, make sure you do thorough research. It’s best if you can actually try out the scheduling app for a few days before you subscribe to it.

Which Are the Best Instagram Scheduler Tools and Apps for 2023?

In this section, I have listed the best Instagram scheduling tools along with their key features and pricing plans. Use this information to compare different options out there and choose the best tool for your business:

1. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is an Instagram scheduling app that enables you to easily plan and schedule your content from your desktop or phone. This app allows you to publish photos, videos, Stories, and carousels on Instagram without having to manually post them.

Hootsuite - IG Scheduling Tool

With Hootsuite’s single dashboard, you can collaborate with your team members and even assign tasks to them. This makes it easy to manage multiple Instagram accounts together. 

Before you post, you’ll also get suggestions on the best times to post based on past activity.

Hootsuite - IG Scheduling Tool - Best time to post

Once your post is published, you can also get access to in-depth analytics. With this IG scheduling app, you can track your engagement, follower growth, and other key metrics.  If you want to improve your IG marketing strategy, these insights can come in handy. 

Key Features

  • Schedule and publish photos, videos, stories, and carousels seamlessly from your desktop or phone.
  • Publish multi-image or video posts with just one click.
  • Create a media library containing pre-approved images and videos for easy access.
  • Monitor your competitors' activities and keep an eye on top-performing hashtags.
  • Track your progress with visually appealing reports that showcase what resonates with your audience.
  • Tag your products to make your content shoppable or schedule them for later to coincide with your product campaigns.
  • Enjoy access to a range of exclusive third-party apps, including Adview, Synapview, Panoramic Insights, and others.

Pros

  • Multi-profile scheduling and bulk scheduling option available
  • Check all scheduled posts on social content calendar 
  • Suspend scheduled IG posts and resume later as needed

Cons

  • Hootsuite is not free, and may be too expensive for some users
  • The multi-column layout can be overwhelming for some users

[Note: If the cons seem disappointing, you can also check out my post on Hootsuite alternatives to find a better tool]

Pricing 

  • Professional Plan: $99 per month [For 10 social profiles and 1 user]
  • Team Plan: $249 per month [For 20 social profiles and 3 users]
  • Business Plan: $739 per month [For 35 social profiles and 5 users]
  • Enterprise Plan: Please get in touch with their sales team for pricing details. 
  • 30-day free trial available for Professional and Team plans
  • Demo available on request

What Users Say About Hootsuite

“One thing I like about Hootsuite is its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy to manage multiple social media accounts in one place. Hootsuite also offers a range of features, including content scheduling, analytics, and team collaboration tools. However, I've had some issues with Hootsuite's pricing model, which can be expensive for larger teams or businesses.”
CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Venture Smarter

2. Buffer

I’ve been using Buffer to schedule my social media posts, and I must say that it’s been a great user experience. Because of its rich functionality and ease of use, I’ve included it in my list of the best social media management apps out there.

With Buffer, you can visually plan and schedule your Instagram posts, carousels, Stories, and Reels. That makes it easy to manage your content and keep your feed organized. 

You can also easily reschedule your posts by dragging and dropping them around the app calendar. If you want to shift a bunch of schedule posts together, this option is really convenient.

Buffer - IG Scheduling Tool

Its drafting feature allows you to save post ideas and come back to them later, and its browser extension enables you to quickly share content from anywhere on the web. 

Aside from direct scheduling, Buffer also offers reminders for posts so you'll receive push notifications.

Buffer - IG Scheduling Tool - Mobile App Screenshot

Plus, Buffer has a drafts and approval process for all IG posts. This makes it easy to collaborate with team members and ensures that your content is error-free and on-brand.

Key Features

  • Publish posts, carousels, and Reels directly to Instagram automatically
  • Schedule hashtags to be automatically posted as first comments on your posts
  • View the best times to publish for maximum reach
  • Create and organize saved hashtags for use in your Instagram posts
  • Effortlessly reschedule posts by dragging and dropping them on the calendar.

Pros

  • Links shortened automatically to buff.ly or bit.ly links
  • Hashtag Manager to save hashtags for later use
  • Shuffle order of scheduled posts as needed

Cons

  • Does not offer bulk uploading option

Pricing 

  • Free Plan: $0 per month, manage up to 3 social media accounts
  • Essentials Plan: $6/month/channel 
  • Team Plan: $12/month/channel 
  • Agency Plan: $120/month/10 channels 
  • 14-day free trial for all plans available

3. Later

Later is an Instagram Scheduling app that lets you schedule your posts by dropping photos and videos onto the calendar. With a drag-and-drop feature, you can arrange your upcoming posts to achieve the perfect look for your feed.

Later - IG Scheduling Tool

The app also has editing tools that help you keep your Instagram posts looking great, including the post caption. 

Later also offers unlimited storage for all your photos and videos. You can upload them directly via your mobile phone, desktop, or laptop. From any of these systems, you can import your media from Google Drive and Dropbox.

Later - IG Scheduling Tool - Drag and Drop Editor

Later learns when your Instagram followers are most engaged, giving you unique scheduling suggestions to maximize your audience reach.

Key Features

  • Automatically publish single images, carousels, Stories, and Reels on Instagram.
  • Preview your posts before publishing them to ensure they look perfect.
  • Discover the best time to post and receive unique hashtag suggestions to optimize your feed.
  • Access detailed Instagram analytics to monitor post performance and follower growth.
  • Receive hashtag suggestions to increase post visibility and engagement.
  • Receive a phone notification when it’s time to post Instagram Stories.
  • Schedule multiple posts at once with the bulk scheduling feature.

