Did you know that Instagram App has more than 1 billion downloads on Google Play? A recent study by Fiverr, the gig economy marketplace, shows that the number of businesses that are spending on Instagram has quadrupled. What does this mean? It shows that businesses are pointing out to Instagram as the best social media platform to spend their money. If your business relies on visuals, then Instagram offers the best marketing platform. However, this doesn’t mean you should forget about other platforms. You ought to balance well to ensure you don’t lose the audience already gained on other platforms. As such, the challenge lies in planning and balancing the social media engagements. For marketers, the way to schedule Instagram posts is an important aspect they ought to consider.
In this article, we share a guide on Instagram post scheduling. As you already know, in the business world timing is an important aspect. This is also a critical factor to consider in social media marketing. With proper Instagram post scheduling, you can use your time, the ever precious commodity, in a better way. This lets you cultivate a consistent look and feel. At the same time, you will be able to upload the Instagram posts from the desktop or mobile phone app. This encourages Instagram engagements while you gain more followers. Therefore, Instagram post scheduling is surely a productive investment.
Are you convinced that you need Instagram post scheduling yet?
Here is your ultimate step-by-step guide on how to effectively schedule Instagram posts.
So, lets rock and roll!
Step1. Create an Instagram Business Account
For the first time you hear about the Instagram business account, you are likely to think about the benefits of having one. So what is an Instagram business account? How different is the Instagram business account from other normal user accounts? The answer to this question is actually simpler than you might think. When you convert your normal user Instagram account to a business account, Instagram will automatically recognize your account as such. Ideally, this means you have access to other features that a normal user account will not have access to. Therefore, the difference between a normal user account and business account on Instagram might look subtle.
However, it is a meaningful one as it opens up new features. This lets your brand to be seen as a legitimate and trusted business especially in the online platforms. In addition, when you open a business account on Instagram, you can make better use of the Instagram post scheduling feature. Here are some of the benefits of converting the personal profile to business account on Instagram.
- Gain access to the post promoting feature
- You can track post performance
- Make use of Instagram post scheduling
- Gain insights into demographic reports
- Your business legitimacy and trustworthiness increases
Before you begin to schedule Instagram posts, you are required to create an Instagram account. If you already own an Instagram personal profile, you might choose to turn it into an Instagram business profile. Here are the steps that you need to follow to convert to a business profile on Instagram.
Creating a Business Account on Instagram
- Open the Instagram profile and select the gear-shaped icon next to your profile information. If you are using an Android device, you will click on the three dots next to the profile information. This is on the top right corner after you have logged on to your account. Once you click on the gear-shaped icon, you have access to the account settings.
- Select the option “Sign up for a business account”
- You will find an option that allows you to create a new account (for new Instagram User) or you might choose to convert an existing account (from a personal profile to a business account). To convert an existing personal profile, select the option “Switch to business profile”.
- You have the option to either connect the account to the Facebook page. This is for the users who wish to connect to the Facebook account, but it is not a requirement.
- Ensure that the account is set as a public account. This is because the private accounts aren’t allowed to switch to the business accounts.
- Now, you will be redirected to the business profile page. Ensure that you have added the business information appropriately. This includes the business contact information such as the right business name, the location, and the general business description.
Now that you have created a business account on Instagram, you will have exclusive access to the advanced features for businesses. Also, you can get notifications such as Instagram insights illustrated above. Now, let’s move to the second step for Instagram posts scheduling.
Step2. Finding the Best Time for Posting on Instagram
Once you have a business profile, the next step is determining the best time for Instagram posting. Now, this is a question that requires a bit of analysis. You might want to track your Instagram followers to find out when they are most active. Mention tracking applications like one found on Mentionlytics will help to track online mentions. This includes tracking where your followers are, and also updating you on the account activity like likes, mentions in comments and post engagements on Instagram. Therefore, you might choose to use this software to track your user’s activity.
You might ask yourself why it is important to track the best time for posting. Note that Instagram has an algorithm that tends to prioritize posts that have high engagements. This means that by Instagram post scheduling, you want to increase the engagement rate. This is not only for ensuring you get most views. You also want to maximize the potential of Instagram marketing by ensuring you are targeting your audience when they are online. This will, in turn, assure you more engagements and at the same time, your brand is seen more. Therefore, it is super important to ensure that you are posting at the optimal times. This is when your target audience is available to view the posts. These are the best times for growing your Instagram business account.
