Let’s Learn How to Schedule Instagram Posts

WHAT IS INSTAGRAM?

Instagram is a free online social media network and social platform that Facebook acquired in 2012.

Instagram allows users to edit and upload photos and short video posts through a mobile application. As you upload your photos and videos, you can add titles to each of the posts. Moreover, you can also use location-based hashtags and geotags to reach more audiences within the app. 

There is an option to make your Instagram account private so only your Instagram followers can see your social media posts.

Truth be told, there are no such secret tips to Instagramming, but if there were, I think it would be your level of being consistent, providing good content, and your level of engagement in the same. 

Unfortunately, these things aren’t as easy as it seems. But what’s more to it? Speaking of Instagram, today, it has over one billion active users and millions of business profiles from all around the world.  So, you can only imagine, how tough it is to get the needed attention. 

You must be dedicated and organized, to make a place and rise among the various users. And that is the reason why you wish to schedule Instagram posts.

This article will guide you through all the tools you need to use and exactly how to schedule Instagram posts. 

Can you schedule Instagram posts?

Yes. As luck would have it, the Instagram API permits users of marketing tools like HubSpot to schedule Instagram posts in advance.

In other words, if you use social media scheduling software, you can upload your content, choose when to schedule Instagram posts even from third-party apps, and know it will be posted to your audience without lifting another finger.

As mentioned earlier, you will need a third-party tool for programming or schedule Instagram posts. But these are the best Instagram scheduling tools that will help you schedule Instagram posts and make your life easier.

The planning ensures that you are consistently writing to. Consistency is an important aspect of social media success. If you publish new content regularly and frequently by social media scheduling, your Instagram audience will know what to expect from you and when it will be published.

Why Schedule Instagram Posts?

Suppose you are a small business owner, an entrepreneur, and want to do marketing on social media. In that case, you should have an Instagram business profile to schedule posts directly on your marketing option in your business account. Thus, you can also have multiple social media accounts.

I. Scheduling Instagram Posts Saves Your Time and Mental Energy.

Crafting and posting a perfect Instagram can be time-consuming, especially if you have to post one by one. Scheduling Instagram posts through social media scheduling tools helps you create Instagram content in batches instead of interrupting your workflow by posting a single Instagram content.

While at first, it may not seem like a bad idea to spend about 10-15 minutes on editing a post for Instagram, but after one point, an average person minimum takes 25 minutes to return to the original task, turning your 10 minutes Instagram posts into a 35-minute ordeal.

Social media posts can thus be scheduled, and you can automatically post your posts of interest. Here, the importance of time comes into play. Therefore, you should save and utilize time if you can schedule Instagram posts.

II. Scheduling Instagram Posts Makes Sure You Post Consistently.

Consistency plays a key role on the social media platform. When you consistently post new social media posts, your audience will learn what to expect from you and when it will be posted. And this can only be true when you have time consistency, and one of the ways you can do this is you schedule Instagram posts.

III. Scheduling Gives You Better Control Over the Contents of Instagram.

Sharing photos is okay now and then, but staying organized is a lot easier if you schedule Instagram posts in advance. The visual impact goes beyond a single post. Successful small businesses have a consistent look and feel, and their Instagram feeds reflect that.

When scheduling Instagram posts, you can plan the order of your next posts and imagine what they will look like in your grid. That way, you can avoid sharing similar posts one at a time. You can also ensure that time-sensitive content is published at exactly the right time.

IV. You can Schedule Instagram Posts Directly From Your Desktop.

Most Instagram scheduling tools allow you to create your posts on your desktop before posting them on your phone. Smartphones are amazing content creation tools, but they don’t give you the features of control that an Instagram desktop scheduling tool can have.

How to Schedule Instagram Posts to Save Time and Increase Engagement?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91z1mkhE_cA

Learning to schedule Instagram posts is one of the best things for social media managers today. One can schedule Instagram posts through the Facebook Creator Studio. Everything is done through the Creator Studio control panel. You can crop your picture, add Instagram captions and tags, specify the location, and schedule the date and time for it to be published. After it is published, you can enter your queue and reschedule as you wish.

From Creator Studio: Schedule Instagram Posts 

1. Firstly, you have to link your Instagram account or your Instagram business account to Creator Studio.

2. Select the content you want to schedule. You can pick the content either from your device or straight from your Facebook business page. Remember, having a Facebook account, rather, a Facebook page and Instagram business profile, plays a key role here.

3. Next is to trim the image if you want to

4. Add a caption that represents your image and also add location 

5. Next, opt for “Schedule”. For that, just click the arrow to the right of the “post” button.

6. Select the date and time for when you want the post to go up. 

And you are all done. Your Instagram post will go up on your account at the exact time and date that you picked.  Making it a scheduled post or schedule Instagram stories sets you free with no further action by you.