Pros

  • Easy to use drag and drop functionality
  • Great analytics related to hashtag performance
  • Provides a special feature to add links in bio to drive more traffic to IG posts

Cons

  • Some users have complained about poor customer service

Pricing 

  • Starter Plan: $18/month
    • 1 social set
    • 1 user
  • Growth Plan:  $40/month
    • 3 social sets
    • 3 users
  • Advanced Plan: $80/month
    • 6 social sets
    • 6 users

4. Iconosquare

Iconosquare is a social media management platform that enables you to schedule Instagram Stories, carousels, and Reels. This allows you to plan and organize your content in advance.

You can check all your scheduled posts in a monthly or weekly calendar view for better visibility.

Iconosquare - IG Scheduling App - Calendar View

With Iconosquare, you can also cross-post your content on multiple platforms. This way, you can reach a wider audience across networks.

Iconosquare - IG Scheduling App - Post Preview

In addition to scheduling and cross-posting, Iconosquare offers a media library where you can store and organize your content. 

Using the platform, you can also allow for first comment scheduling and post-approval and collaboration. This gives you greater control over your social media content.

And once your post goes live, you get access to detailed analytics to see how your post is performing. That’s why I’ve also included Iconosquare in my list of the best Instagram analytics tools out there.

Key Features

  • Easily upload and label media from your computer, Google Drive, or Dropbox.
  • Crop your images and add tags, mentions, comments, and geolocation for better engagement.
  • Draft your posts and share them with colleagues or clients for approval via a unique link.
  • Schedule the same content across multiple social channels for efficient posting.
  • Share your content calendar with clients for better collaboration and planning.

Pros

  • Get analytics on all of the content you publish on Instagram.
  • Get detailed visual reports to help make optimal choices for effective branding strategies. 
  • Use the efficient publishing feature to post across several platforms from one draft

Cons

  • Can be expensive for small businesses

Pricing 

  • Pro Plan: €49/month (billed annually); 3 social media profiles, 2 team members
  • Advanced Plan: €79/month (billed annually); 5 social media profiles, unlimited team members
  • Enterprise Plan: €139/month (billed annually);10 social media profiles, unlimited team members

5. Sendible

Sendible allows you to schedule social media posts, images, and videos effortlessly. You can use the bulk scheduling option to save time. While scheduling, you can add mentions, hashtags, emojis, and visuals.

Sendible - IG Scheduling App - Scheduling Options

Plus, you can organize social media posts into groups and schedule them at any time. 

When you schedule multiple posts with the queue feature, you can create a long-term posting plan. If you want to maintain consistency in your posting schedule, it is a great feature to use. 

You can check all the scheduled posts from the past as well as the ones yet to be published with   the calendar view.

Sendible - IG Scheduling App - Calendar View

With Sendible, you can easily edit or rearrange your scheduled posts. Plus, you get quick access to existing content in the cloud with their Dropbox and Google Drive integrations.

Key Features

  • Schedule and plan your Instagram posts with reminders using mobile push notifications.
  • Auto-publish Reels and image carousels on Instagram.
  • Schedule campaigns in bulk weeks or months ahead with our scheduler.
  • Save content, such as most-used hashtags, for future use.
  • Set up repeating posts for evergreen content with a start and end date.

Pros

  • Offers a social listening feature that allows you to monitor mentions of your brand or keywords across social media platforms.
  • Enables you to schedule multiple IG posts together

Cons

  • The mobile app can be slow and buggy at times.
  • Some users have reported issues with the platform, such as difficulties with post previews.

Pricing 

  • Creator Plan: $29/month billed annually; 1 user, 6 social profiles
  • Traction Plan: $89/month billed annually; 4 users, 24 social profiles
  • Scale Plan: $199/month billed annually; 7 users, 49 social profiles
  • 14-day free trial available

What Users Say About Sendible

“Sendible is our go-to social media manager. It allows teams to manage our 4 social media channels all in one dashboard. 
The best feature is its analytics and the way that it presents data. The downside is that the preview of posts doesn’t reflect reality, but once you realize you can get used to that. “
Marketing Manager at Ling App

6. SocialPilot

Social Pilot is an effective scheduling app for Instagram that allows you to manage multiple IG accounts with ease. With their smart scheduling feature, you can automate your content sharing based on optimal posting times.

SocialPilot - IG Scheduling App

The app also offers the “Draft Posts” feature, allowing you to save and edit your content before publishing. You can organize and classify your IG posts, making it easier to find and reuse your most successful posts.

SocialPilot - IG Scheduling App - Dashboard

Additionally, with the “Schedule First Comment” feature, you can add the first comment to your post at the time of scheduling. To make sure your posts get the maximum engagement, you can add hashtags strategically in the comments section with this scheduling feature. 

Key Features

  • Schedule and edit various types of Instagram posts, including reels, stories, carousels, and regular posts.
  • Store your most-used Instagram hashtags in clusters for easy access and use in your posts.
  • Schedule posts in bulk and make changes to them later, even after scheduling them once.
  • Integrate with Canva, Dropbox, and Box for easy access to design tools and cloud storage.
  • Add various details to your scheduled posts, such as location, geo-tags, emojis, and captions.

Pros

  • Schedule first comment with strategic hashtags
  • Role-based permissions for IG posts
  • Schedule up to 500 bulk posts 

Cons

  • Interface may seem a little outdated

Pricing 

  • Agency+ Plan: $200/month or $170.00/mo billed annually
    • 50 Social Media Accounts
    • No user limit
  • Agency Plan: $100/month or $85.00/mo billed annually
    • 30 Social Media Accounts
    • 6 Users
  • Small Team Plan: $50/month or $42.50/mo billed annually
    • 20 Social Media Accounts
    • 3 Users
  • Professional Plan: $30/month or $25.50/mo billed annually
    • 10 Social Media Accounts
    • 1 User
  • Free 14-day trial available for all paid plans

7. CoSchedule

CoSchedule's Marketing Calendar is perfect for Instagram scheduling, allowing you to see, schedule, and share all your marketing activities.

