The Complete Guide to Scheduling Instagram Posts [2600+ Words]
Instagram has firmly cemented itself as one of the most important platforms for marketers, influencers and creators to build their audience and promote their brand.
But creating fresh daily Instagram content consistently can be hugely time-consuming.
That‘s why utilizing Instagram‘s post scheduling tools has become non-negotiable for brands wanting to stand out.
In this comprehensive 2,600+ word guide, you’ll learn:
- Step-by-Step: How to schedule natively on Instagram
- Expert Tips to create high-performing scheduled content
- How to use top third party scheduling tools like Hootsuite
- Why scheduling is crucial for Instagram growth
- Advanced scheduling strategies used by top creators
Let’s dive in!
Maximizing Your Reach With Scheduling
The data shows a clear advantage when strategically scheduling Instagram posts versus posting in real time.
In fact, an incredible 92% of marketers surveyed leverage scheduling tools to plan Instagram content in 2022 according to SocialPilot.
Additionally, Sprout Social found posts published from scheduling tools drove up to 250% more engagement on average.
And another study by Later revealed scheduling resulted in 10x more clicks and impressions from hashtags.
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It’s clear brands that take the time to create compelling content and schedule properly are being rewarded by Instagram’s algorithm with bonus reach and engagement.
But how exactly can you unlock this advantage?
Let’s explore the step-by-step process…
How to Schedule Instagram Posts Natively
Thankfully in 2022, scheduling is now natively built into Instagram itself through Creator Studio.
No more risky third party apps required!
Here is the full process broken down:
Step 1: Convert to a Business Profile
To access scheduling, you must first convert to an Instagram business or creator account:
Tap Profile > Settings > Switch to Professional Account
Choose either a Business or Creator account depending on your needs.
Step 2: Tap into Creator Studio
With your business profile ready, open the Instagram app and select the Profile button (your icon) in the top right corner.
Then tap Creator Studio:
This is where the magic happens! 🧞
Step 3: Create Your Post
Tap the + Create button at the top to begin creating a new post.
Craft an engaging post for your audience by:
- Uploading visually appealing images/video
- Writing compelling captions
- Adding strategic hashtags + mentions
Put effort into creating awesome content! This is key 🔑 for scheduled posts to perform well.
Step 4: Schedule Your Post
Once your new post is ready to rock, tap Next instead of Share.
Then select a future date and time you want your post to publish:
And that‘s it! Your post will now automatically publish at the scheduled date and time.
Pretty straight-forward right?
Now let’s get into why scheduling Instagram posts is so crucial…
5 Key Benefits of Scheduling Your Content
Here are the major reasons you should be scheduling the majority of your Instagram posts in advance:
1. Save a Massive Amount of Time
Pre-scheduling content removes the burden of having to manually create and share new posts everyday.
This frees up more time to focus on high priority business tasks, or simply have more time for living life!
2. Create Higher Quality Content
Having posts ready to go in advance means you can dedicate more energy towards crafting amazing captions, getting professional images, editing compelling video etc.
No more rushing to throw together subpar content at the last minute.
3. Understand Post Performance Better
When posts are scheduled in a batch around the same time, you can better analyze what type of content resonates best with your followers.
Are Instagram carousels getting more engagement than still images? Do certain captions or hashtags work better?
Use scheduling to test what posts perform best.
4. Promote Team Collaboration & Creativity
For larger brands and influencer teams, scheduling encourages planning content calendars together.
Brainstorm concepts, plan campaigns and photoshoots well in advance rather than last minute.
5. Integrate With Your Marketing Strategy
Well scheduled content seamlessly aligns with your broader marketing efforts like email campaigns, webinars, ads, website popups and more.
By scheduling properly around these key events, everything ties together.
For anyone serious about making big things happen on Instagram, consistent quality content and planning is required.
That’s why scheduling is so critical.
Now let’s explore some top third party scheduling tools…
Top Instagram Scheduling Tools
While Creator Studio works great, most social media managers prefer dedicated scheduling apps that provide expanded features.
Here are the top Instagram scheduling platforms in 2024:
1. Hootsuite
The most widely used social media management platform, Hootsuite excels at post scheduling thanks to its easy-to-use calendar UI.
Key Features:
💡 Post Assignment to Team Members
💡 Bulk Upload Posts
💡 Hashtag + Audience Insights
💡 Instagram Analytics Integration
2. Sprout Social
Sprout stands out with its Audience Builder feature providing deep analysis of followers.
Key Features:
💡 Audience Segmentation Tools
💡 Post Approvals & Collaboration
💡 Comprehensive Analytics
💡 Instagram Profile + Hashtag Reporting
3. Later
The highest rated scheduling app specifically for Instagram, Later puts the focus on visual content planning.
Key Features:
💡 Visual Instagram Content Planner
💡 Drag + Drop Media Uploads
💡 Link Clicking Analytics
💡 Hashtag Suggestions + Performance
4. Planoly
Planoly stands out as the best scheduling tool tailored made for influencers and lifestyle creators building their “personal brand”.
Their intuitive calendar approach simplifies planning feed posts and stories that convert followers into fans.
5. Buffer
While Buffer focuses more on cross-channel scheduling, their intelligent suggestions for optimal posting times and dates makes them a great option for automating your Instagram strategy.
