Consistency is key in many aspects of life – be it studying, working, or creating a successful social media site.
If the latter is your game then you’ll know it is so important to post regularly on Instagram and in set hours when you’re trying to build up your own social media presence. Fortunately, there are tools to keep yourself consistent and using them is a breeze.
Why you should schedule your Instagram posts
Consistency in social media is absolutely necessary. It builds engagement, keeps your audience entertained and informed, and helps maintain your presence in Instagram’s algorithm. That is why scheduling your posts is vital to a well-functioning page on Instagram. It helps you maintain consistency but also allows you to plan ahead and set up future posts when you have the time, so you never miss an upload opportunity.
Scheduling posts is also a stellar way to fight off the unpredictable moments in life. Sometimes posting normally might be difficult due to some unforeseen circumstances, but even then you can make sure that your posts go live when they should. By planning and scheduling, you maintain a consistent, rock-solid timetable even if life gets in the way.
How to schedule Instagram posts
Scheduling Instagram posts is a great tool for both established brands and for newcomers who are only now attempting to break into social media stardom. Therefore, Instagram offers various possibilities for scheduling your posts, and each of them might fit a different user and build towards a different goal. Here are some options both from Instagram, as well as third-party sites.
Schedule your posts straight from the Instagram app
Gabrielle Henderson / Unsplash
Instagram offers the possibility of scheduling your posts and Reels straight on the app. There is a catch – to access this functionality, you’ll need a professional account on Instagram. If this applies to you, the steps to schedule a post are really simple:
- In the app, tap the + sign at the bottom and choose either post or Reel
- Create your post or Reel and tap Next
- In this new window, tap Advanced settings
- Tap Schedule
- Select a date and time – it can be as far as 75 days away
- Tap Done
- Tap the Back button
- Tap Schedule and your post or Reel should be good to go
Schedule your posts from Meta Business Suite
Meta
If you have a business account on Instagram, you can also schedule your posts using Meta’s content management system for their platforms – Meta Business Suite. Using it can help manage many aspects of your social media activity – including scheduling your posts. Here’s how to do it:
- From the Home screen or Posts and stories tab, click Create post
- Choose a post to Instagram (you can also choose Facebook, or both)
- In Media tab, select your desired photo(s) or video(s)
- Under Post details, write your caption in the text box
- Under Scheduling options, you can choose Schedule bar
- Choose your desired date and time of the post and click Schedule when you’re done.
Schedule your posts using a third-party solution
Szabó Viktor / Pexels
Fortunately, even if you do not have a professional account on Instagram, it is possible to schedule your posts in advance. In order to do so, you’ll need to use a third-party app or website, which might be a bit intimidating. However, if you choose a reputable service, you shouldn’t have to worry about losing your Instagram page.
Most of these services function in a similar fashion. You just connect your account to the service and it allows you to schedule your posts through the site. Often, these services can help you manage not only Instagram or Facebook, but sites such as Snapchat, TikTok and others as well.
The biggest advantage of that solution is that you do not need a professional account, but some also offer scheduling (and other) possibilities that native solutions from Instagram do not have. However, some of them require a subscription to access all or some of the features, so be aware of possible costs.
Here are some reputable scheduling sites:
Author: Adrian Sobolewski Kiwerski, Mobile Contributor
Adrian's interests lie mainly in portable electronics - smartphones, wearables, wireless headphones and everything in between. Covering both the everyday news and bigger-picture stories, he tries to stay on top of the ever-growing industry.