CoSchedule - IG Scheduling App

It supports single-image, multi-image (Carousel), and video posts, and you can publish multi-image posts to your Instagram business account with push notifications.

Rescheduling is a breeze with CoSchedule's drag-and-drop feature, which lets you easily move projects around the calendar. 

You can also create and schedule social campaigns to promote your blog posts, events, and other initiatives.

coschedule

The ReQueue feature publishes your best content to your social channels and automates recurring social promotions. 

Additionally, you can create predefined social sharing plans to promote your content, blog posts, events, and other campaigns, and use Bulk Social Upload to upload and schedule up to 365 social messages on your calendar with a CSV file import.

Key Features

  • Schedule social messages in four ways: Standalone Social Message, Social Campaign, Placeholder ReQueue Group, and Intelligent ReQueue Group.
  • Utilize Bulk Social Media Scheduling for faster and more efficient messaging.
  • Categorize and automate scheduled messages using the ReQueQue feature.
  • Pause all scheduled messages whenever necessary for maximum control.
  • Determine the best time for a message to be sent with the help of Coschedule's analytics.
  • Create reusable social plans with ease by adding templates .

Pros

  • Ability to schedule posts on multiple networks
  • Can review comments and post replies
  • Can queue or pause scheduled messages

Cons

  • The interface may seem overwhelming for some users
  • Social sharing calendar may be glitchy

Pricing 

  • Marketing Calendar: $0. Forever-free marketing calendar with basic features
  • Marketing Calendar Pro: $29 USD/user/month (billed annually) with advanced marketing features
  • Marketing Suite: Contact for pricing. Includes all Marketing Calendar Pro features, plus additional features such as advanced audience targeting, content ideation insights, and dedicated account manager support.

8. Agorapulse

Agorapulse supports multiple social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok, among others. With their publishing calendar, you can organize your scheduled posts visually.

Agorapulse - IG Scheduling App

With a shared content calendar, you can easily accept, reject, or give feedback on individual posts. Additionally, you can create drafts for later use and take advantage of in-tool features like image cropper, video thumbnail customization, saved hashtags, and post preview.

One of the best features of Agorapulse is the ability to publish content once, twice, or more with an end date of your choosing. This means you can easily repeat your most popular posts or promote a particular campaign without having to schedule them individually. 

What’s more, you can even schedule reports once your IG posts are published. They can help you stay on top of your key metrics including follower growth, engagement, views, and more.

Agorapulse - IG Scheduling App - Report

The best part is that you can schedule these power reports to be sent to you monthly or weekly. If you have to send reports to your clients regularly, this feature is quite helpful. 

Key Features

  • Organize notes and track action items effortlessly with Agorapulse.
  • Reschedule content with ease for better social media management.
  • Improve organization with customizable folders and labels.
  • Edit your media using in-app tools such as cropping and creating custom video thumbnails.
  • Schedule your social media content on the go via the Agorapulse mobile app, available on iOS and Android.

Pros

  • Can schedule multiple IG posts with the queue feature
  • Post preview before publishing
  • Ability to schedule reports

Cons

  • Cannot reschedule posts if they are already added to a queue

Pricing 

  • Standard Plan: US$59 per user/month (billed monthly) with 10 social profiles included and US$15/mo per additional social profile
  • Professional Plan: US$99 per user/month (billed monthly) with 10 social profiles included and US$15/mo per additional social profile
  • Advanced Plan: US$149 per user/month (billed monthly) with 10 social profiles included and US$15/mo per additional social profile
  • Custom Plan: tailored solutions for your business needs with pricing available upon request. Book a demo to learn more and get a quote
  • All plans come with a free 30-day trial with no credit card required

9. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a popular Instagram scheduling app that simplifies importing and scheduling social media posts across multiple profiles and networks.

Sprout Social - IG Scheduling App

It enables you to identify the optimal send times to maximize engagement and reach a broader audience. The platform also offers content suggestions to help create compelling posts that resonate with your followers.

Sprout Social - IG Scheduling App - Post at Optimal Times

With Sprout Social, you can generate workflows that help to ensure that internal and external messages are approved before they are published. This helps to maintain consistency and quality in your content. 

It also allows you to group and categorize messages based on workflow, and business objectives, making it easier to manage your content. 

Plus, your entire team can easily check all the scheduled posts in a calendar format. With this feature, different teams can work together and collaborate easily for your Instagram marketing campaigns.

Sprout Social - IG Scheduling App - Calendar View

Additionally, the app offers integrations with tools like Canva, Google Drive, and Dropbox. If you have media stored in these apps, it’s easy to transfer it to Sprout Social with just a few clicks. 

Key Features

  • Manage IG publishing schedule with ease using Sprout Social.
  • Visualize the publishing schedule with an interactive calendar.
  • Access a shared library of multimedia assets to enhance posts.
  • Easily add product tags and links to posts.
  • Optimize post scheduling for maximum engagement with the platform's send time feature.
  • Receive real-time engagement updates to stay on top of IG activity.
  • Enjoy the convenience of a mobile app with powerful automation and collaboration tools for streamlined IG management.

Pros

  • Intuitive interface
  • Robust IG analytics reports
  • Ability to schedule posts in bulk
  • Responsive customer service

Cons

  • Some users complain that scheduling and publishing IG Stories is not very easy
  • Expensive pricing plans, especially if you add more users to any paid plan

Pricing 

  • Standard Plan: $249 per month
    • Includes 5 social profiles, social inbox, publishing, scheduling, and queueing posts, and other features. 
    • Additional users are +$199/mo
    • Free trial available with no credit card required.
  • Professional Plan: $399 per month
    • Includes all Standard features, plus unlimited social profiles, competitive reports, custom workflows, optimal send time scheduling, and other features. 
    • Additional users are +$299/mo. 
    • Free trial available with demo request and no credit card required.
  • Advanced Plan: $499 per month, includes all Professional features, plus digital asset and content library, saved and suggested replies, and other features. 
  • Additional users are +$349/mo. 
  • Free trial available with demo request and no credit card required.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom-built solutions with pricing available upon request. Request a demo to learn more.
  • Premium solutions can be added to any plan.

