Have you been spending time testing out different tools recommended by various peers and mentors but have yet to settle with the exact tools needed to lift your Instagram game?
There are many tools available but which are the right tools for your business?
Just like gardening, you need gardening tools. When it comes to baking, you need the standard right basic tools to help you bake the cake you want to get the desired result.
To help you save time, let me lay out what you will need. Below is a list of tools (which I personally use) and how they can help you lift your Instagram game.
1️⃣ SCHEDULING
Planning plays a major role in any business. Keeping your Instagram in top shape requires a great plan. So it is great to schedule your posts in advance. More than simply saving time, it helps you pan out your social media content calendar.
Facebook Creator Studio is a great tool for this. It allows you to schedule posts on Instagram. All you need is to have your Instagram account linked to your Creative Studio dashboard.
You can even choose to post it on your Instagram feed or IGTV channel. With this tool, you have the ability to schedule your IG posts and IGTV videos for the next six months!
This is my go-to scheduling tool simply because it is a tool provided by Facebook itself. It minimises the risk of posts not posted as scheduled due to the account being disconnected on 3rd party scheduling platforms although it does not have robust features in comparison with other tools.
While scheduling posts on Instagram stories is still not available on Facebook Creator Studio yet, there is another tool to help you with that — Buffer. You’ll get reminders when it’s time to post your scheduled content.
2️⃣ DESIGN
Instagram is a very visual platform. Your content must have an aesthetic appeal to stand out. That’s why designing your image requires a great deal of attention. And there are tools to assist you with that.
Canva – What’s great about this tool is that it makes design and video editing amazingly simple. Even if you don’t have graphic design skills, this tool is very easy to use.
You can create Instagram stories or posts with its either ready-to-publish or customisable templates. This is my number go-to design platform even though I do know how to use Photoshop and Illustration. It simply saves time.
3️⃣ APPS
And yes you may not have it all. A lot of us are not professional photographers. So how do you make your images break out and catch other people’s attention? The way to do it is by enhancing your photos.
Snapseed is a free, great to have tool that you can use to transform your photos. Or you can simply use the editing options provided on the IG platform.
4️⃣ HASHTAG TOOL
Hashtags are a great way to reach your audience. Finding out what works may be hard work. Good thing, there’s a helpful tool for that hashtag list.
With Flick, you can easily organise, manage and copy hashtags. You can even uncover which ones are performing best. You can save time tinkering at your hashtag list so you can focus more on your zone of genius.
5️⃣ ANALYTICS
This is a crucial component in refining your Instagram strategy. Analytics helps you understand your audiences’ activities so you can post at optimal times and keep creating content that speaks to them.
It helps you gauge which content your audience responds to and engage with. Instagram has a built-in insights tool you can readily and freely access. However, if you want a richer and more advanced analytics solution, Buffer offers a more comprehensive range.
6️⃣ ORGANISATION & COMMUNICATION
Like planning, organisation and communication is equally vital to level up your Instagram game. Here are some options to help you with this.
If you’re looking for a fun and flexible way to organise your plans and projects, Trello is a free way to do that.
If you’re a solopreneur, organising your daily tasks is a breeze. And if you work with a team, this is a great communication tool that helps the team work better together.
7️⃣ CAPTIONS
And yes, how can you forget the captions? This is the juice of your content. With just a little over a dollar, you can hire professionals from Rev.com to create closed captions or English subtitles into your IGTV and live videos.
There are 500 million accounts who are using Instagram Stories and 40% of Instagram Stories are watched on silent. By adding closed captions to your videos, you allow more viewers to enjoy your content—even with the sound turned off.
Closed captions not only help videos rank higher in search results, but they also increase accessibility, boost engagement, and improve the overall viewer experience. You may even repurpose it into your feed with captions.
And there you have it, 7 Tools You Need To Lift Your Instagram Game!
P.S.:Have you been spending time trying to come up with content ideas for Instagram? I’ve a free resource for you – a list of Instagram Content Ideas for the next 30 days. Get your list HERE now.