Statistics by digitaltrends.com shows that half of all the Instagram users will use the application daily. Through analytics, you will be able to find the most appropriate time for posting on Instagram. The analytics will help you find out the time of the day, or the week when your posts get more engagements. The more interactions you are getting, the better. Therefore, you should ensure you share more posts at this time.
Further reading: Best Times To Post On Social Media
Step3. Produce and Curate Your Instagram Content
The next stage is to come up with the content. At this stage, you ought to also figure out the content that generates more engagements. Think of the Instagram posts that will have a high engagement rate. This also involves looking at the analytics. Therefore, you need to track the content that attracts a high number of likes, shares, and comments. You can do this through the use of tracking software like Mentionlytics. This lets you know the number of mentions and alerts you whenever your audience mentions you online. Also, you can make use of alternative tracking software like the Hootsuite which gives you analysis of post engagements as at and when needed.
The importance of analyzing the content is that you are able to determine the content type that attracts more engagements. Therefore, you concentrate your efforts in coming up with such content. In some instances, you will find that certain content gets higher engagements depending on demographic data. Thus, if your brand deals in merchandise that is suitable for various people, you now need to classify the content accordingly. You might find that different content will attract engagements from a different audience.
When coming up with Instagram content, you need to factor that Instagram is best suited for visual marketing. As Convertkit.com puts it, Instagram is a social media platform that was created for those that love to create. Therefore, you ought to ensure that the content is ideal for your brand. The content should establish credibility and build your brand online. At the same time, concentrate on coming up with the content that will build your authority and influence. Make sure that the content will match the needs of your online tribe. The content needs to focus on growing your online community.
Further reading: Top Instagram Captions and Guide to Using them on your Instagram Posts
Step4. Plan and Design an Aesthetically Beautiful Instagram Feed
The next step in Instagram post scheduling is planning the Instagram feed. The Instagram feed is absolutely a big picture and should be well thought of. This comes at a time when you know the best posting time. You are also aware of the content that attracts more engagements. Better still, you have content that is in line with your Instagram marketing strategy. It’s time to plan your Instagram feed!
The first step in designing the Instagram feed is choosing the theme style. Then, you ought to choose the grid layout and the best color palette. This might seem to be a lot, but it is pretty easy. A beautiful Instagram feed should also have the best photos. Therefore, you ought to go back to the previous stage of content creation. Make sure the photos are taken in bright light. Then, you ought to edit the photos to add desired brightness, contrast, warm and also saturation.
As part of designing the Instagram feed, think about the next post as well. How will your present post compare to the next (upcoming) post? This is especially when you are running a campaign. For instance, if you are running an Instagram campaign through certain hashtags, ensure the images shared match the subject. Ensure that the colors of the latest post will match the colors of the previous and the next posts.
In addition, balance posts chaos well. As an example, let’s say your current post has detailed and heavy photos. You should make sure that the next post will have clean and is simplified to balance the previous chaos. Check the Instagram feed regularly to ensure everything looks good. Delete the images that might not fit. Conduct a regular posting to keep the Instagram feed fresh and ensure new ideas are flying.
Step5. Actual Instagram Post Scheduling
We have spent time coming up with a business profile. Then, we came up with Instagram post timing and the content before we settled on the theme for your Instagram posts. The next step will now be to schedule the posts. Lately, Instagram made it possible for businesses to schedule Instagram posts. In the past, Instagram post scheduling was done through the use of third-party applications. These are the tools that would send a push notification to let you know when you need to post on Instagram. However, the latest announcement by Instagram makes it easier for Instagram post scheduling. In the past, this functionality was lacking.
Note that is functionality is added to the Instagram API. This means that the marketers need to use a software that can integrate to the Instagram API. To use this functionality, you ought to find the best social media software that has access to this functionality. A good example of such a software is hootsuite.com. in fact, the users of Hootsuite can also monitor the performance of their posts by taking advantage of the Mentionlytics and Hootsuite integrations App. This lets you take advantage of the scheduling capabilities offered by Hootsuite while monitoring the online mentions.
To Sum Up
Instagram post scheduling is an important strategy in today’s business environment. This lets you balance between the busy day to day schedules while at the same time you have the ability to manage your online strategy. Instagram post scheduling also lets you ensure you keep your audience engaged. It is a sure approach for making sure the Instagram feed has fresh content always. Making use of the Instagram post scheduling also lets you have more time on other social media platforms. Therefore, with the above guide on how to schedule Instagram posts, you have the capability to get started today for your business.
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