10. Sked Social

Sked Social is an Instagram scheduling app that helps you streamline your social media marketing efforts. With its content calendar, you can easily plan and schedule your posts by dragging and dropping them into the calendar.

Sked Social - IG Scheduling App

The social media marketing tool also features AI options that generate high-converting captions and content ideas. If you want to speed up your content creation process, these features can be super helpful.

The custom approval workflow allows team members to collaborate and approve posts before they go live. You can also preview your posts before publishing them, ensuring everything looks right. 

Additionally, Sked Social offers an all-in-one platform where you can answer DMs and reply to comments, making it easy to stay engaged with your audience.

Sked Social - IG Scheduling App - Dashboard

You can also use this tool for competitor analysis and check their key metrics on IG. With this platform, you can check analytics for their IG posts as well as IG Reels.  

Key Features

  • Schedule posts with precision in your preferred time zone.
  • Use post queues to organize and optimize your social media content.
  • Quickly upload multiple posts with bulk uploading.
  • Set automated publishing limits to manage the frequency of your posts.
  • Categorize your posts with post tags for easier tracking and analysis.

Pros

  • Can schedule multiple images at once
  • Multi-account management
  • Get access to analytics

Cons

  • You have to pay extra to get access to their media library

Pricing 

  • Professional Plan: $113 USD/mo, billed yearly as $1350
    • 5 IG accounts
    • Can upgrade to 10 IG accounts
  • Essentials Plan: $63 USD/mo, billed yearly as $750
    • 3 IG accounts
    • Can upgrade to 5 IG accounts
  • Fundamentals Plan: $21 USD/mo, billed yearly as $250
    • 1 IG account
    • Can upgrade to 3 IG accounts

11. Tailwind

Tailwind is an intuitive Instagram scheduling app that provides a drag-and-drop grid for scheduling posts. The platform offers a preview of your feed before you post, allowing you to plan your content and create a cohesive aesthetic.

Tailwind - IG Scheduling App

With Tailwind, you can also select themes that resonate with your audience. It’s a great design feature that can make your scheduled posts look more visually appealing.

One of Tailwind's most unique features is its mad-lib style caption templates that enable you to create captions quickly and easily.

Tailwind - IG Scheduling App - Caption templates

While scheduling your IG posts, you can also add links to them. If you want to drive traffic to your blog or website, this feature is really helpful. 

To assess how your published posts are performing, you can get access to post analytics. You can check essential growth metrics like followers, likes, and comments, helping you to measure the success of your content. 

Tailwind also provides daily, weekly, or monthly digests of your most important Instagram metrics, making it easy to track your progress and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Key Features

  • Schedule your IG Carousels, Stories, posts, and videos with Tailwind.
  • Schedule hashtags to appear in the first comment of your posts.
  • Utilize the Smart Schedule feature to automatically schedule your Instagram posts at the optimal times for your audience.
  • Get intuitive hashtag recommendations to improve your reach and engagement.
  • Format your captions with different font styles and sizes.
  • Tag other users and include location tags in your posts to increase engagement.

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Can add links to your IG bio 
  • Get hashtag recommendations before posting 

Cons

The tool may take a while to learn or get used to

Pricing 

  • Free Forever Plan: $0/month
    • 1 Instagram account
  • Pro Plan: $12.99/month or $155.88 billed annually
    • 1 Instagram account
    • 100 posts across IG, Facebook, and Pinterest
  • Advanced Plan: $19.99/month or $239.88 billed annually
    • 2 Instagram accounts
    • 1000 posts across IG, Facebook, and Pinterest
  • Max Plan: $39.99/month or $479.88 billed annually
    • 3 Instagram accounts
    • Unlimited posts across IG, Facebook, and Pinterest

12. SocialBee

SocialBee is a powerful scheduling app for Instagram that allows you to organize your posts into diverse content categories. You can schedule entire content categories at once and publish them across multiple social media platforms.

SocialBee - IG Scheduling App

With SocialBee, you can also pause categories whenever you want, giving you complete control over your social media strategy. You cn also view all scheduled posts in the platform’s content calendar.

SocialBee - IG Scheduling App - Calendar view

The app's re-queue feature lets you create an evergreen content cycle, ensuring that your best-performing posts are re-shared over time. 

SocialBee - IG Scheduling App - Post Preview

SocialBee enables you to expire posts at a specific date or after multiple shares, helping you maintain a consistent and relevant social media presence.

Key Features

  • Manage your scheduled content categories easily by reviewing, adjusting, or deleting them as needed.
  • Design eye-catching visuals for your posts directly within SocialBee's content editor using the Canva integration.
  • Easily recycle your best-performing content by re-queuing posts for future sharing.
  • Plan your content calendar down to the minute by scheduling and expiring posts at specific times.
  • Maximize your content's reach by scheduling the same post multiple times.
  • Keep track of your social media performance with detailed analytics on activity status, audience growth, and engagement.
  • Collaborate with team members and provide feedback by reviewing posts, making edits, and approving content within SocialBee's platform.

