6 Mistakes You Should Avoid When Scheduling Instagram Posts
Instagram has become more than just a photo sharing platform. This highly visual social networking site has sparked a mobile photography movement that has empowered users to take stunning photos even with just their smart phones.
Instagram has also pushed the boundaries of visual marketing in a more organic and authentic direction. Brands of today are pressured to come up with posts that tie in with Instagram's community-based feed.
If you're a brand that wants to conquer Instagram with stunning images and videos, you have to focus on developing a consistent presence on the platform. This isn’t very difficult if you make good use of scheduling tools, which allow you to map out your posts ahead of time and post them at a much later date.
Scheduling your posts can make social media management less tedious and confusing – if you know how to use the tools properly.
Learn how to schedule posts on Instagram like a pro by avoiding these rookie mistakes.
1. Failing to Attach Images
On Instagram, you can't post an update without attaching an image or a video file. Many social media managers may assume their updates are not being saved by their scheduling tool when in reality it only gets deleted because they did not attach an image or a video with it.
If you’ve had a problem with your updates not being saved and stored by your scheduling app, go through your uploading process again and see whether you’re forgetting to attach the video or image file.
Image credit: AgoraPulse
To avoid this mistake, make it a habit to upload the image or video file first. This tip may sound counterintuitive because the caption box is almost always the first thing that you see when posting an update, but you'll get used to it.
You can write your caption while the image or video is uploading to save some time.
2. Adding Links to Your Update
Instagram only allows you to put one clickable link in your entire profile – and that's in the bio section.
We see a lot of brands waste precious caption space by adding links to each of their posts. Links are only allowed in the bio section and nowhere else on your Instagram profile.
Instead of adding the link in your caption, put it in your bio section and create a compelling CTA in your caption that will direct users to follow the link.
You can also use hashtags like #linkinbio to direct your followers in the right direction.
Image credit: Neil Patel
Foundr is a digital publication that generates subscriptions through the link in their bio. This digital magazine focuses on creating compelling posts that lead people back to their bio, and it works out well for them.
3. Scheduling Blindly
Just because you've automated your posting schedule on Instagram doesn't mean you can post anytime you want. You need to be tactical about choosing the prime time for posting to gain the most attention from organic Instagram users.
All your hard work can go to waste if you don't choose your posting hour carefully. You need to do your research and find out when your target audience is most active on Instagram through the use of analytics tools.
Image credit: Social Media Examiner
Instagram's very own analytics tool lets you monitor when your followers are most active during the day or night. This insightful feature should help you determine the best times to post content for maximum exposure.
If you want your Instagram posts to gain the most exposure possible, you should consider purchasing high-quality Followers and Likes from a reputable provider.
Having a few thousand Instagram Likes and Followers under your belt should help you gain the trust and attention of organic users. Instagram users highly revere brands with impressive social proof. If you want your marketing efforts to bear fruit, you should definitely consider investing in your credibility through bought social signals.
4. Forgetting to Post Scheduled Content
Unlike other platforms, Instagram doesn't allow third-party tools and applications to publish posts on your behalf.
Tools such as AgoraPulse and HootSuite save the post (file and caption) on their respective platforms and send you a push notification to your registered mobile device as a reminder to publish the update.
Image credit: Instagram for Business
That means you still have to do some of the work but it's a lot easier compared to doing everything yourself.
You still need to manually upload the post on Instagram using your mobile device. Scheduling tools are there to help you stay more consistent and make it easier to upload scheduled content on Instagram, but they won’t do everything for you.
5. Not Using an Editorial Calendar
An editorial calendar is a great tool to have if you want to streamline your content strategy for Instagram. The best part about editorial calendars is that they're often free.
You can create a custom editorial calendar using Google Sheets, Numbers, or even Microsoft Excel.
Image credit: Latergramme
Scheduling tools such as Latergramme come with monthly and weekly preview formats that can also serve as a rough draft of your editorial calendar. It’s free and pretty simple to use.
Editorial calendars become extra handy if you're working with multiple people for your Instagram campaign. They are a useful tool to have that will keep everyone on the same page.
6. Failing to be Consistent
It's no secret that the key to a successful Instagram campaign is consistency. Success on Instagram doesn't happen overnight. You need to put in a consistent effort toward developing a presence among organic users in order see the results you want to see.
Being consistent on Instagram can be a lot easier if you set realistic marketing goals. It's so much easier to stick to a schedule if you know you can easily achieve it.
Sit down with your entire team and agree on a realistic posting frequency. This way, you are setting actionable steps that can help you achieve your marketing goals.
Posting 10 times a day won't benefit your campaign if you can't commit to it in the long run. You're better off scaling it down for better results.
You’re a Primate – Use Tools to Your Advantage!
Scheduling tools can make your life easier if you know how to use them right. Learning how to use them can help you become more productive when it comes to all of your social media marketing efforts.
With scheduling tools, you no longer have an excuse to fall off the wagon when it comes to posting on Instagram. With their help you can achieve your goals at a much faster rate.
You should also consider purchasing high-quality Instagram Followers from a reputable provider. High-quality social signals should help you appear more credible in the eyes of authentic Instagram users.
There's no shortcut to Instagram success but there are ways you can improve and streamline your strategy by using the right tools, in combination with the right strategy. Now get to it!
Date: August 24, 2017 / Categories: Marketing, / Author: Mariko
