Since the ‘when’ and ‘how often’ highly affects your social media success when it comes to posting on Instagram, learning to schedule your Instagram posts is a must.
Whether you’re not sure how to schedule your posts or you didn’t even know this was possible, don’t worry. We’re here to teach you everything you need to know about scheduling your Instagram posts including different methods and examples. We’re also throwing in some tips to improve your Instagram pages.
We know you’re excited to start optimizing your social media. Let’s get into it.
Why schedule your Instagram posts?
Before we discuss how you can schedule your posts, let’s go over why.
- Helps you post consistently
Say you’re on vacation. Your mind isn’t on social media or work. It’s on the new culture you’re immersing yourself in. How do you find the willpower to post? Enter scheduling Instagram posts.
When you schedule your posts, you’re making sure you’re posting consistently. Say goodbye to all the times you accidentally missed posting something. For instance, you’ll be able to post every day at 9 AM giving your audience something to look forward to. Consistency is key. After all, keeping your audience waiting is never a good idea.
- Results in an improved content strategy
Get rid of rushed, low-quality posts by scheduling them ahead of time. This will give you time to plan the theme and the content your posts will have. You’re giving yourself time to brainstorm content strategies to make sure you’re not posting the same thing over and over again.
When you schedule your posts, you’re setting yourself up for some engaging, fresh content.
- Improved time management
Procrastination is almost every person’s downfall. Similarly, creating content last-minute is a social media account’s undoing.
You have to juggle writing compelling captions, creating equally engaging posters, tagging the necessary brands and people, etc. Manage your time better by creating and scheduling posts days ahead to get rid of the stress brought about by rushing content.
How do you schedule your Instagram posts?
It’s time for the part you’ve all been waiting for. How do you schedule Instagram posts? In this article, we’ll be going over two great methods so you can have options to choose from. Choose what suits you the best.
Method 1: For business or creator accounts, use Creator Studio.
Creator Studio is a platform with almost all the tools you’ll need to create and manage content. This is accessible for those with either Facebook accounts, Instagram accounts, or both. Here’s how you can use it to schedule your Instagram posts
Note that to use this method, your Instagram account should be a business or creator account. To change your account type, open your Instagram. Navigate to Settings and click on Account. From there, you can switch your account to a business or creator one.
Step 1: Connect your Instagram account to Creator Studio.
Navigate to Creator Studio. Once clicked, you’ll immediately be navigated to the Facebook portion of Creator Studio. To go to Instagram’s Creator Studio instead, look for the logos of both Facebook and Instagram. These two are placed side by side on top. Click on the Instagram logo. Once there, click on “Instagram login” and sign in to your account. The image below shows what you should be seeing once you click on the Instagram logo.
Step 2: Click Create Post.
Once you’ve created an account, you’ll be redirected to a page where you can start managing your account. The next step is to click Create Post or Make a Post which can be found on the top left corner of the page.
You’ll then be asked to choose between Instagram Feed and IGTV Feed. Instagram Feed is for videos shorter than 60 seconds while IGTV is for videos longer than 60 seconds.
For example purposes, we’re choosing Instagram Feed.
Step 3: Click on the arrow next to Publish and then, on Schedule.
Once you’ve uploaded your photos or videos and written a caption, find the blue button with the word ‘Publish’. Click on the arrow next to it. This will give you the option to publish your post now, schedule your post, or save it as a draft.
Click on schedule your post and choose a date and time.
Step 4: Click Publish.
Once you’ve chosen a date and time, click on Publish. You should be notified that your post is being scheduled.
That’s it! Your post will be up on the set date and time.
Method 2: Use third-party tools like Flick.
If the Creator Studio doesn’t work for you, there are third-party tools available. One example of a third-party tool for you to use is Flick. Flick offers more features than Creator Studio including help with hashtags, choosing the right time to post, etc. Here’s how you can use Flick to schedule your Instagram post.
Step 1: Navigate to the Flick website and find the Pricing page.
Click on Flick’s website. On the website, there are different headers. Click on Pricing at the top of the webpage.
Step 2: Choose a plan.
Once you’ve clicked on Pricing, you’ll be redirected to a page showing different plans you can choose from. These are Solo, Growth, Pro, or Agency.
Each plan has different inclusions. For instance, the Solo plan allows you to schedule 10 posts a month while the Growth plan allows you to schedule 30. The website and picture below detail these inclusions. If you’re not sure which plan to pick, Flick offers 7-day free trials for each plan.
Scroll down the website to view more detailed descriptions of each plan along with the prices per month. You can choose between yearly and monthly. The difference between both is the amount you pay per month.
To choose a plan, click on “Try for free”. This will redirect you to a sign-up page. Enter the necessary details. Afterward, the website will guide you to pay and finish setting up your account.
Step 3: Format your post.
Once you’ve signed in and chosen a plan, you can access your dashboard on Flick. It’s time to schedule a post.
First, navigate to your media library. Upload the photos and videos you want to post there.
Source: Flick
Once you’ve done that, click on New Post. Here, you can write your caption and choose photos or videos from the video library you want to upload.
Step 4: Schedule your post.
On the left hand side of the area where you can create your post, make sure you choose your Instagram account.
Once you’ve uploaded the photos and videos, written down the hashtags, and written the captions, click on Posting Time at the bottom of the page. Here, you can choose a date and time for your post to be scheduled and uploaded.
You can see stars next to the times when you choose a date. Flick helps you optimize your social media page by telling you when the best time to post your Instagram post would be. The more stars there are next to a time, the better.
When you’re finished, click Publish.
There you have it. You’ve scheduled an Instagram post with the help of Flick.
Tips for a great Instagram page
As promised, here are tips you can use to optimize your Instagram page and better engage your audience.
Tip 1: Write appealing captions.
Captions are a great way to capture someone’s attention. Writing catchy, compelling ones though is easier said than done. It’s a good thing Flick offers a course on writing better Instagram captions to equip you with the tools you need to attract more viewers. Take a look at an example of a catchy caption below:
Source: Girlfriend
Tip 2: Know when to use photos instead of videos and vice versa.
Photos and videos are great ways to grab the attention of viewers and potential customers. The challenge lies in strategically choosing between a photo and video for a particular post.
This all depends on your audience and your brand. If you notice that your audience is more engaged when you use one instead of the other, use that information for further posts. Make sure to take a look at which of the two properly advertises your brand.
The Takeaway
Scheduling Instagram posts isn’t as complicated as you might have thought. Now, it’s your turn to take what you’ve learned to optimize your Instagram pages.
Whether you choose Facebook’s Creator Studio or third-party tools with great features like Flick, you’re set up for success.
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