Pros

  • Offers a “Category” feature that enables you to quickly recycle and repost popular content
  • Provides analytics and insights to help you track your Instagram performance
  • Offers advanced scheduling features, such as recurring posts, and queuing of evergreen content

Cons

  • May not be suitable for businesses with larger teams who need more collaboration and user management features

Pricing 

  • Bootstrap Plan
    • $19 per month
    • Manage up to 5 social media accounts within a single workspace
    • One user per workspace and one workspace
  • Accelerate Plan
    • $39 per month
    • Manage up to 10 social media accounts within a single workspace
    • One user per workspace and one workspace
  • Pro Plan
    • $79 per month
    • Manage up to 25 social media accounts across up to 5 workspaces
    • Up to 3 users per workspace, allowing for team collaboration on social media management tasks

13. Loomly

Loomly is a feature-packed IG scheduling app that offers automated publishing for Instagram and IG Ads. It offers two views for checking content, the List View, and the Calendar View, making it easier to organize your publishing schedule.

Loomly - IG Scheduling App

With a central Library, you can keep all your media in one place and access them whenever needed. The platform also offers Unsplash and Giphy integrations, giving you access to millions of stock images and animated GIFs.

Loomly - IG Scheduling App - Post Preview

Loomly's approval workflow ensures that your posts are reviewed before they are published, maintaining consistency and quality in your content. 

The app also provides analytics for all posts, not just those published via Loomly, giving you insight into important growth metrics such as reach, engagement, and follower count.

Key Features

  • Schedule your IG posts and IG Ads with Loomly.
  • Generate custom post ideas with Loomly's content suggestion feature.
  • Preview your posts and ads before they go live.
  • Access in-depth account, post, and URL metrics to track your performance.
  • Use Loomly Media Studio to access a library of stock images and multimedia assets.
  • Manage your hashtags effectively with Loomly's built-in Hashtag Manager.

Pros

  • Easy to navigate
  • Schedule posts to multiple platforms
  • Can find creative posts ideas with their ideas section
  • Can save hashtags that you use frequently

Cons

  • Limited integrations

Pricing 

  • Base Plan: $35 per month
    • 2 users
    • 10 social accounts
  • Standard Plan: $79 per month
    • 6 users
    • 20 social accounts
  • Advanced Plan: $172 per month
    • 14 users
    • 35 social accounts
  • Premium Plan: $359 per month
    • 30 users
    • 50 social accounts
  • Enterprise Plan: Request a Quote
    • 31+ users
    • 51+ social accounts
  • All plans come with a 15-day free trial.

14. Combin

Combin is a free scheduling app for Instagram that allows you to easily schedule both IG Stories and posts. You can upload your images, select a publishing date, and get your posts scheduled in no time.

Combin - IG Scheduling App

Combin also offers image size editing, which allows you to crop or zoom your images to fit IG’s image size requirements. Additionally, you can adjust your posts' orientation to vertical, portrait, or landscape within the app.

Combin - IG Scheduling App - Scheduling Options

What’s more, Combin also offers bulk Stories scheduling capability. This feature allows you to schedule multiple Stories at once. This makes it a great tool for those who need to create and post a large number of Stories regularly.

Key Features

  • Access an in-app calendar to check scheduled IG posts.
  • Schedule your posts ahead of time or post instantly.
  • Edit your image sizes with Combin’s in-app editing tools.
  • Add location tags to your posts to increase engagement.
  • Mention other accounts and include relevant hashtags to improve your reach.
  • Schedule your IG stories in bulk with Combin's bulk scheduling feature.
  • Preview your posts before they go live to ensure they fit your brand aesthetic.

Pros

  • Very easy to use
  • You can schedule IG posts for free
  • Affordable pricing plans

Cons

  • Some users complain that the software doesn’t work well

Pricing 

  • Starter Plan: Free
    • 1 account
  • Personal Plan: $15/month
    • 1 account
  • Business Plan: $30/month
    • 5 accounts
    • Account purchase option for 10 accounts available

15. Hopper HQ

Hopper HQ is an advanced scheduling app for Instagram with a user-friendly interface. It automatically schedules your IG content, including Reels and Carousels, without sending ‘post reminder’ notifications.

Hopper HQ - IG Scheduling App

With Hopper HQ, you can schedule first comments and captions while scheduling posts, and save posts as drafts. Their in-app cropping tool also enables you to make quick edits before your IG posts go live.

Hopper HQ - IG Scheduling App - Dashboard

It also enables you to create one post and publish it to all your social media networks, including TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Key Features

  • Schedule your IG posts, videos, carousels, and Reels with Combin.
  • Choose between a calendar or grid planner view to manage your content schedule.
  • Schedule your first comment along with your post to optimize your hashtag strategy.
  • Save frequently used hashtags and captions for quick access and streamlined posting.
  • Discover related hashtags to expand your reach and engagement.
  • Tag other users, tag your location, and include photo tags to increase your visibility and engagement.
  • Upload up to 50 images and videos in one go from various cloud storage locations, such as your computer, Dropbox, Google Drive.

Pros

  • Intuitive interface
  • Great customer support
  • Can schedule first comments

Cons

  • Can be slow to load
  • Sometimes scheduled posts might not get published

Pricing 

  • Hopper HQ Plan: $19/month
  • Pro Plan: $39/month

Comparison of the Best 10 Instagram Scheduler Tools 

This comparison table will help you quickly and easily compare the key features and pricing plans of the best IG scheduling apps. I hope it helps you decide which one is the best for your needs.

Tool

Key Features

Pricing

hootsuite-logo

Hootsuite

  • Schedule and publish photos, videos, stories, and carousels seamlessly from your desktop or phone.

  • Create a media library containing pre-approved images and videos for easy access.

  • Monitor your competitors' activities and keep an eye on top-performing hashtags.

  • Track your progress with visually appealing reports that showcase what resonates with your audience.

  • Tag your products to make your content shoppable or schedule them for later to coincide with your product campaigns.

  • Enjoy access to a range of exclusive third-party apps, including Adview, Synapview, Panoramic Insights, and others.