The key with all these tools is seamlessly connecting them to your Instagram profile to enable scheduling privileges.
Here’s a quick look at how that works:
Connecting Hootsuite to Instagram
- Navigate to the Instagram Integration in your Hootsuite dashboard sidebar
- Click Connect Account
- Enter your Instagram Username and Password
- Click Allow Access on the Instagram authorization screen
Once connected, you can schedule Instagram posts directly within your Hootsuite content calendar.
The process works similarly when connecting Buffer, Sprout, or any other scheduling tool.
Now let’s talk about creating content worth scheduling…
Crafting Compelling Scheduled Content
Creating phenomenal scheduled posts that stop scrollers in their tracks lies at the heart of executing this strategy successfully.
You must nail both parts of the content creation process:
1. Visually Appealing Images & Video
Imagery and video is critical for standing out in Instagram’s visual feed.
✅ Work with talented photographers, graphic designers, videographers to take your imagery to the next level
✅ Curate special filters, presets, editing styles to develop your unique visual brand
✅ Capture interesting BTS photos + videos to showcase your personality
2. Captivating Storytelling
Compelling captions and storytelling tie phenomenal images and videos together into a post that engages.
✅ Ask questions to spark discussion
✅ Educate and add value for your ideal audience
✅ Use strategic emojis, tags, and hashtags
✅ Share authentic stories
Brief, generic, or stale captions won’t cut it anymore.
Craft content worth engaging with.
Now let’s dive into some pro tips and tricks for taking your scheduling game to the next level…
Advanced Scheduling Strategies + Best Practices
Implement these expert Instagram scheduling strategies for maximum reach and results:
Hop On Trending Topics + Hashtags
Stay up-to-date on the latest viral Instagram trends, meme stickers, hashtags and more.
Then quickly flex your creative skills to put your unique spin on trending topics worth piggybacking off of.
Collaborate With Relevant Influencers
Recruit influencers with audiences similar to yours to collaborate on co-promoting scheduled content.
Cross-promote each other‘s posts + accounts.
Influencers with engaged audiences are eager to collaborate and cross-promote quality content.
Schedule Highly in Advance (or at the Very Last Minute)
Interestingly, social media algorithms seem to favor posts scheduled for the very distant future (2-3 months away), or late night the previous day.
Prioritize these distant + last minute scheduling sweet spots.
Use Countdown Stickers to Build Anticipation
Upload ephemeral countdown sticker Stories leading up to your most important scheduled feed posts.
Drive anticipation + urgency around your top evergreen content or special announcements.
Create Teaser + Sneak Peek Content
Similar to countdown stickers, upload Stories and Reels with “sneak peeks” and behind-the-scenes teasers of your upcoming posts.
Give your audience a taste of exciting content that’s coming soon.
Schedule Hashtag Mixer Posts
In your scheduler, designate certain posts specifically for relevant Hashtag Mixers days/times.
Join in the mixers through your scheduled content to connect with niche micro-communities.
Analyze What Scheduled Content Resonates
Pay close attention to which specific types of scheduled posts perform best and get the most engagement.
Look for trends around:
- Image Content: Graphics vs Photos vs Video etc.
- Captions: Educational vs Humorous vs Questions etc.
- CTAs: Link Clicks vs Comments vs Shares etc.
Then double down creating more of that top content.
Auto Publish Reviews + UGC Content
Automate publishing of new user generated content (UGC) and product reviews by scheduling these posts in batches.
These authentic third party posts build credibility.
Scheduling for eCommerce Brand Success
For eCommerce brands specifically, scheduling Instagram content properly around your sales funnels and promotions is crucial.
Effective schedulers align posts to conversion events like:
💡 Major Sales + Deals
💡 Product Launches
💡 Email Promotions
💡 Influencer Partnerships
💡 Webinars + Events
💡 Content Upgrades
Ultimately you want every touchpoint working together in harmony. Scheduling is the glue that brings cohesion across channels and campaigns.
Here’s an example schedule:
1 Month Out:
- Schedule Instagram teaser content promoting launch
- Begin email list warming + influencer outreach
2 Weeks Out:
- Schedule Instagram + Facebook ads
- Finalize affiliate partnerships
- Launch email nurturing flows
Launch Week:
- Schedule IG posts showcasing new products
- Send email promotion to purchases
- Schedule UGC testimonials
- Display retargeting ads
Flawlessly executed scheduling ensures your Instagram, email, ads, website and more tell one coherent story.
Now let’s recap the key main points:
Summary: Key Scheduling Takeaways
Here are the core fundamentals to effectively leverage scheduled Instagram posts:
Conversion to a business profile is step one to access Instagram‘s native scheduling tools. Then navigate to the new Creator Studio section.
Consistent quality content creation fuels successful scheduling. Dedicate resources into compelling imagery, video and engaging captions filtered to your audience.
Align scheduled Instagram content with your other marketing campaigns across email, paid ads, affiliate promotions and more for maximum impact.
Take advantage of additional third party scheduling tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social to save time and manage more features.
By seamlessly integrating scheduled Instagram posts into your workflows, you can dedicate more energy towards high-level brand building rather than constantly creating last minute content.
Now over to you – do you currently schedule posts on Instagram already? What challenges are you running into? Let’s chat in the comments below!