One major drawback is that not every Instagram user has access to the scheduling option. This option is strictly for business accounts and not for personal accounts and is more suitable for Instagram brands and influencers.

In the past, Instagram posts scheduling was available, but not through the 1st party service. Now, you are allowed to add as many images as you want to a post and schedule your Instagram posts, but this option is not yet available in many third-party tools.

But like mentioned above, there is one problem: Instagram post scheduling is only available for Instagram business profiles linked to a Facebook Page.
You can also try the other way to schedule your Instagram posts. Here’s another way to schedule a post on Instagram.

6 Easy Steps to Schedule Instagram Posts

1. Create Your Instagram Image.

The first step in scheduling Instagram posts is generating great content. This begins by creating your picture for posting. If you need help posting, check out our guide to Instagram post ideas.

Sprout’s publishing tools make it easy to upload your Instagram picture to any of the Sprout plans. Plus, you don’t have to schedule your post on Instagram. The fully integrated function enables simultaneous planning on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

2. Edit and Enhance Your Instagram Post.

Now that you’ve uploaded your perfect Instagram picture, it’s time to start editing your photo. You can edit images in Compose using a built-in image editing tool in the Adobe Creative SDK.

Instagram is widely known as a place for creative content. Here you can trim, add effects, change overlays, lighting, and focus. Make sure you don’t post hastily edited pictures on your profile. After you’ve finished polishing your image, you can tag other Instagram users right on your photo or add hashtags to the first Instagram comment.

Users can tell when their content is spruced up and looking its best. To increase your shares, likes, and comments, make sure your posts go through a full edit round before going live.

3. Select Instagram Account and Publishers.

After you’ve edited your content, choose which account to post to. You can manage multiple Instagram accounts on Sprout by scheduling your content. This makes it so much easier not to select your preferred Instagram account but also other social networks connected to your Sprout dashboard.

There is a need for many businesses to post to other Instagram accounts. Proper managing of these accounts requires the creator to get full access to the content, coordinate the publishing time, and make sure that someone is in charge to sign in to the correct account to publish the post.

Luckily, Sprout lets your social media team choose a specific editor for each post, and they’ll be automatically notified when it’s time to post.

Click the alarm clock icon in the compose window to select your editor. The process helps many companies to delegate publishing tasks to multiple accounts and decide who will publish when you schedule your Instagram posts at a time.

4. Prepare Your Post for Publication

After you have edited and approved your content, you may want to send the post to Draft, Queue, Scheduling, Submit for approval or push notification right away. Let us now see each option in detail: 

• Draft:

If you are not sure if you’re ready for this type of Instagram post or want to create multiple post-ready scheduled posts simultaneously? The draft is a great place to put your unfinished content or things that have yet to be approved.

• Queue:

Adding content to the Sprout Queue is ideal for post-edits. Some content may seem appropriate on certain days, or you may queue up Instagram pics for the weekend. Sprout social will choose the best time to post within the window you specify when you queue your Instagram posts.

• Schedule:

Use the schedule feature if you want to publish your Instagram posts at a specific time. This is ideal if you’re starting an Instagram contest and want the post to go live right from the start.

It’s also useful when you’re planning an Instagram post as part of a larger campaign and want to post content at a particular time by posting a schedule in the social networks. Plan your finished content for the future and view your planned posts on the Sprout release calendar.

• Submit for Approval –

Choosing an approver will ensure your content is edited correctly, is grammatically correct, timely, and is branded. You must select specific approvers to review your content before it goes on air.

• Submit:

If you don’t need an approval process and are ready to publish immediately, click Submit.

5. Post Notification Received

Those who schedule or send an Instagram post through Sprout social will receive a mobile notification if you push the notification at the selected time or immediately after clicking Submit.

The Instagram API doesn’t allow other platforms directly on your network to post. Sprout has developed a notification system that eliminates the hassle of scheduling content.

To receive these notifications, you must select “Allow Notifications” on your mobile device. Any scheduled content alerts will be sent to the appropriate users. You can easily open the Sprout mobile app from the notification to send the Instagram posts through the mobile app too!

6. Easily Send Content to Instagram

When the Instagram editor receives the notification to post, you can touch the notification to open the Sprout mobile app. From there, you’ll see a preview of the image and description and see which Instagram account the post will go to.

You tap on Share on Instagram, which opens the Instagram app with the corresponding profile. Then the Instagram editor can paste the Instagram caption from your clipboard into the description field on Instagram. After you’ve looked at the content one last time, added a specific location, and finished all of the photo edits, you can tap Share, and this way, you can create a post. Through this process, you can create multiple posts as well.

The process is quick and easy for brands looking to schedule their Instagram feed posts. Save time and money on your Instagram planning efforts with Sprout Social.

I hope you are all set with your Instagram profile to schedule posts and rock the virtual world with your content.

Keep all these points in mind to get the best result.

Last Updated on November 18, 2022 by Rojalin Mahapatro