  • Professional Plan: $99 per month

  • Team Plan: $249 per month

  • Business Plan: $739 per month

  • Enterprise Plan: Please get in touch with their sales team for pricing details.

  • 30-day free trial available for Professional and Team plans

  • Demo available on request

buffer logo

Buffer

  • Publish posts, carousels, and Reels directly to Instagram automatically

  • Schedule hashtags to be automatically posted as first comments on your posts

  • View the best times to publish for maximum reach

  • Create and organize saved hashtags for use in your Instagram posts

  • Effortlessly reschedule posts by dragging and dropping them on the calendar.

  • Free Plan: $0 per month

  • Essentials Plan: $6/month/channel

  • Team Plan: $12/month/channel

  • Agency Plan: $120/month/10 channels

  • 14-day free trial for all plans available

later logo

Later

  • Automatically publish single images, carousels, Stories, and Reels on Instagram.

  • Discover the best time to post and receive unique hashtag suggestions to optimize your feed.

  • Access detailed Instagram analytics to monitor post performance and follower growth.

  • Receive hashtag suggestions to increase post visibility and engagement.

  • Schedule multiple posts at once with the bulk scheduling feature.

  • Starter Plan: $18/month

  • Growth Plan:  $40/month

  • Advanced Plan: $80/month

iconsquare

Iconosquare

  • Easily upload and label media from your computer, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

  • Crop your images and add tags, mentions, comments, and geolocation for better engagement.

  • Draft your posts and share them with colleagues or clients for approval via a unique link.

  • Schedule the same content across multiple social channels for efficient posting.

  • Share your content calendar with clients for better collaboration and planning.

  • Pro Plan: €49/month (billed annually)

  • Advanced Plan: €79/month (billed annually)

  • Enterprise Plan: €139/month (billed annually)

sendible logo

Sendible

  • Schedule and plan your Instagram posts with reminders using mobile push notifications.

  • Auto-publish Reels and image carousels on Instagram.

  • Schedule campaigns in bulk weeks or months ahead with our scheduler.

  • Save content, such as most-used hashtags, for future use.

  • Set up repeating posts for evergreen content with a start and end date.

  • Creator Plan: $29/month billed annually

  • Traction Plan: $89/month billed annually

  • Scale Plan: $199/month billed annually

  • 14-day free trial available

SocialPilot logo

SocialPilot

  • Schedule and edit various types of Instagram posts, including Reels, stories, carousels, and regular posts.

  • Store your most-used Instagram hashtags in clusters for easy access and use in your posts.

  • Schedule up to 500 posts at once and make changes to them later, even after scheduling them once.

  • Integrate with Canva, Dropbox, and Box for easy access to design tools and cloud storage.

  • Add various details to your scheduled posts, such as location, geo-tags, emojis, and captions.

  • Agency+ Plan: $200/month or $170.00/mo billed annually 

  • Agency Plan: $100/month or $85.00/mo billed annually

  • Small Team Plan: $50/month or $42.50/mo billed annually

  • Professional Plan: $30/month or $25.50/mo billed annually

  • Free 14-day trial available for all paid plans

CoSchedule

CoSchedule

  • Schedule social messages in four ways: Standalone Social Message, Social Campaign, Placeholder ReQueue Group, and Intelligent ReQueue Group.

  • Utilize Bulk Social Media Scheduling for faster and more efficient messaging.

  • Categorize and automate scheduled messages using the ReQueQue feature.

  • Pause all scheduled messages whenever necessary for maximum control.

  • Determine the best time for a message to be sent with the help of Coschedule's analytics.

  • Marketing Calendar: $0.

  • Marketing Calendar Pro: $29 USD/user/month (billed annually)

  • Marketing Suite: Contact for pricing.

agorapulse-logo

Agorapulse

  • Organize notes and track action items effortlessly with Agorapulse

  • Reschedule content with ease for better social media management

  • Improve organization with customizable folders and labels

  • Edit your media using in-app tools such as cropping and creating custom video thumbnails

  • Schedule your social media content on the go via the Agorapulse mobile app, available on iOS and Android

  • Standard Plan: US$59 per user/month (billed monthly)

  • Professional Plan: US$99 per user/month (billed monthly)

  • Advanced Plan: US$149 per user/month (billed monthly)

  • Custom Plan: tailored solutions for your business needs with pricing available upon request. Book a demo to learn more and get a quote

  • All plans come with a free 30-day trial with no credit card required

sprout social logo

Sprout Social

  • Manage IG publishing schedule with ease using Sprout Social

  • Visualize the publishing schedule with an interactive calendar

  • Access a shared library of multimedia assets to enhance posts

  • Easily add product tags and links to posts

  • Optimize post scheduling for maximum engagement with the platform's send time feature

  • Receive real-time engagement updates to stay on top of IG activity

  • Standard Plan: $249 per month
    Additional users are +$199/mo

  • Professional Plan: $399 per month
    Additional users are +$299/mo.

  • Advanced Plan: $499 per month
    Additional users are +$349/mo.

  • Enterprise Plan: Custom-built solutions with pricing available upon request. Request a demo to learn more.

  • Premium solutions can be added to any plan.

Sked Social

Sked Social

  • Schedule posts with precision in your preferred time zone.

  • Use post queues to organize and optimize your social media content.

  • Quickly upload multiple posts with bulk uploading.

  • Set automated publishing limits to manage the frequency of your posts.

  • Categorize your posts with post tags for easier tracking and analysis.

  • Professional Plan: $113 USD/mo, billed yearly as $1350

  • Essentials Plan: $63 USD/mo, billed yearly as $750

  • Fundamentals Plan: $21 USD/mo, billed yearly as $250

Ready to Try an Instagram Scheduler Tool For Your Business?

In conclusion, scheduling tools can be a game-changer for your Instagram strategy, allowing you to plan and automate your posts, save time and energy, and boost your engagement and website traffic. 

The top 15 scheduler tools we've shared in this article offer a variety of features and pricing options to suit your needs and budget. 

Whether you're a small business owner or a social media manager, these tools will help you take your Instagram strategy to the next level in 2023. So, go ahead and try them out! Don’t hesitate to mention questions, if you have any, in the comments section. I’ll be happy to answer them for you.

FAQs

1. Is it easy to schedule Instagram posts?

Yes, it is relatively easy to schedule Instagram posts using various social media management tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, Later, and many others. 

These tools allow you to create and schedule your posts in advance. They  automatically publish your posts at the designated time and date without any additional effort required from you.

2. What should you look for in an Instagram scheduling tool?

Here are some key things to look for in an Instagram scheduling tool:

Features: Look for features such as scheduling posts, creating and saving captions and IG hashtags, editing images, and managing multiple accounts.

User Interface: Choose an Instagram scheduling app that has an intuitive interface and allows you to quickly and easily schedule your posts.

Pricing: Check if the pricing plans are within your budget. Some apps also offer a free trial of the app. If you can actually use the app with your team before subscribing to a paid plan, that’s the best!

Customer Support: Look for an Instagram scheduling app that has a responsive customer support team that can answer any questions or concerns you may have.

– User Reviews: Read user reviews of the Instagram scheduling app before making a decision. They can help you figure out the drawbacks of the app and if the tool can live up to your expectations. 

3. What is the best time to post on Instagram?

The best time to post on Instagram depends on your target audience and their behavior. You want to post when your followers are most active on the platform to maximize engagement and reach. 

Generally speaking, the best times to post on Instagram are during the peak hours when users are most active and likely to be online.

To learn general trends about engagement and posting frequency, check out my post on, “When is the best time to post on Instagram?

4. Should I post every day on Instagram?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The right posting frequency for IG posts largely depends on your goals, audience, and the quality of your content. 

It's more important to post high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your audience than to post frequently. 

If you find that posting every day leads to a drop in the quality of your content, it's better to focus on creating fewer but better-quality posts.

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How To Take Good Instagram Photos https://shanebarker.com/blog/how-to-take-good-instagram-photos/ https://shanebarker.com/blog/how-to-take-good-instagram-photos/#respond Tue, 23 May 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://shanebarker.com/?p=74147 Taking good photos of yourself on Instagram can be a difficult task. Whether you're trying to capture your latest hairstyle or outfit or a special moment, the quality of your photos can make or break your Instagram game. 

With the right Instagram tools and techniques, you can elevate your selfie game and start taking gorgeous photos that will captivate your followers. 

In this guide, I will explore some tips and tricks to take amazing instagram photos of yourself.

9 Tips To Take Good Pictures of Yourself on Instagram

A study showed, posts with photos that match a certain set of values on Instagram get 3% more likes, and have an average of 19% more engagement on Instagram.

This is important if you’re trying to become an influencer on Instagram, or trying to establish your online shop to sell on Instagram.

That’s why it’s all the more important to step up your photography game on Instagram.

Here are 9 tips to take stunning photos of yourself for Instagram.

1. Check Your Camera Settings

Before you take any photos make sure your camera settings are right. Most phone cameras are very powerful but the most tricky part is learning how to use them. Always look at what you're working with before taking photos.

Take yourself on a tour of each camera setting to understand what they do, and how each can benefit a situation.

No matter what type of selfie you’re taking, it's important to consider the art direction of your shot. To get the perfect angle, you can make use of hands-free devices such as a tripod, and use voice activation to take the perfect shot. 

For the most professional-looking photos, it is best to use pro mode. To find it go to your camera settings and turn on pro mode.

In Pro mode, you can adjust plenty of settings, such as:

  1. Contrast 
  2. Highlights 
  3. Shadows
  4. Saturation
  5. Tint
  6. Temperature
image use pro mode from camera settings

2. Make Use of Lighting

Lighting is the most important part of taking the perfect photo. Understanding how to use light is the first and most important rule of getting great photos using only the camera on your phone. 

The harsh lighting tends to wash out your skin tones and throw shadows into sharp focus. Try using the pro settings on your camera to make your photo look more professional. 

When taking a video  switch on pro video on your camera settings making the video look more clean and natural.

Avoid using your flash, natural light creates richer and brighter photos. The flash can wash out your subject in your photo, take photos near windows or well lit places. Experiment with taking your pictures mid-morning or mid-evening for soft, flattering light.

When you're looking at the photo below you can see precisely where the light and darkness meet as the light gets brighter and where the light starts fading into the shadow to complete darkness.

3. Add Layers to Your Picture

Photos that include layers, with patterns or objects in the background as well as the foreground are naturally more interesting because they offer more depth. Try adding more furniture in the background to add more layers and depth to give your photo more character.

You can try adding some flowers or decorations in the foreground when taking a picture. Make use of a blank wall with a beautiful painting in the background with a table or a nice chair. 

Here’s a beautiful example of layering in a photo by Alice Gao.

The photo offers a table and flower in the foreground, with a blank wall and chair in the background. The background has muted colors, that help the flowers in the foreground stand out.

4. Strike the Right Pose

Do you do the same pose over and over again? What might have worked before, can become repetitive to your followers and you’ll see a steady decline in engagement.

Try new poses, different angles, or a different setting that will make your photo look more interesting and engage your followers. You could even create a GIF with plenty of different poses playing back to back.

Try changing your hair or your outfit with different poses. Try tilting your head or pouting your face. You can use your hands and arms to give motion to your poses, but keep it natural. 

To keep things interesting, here are some selfie poses you can use:

  • Sexy selfie poses
  • Silly selfie poses
  • Mirror selfies
  • Serious selfie poses
  • Happy/Smiling selfie poses

Here’s an example.

For all three photos, Juline strikes a different pose, showcasing a full range of emotions.

5. Consider Using Props

Props are another excellent way to take a good picture. A prop or two can go a long way in building a better photo. From holding a beautiful coffee mug to houseplants, adding something extra to your photo can bring it to life. 

Do you have a pet at home?

Holding your cat or dog as a prop is an excellent way to get a lot of likes. Not to mention the cute Instagram captions you can use. 

This can change the aesthetics of your photo depending on your pet's reaction. Here’s a cool post from @mrigakishan showing off her purrfect cat.

6. Use a Tripod

If you don't already use a tripod, then you should consider getting one. Who knows whether you might find yourself in a situation where you’d love to take the perfect photo, but no one’s around.

That’s where tripods come in. Simply set up your tripod, get the perfect angle and backdrop, and let loose taking self pictures. For the best results when using a tripod, use a remote trigger or voice activation to take the picture.

If a tripod isn’t your thing, you can also consider a selfie stick for your phone. Selfie sticks allow you to get better angles and wider shots, without the need of another person.

7. Follow the Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is a composition that refers to the arrangement of a photo. The rule of thirds works like a grid that divides the photo up into thirds. If you want to know how to take the perfect selfie, then following this rule is crucial.

The goal is to put the best aspects of the photo in the intersections of the grid, to create a balanced and natural-looking photo. If you're having trouble finding the grid by yourself, try going to your settings and turning on grid mode.

image use rule of thirds for images

Divide up your frame in three evenly-spaced vertical lines and three evenly-spaced horizontal lines. Where the lines intersect is where subjects in focus can be placed. 

The example below shows a flower being held precisely at the intersection of the two lines.

8. Insert Stickers and Filters for Some Extra Flair

One of the more interesting ways to take creative selfies for Instagram is through filters and stickers. This helps a lot if you are you struggling to keep your followers happy and motivated. Instagram filters can give you a boost. Photo filters can add different moods and more colors to your photos.       

Add festive frames with the Christmas frames option, or create a vibe using some black and white filters. These frames are not only perfect for sharing on Instagram and other social media platforms, but also for creating Christmas cards that you can send to your friends and your family.

Look at the photo below using a filter that creates festive faces for the whole family to enjoy.

9. Finding The Best Backdrop

The perfect backdrop can make whatever is in the foreground either pop or get lost in the mix. That’s why it’s essential that you pick the best backdrop possible before striking a pose.

Try standing in front of a big building for a city vibe. If you’re feeling green try getting a backdrop of trees or a big garden full of flowers. There are so many ways to make your photo look better and bigger using a great backdrop. 

Below is the perfect example of a good backdrop. The trees are on the side, with the road and road lines perfectly aligned in the middle, and the subject in center focus.

5 Things To Avoid When Snapping Pictures of Yourself for Instagram

It may be tempting to put yourself in harm's way just to get the perfect selfie, but beauty shouldn’t come at such a high cost. Posting content that goes against Instagram’s guidelines could even result in your account being outright banned, or even worse, shadowbanned.

Here are 5 things you should avoid when snapping selfies for Instagram:

1. Don’t Risk Your and Others' Safety

Taking photos from high, unsafe places is an example of risking your safety. Posing with a wild animal is another. It’s important to take necessary safety precautions and respect the guidelines when doing such activities.

Try not to take selfies in crowded places, rather wait for everyone to leave then you can take a selfie, to respect other people's choices regarding social media.

Posting a lot of photos of yourself on social media with your precise location can cause unwanted attention, harassment, or even people stalking you on social media, and this is a big risk for you and your loved ones.

2. Avoid Harsh Lighting

Take photos during the golden hours, the time of day just after sunrise or just before sunset. If you've already taken your photos try editing the photo to look softer, try using a softening filter to reduce the harshness of the light.

Avoid harsh shadows. Harsh shadows can be distracting and unattractive. Instead use natural light by standing in front of a window, opening a door, or taking pictures outside on a sunny day.

Try not to use your flash when taking a photo. This can cause unwanted shadows and reflections that look unpleasant in photos. Always use natural light for a beautiful finish.

3. Avoid Bad Reflections

Bad reflections coming off windows, screens, and even a dirty camera lens can look unpleasing. Avoid taking photos where there might be bad reflections such as in front of a window, and make sure you always clean your camera lenses before taking photos. 

Avoid using your flash because it can also cause harsh reflections and shadows. Try holding your camera under your chin for a more precise photo to show off your outfit without showing any of your surroundings.

Make sure when you're taking a photo in your bedroom to pick up all your dirty clothes and to tidy up your bed before you embarrass yourself on social media.

4. Never Take Just One Selfie

Sometimes one photo can't show the full experience of a wonderful moment. Taking more selfies from different angles and positions can give you a more complete perspective of that experience, as well as provide you with options to choose the best ones.

5. Avoid Illegal Substances and Firearms

Consider the message you are sending by posting such selfies on social media. It can give the impression that you condone or even promote the use of illegal substances or firearms.

Promoting illegal substances on social media is an offense, you are promoting it to underaged children. Don't ever promote it on any social media page.

It is best to avoid taking selfies with illegal substances with the use of firearms altogether and to be mindful of the message that you are sending on social media.

Post Your Stunning Selfies Today!

Now after learning all of these tips, I am sure now you know all of the essentials of how to take good photos of yourself. If you've got any inspiration from this guide, do not hesitate to take photos for yourself.

When it comes to knowing how to take good Instagram photos, there’s no one-way solution.

Simply remember the rule of thirds, good lighting, use a variety of poses, and always make sure your backdrop is perfect. 

If you do, you’ll be snapping professional Instagram photos in no time!

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