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Does creating posts for your Instagram account seem to take forever? When I first started on Instagram, creating posts seemed like a huge time suck.
First, I had to choose a picture or create a graphic. Then I had to write a caption. It never failed, I’d get my content posted, and the text in the caption would look nothing like I had typed out.
Then, my feed looked like a hot mess because my pictures and graphics didn’t have a cohesive look. Do you find yourself struggling with this too?
Luckily, over time I learned about some awesome tools that have made my life so much easier and have decreased the time I spend creating posts in half!
Adobe Lightroom
Instagram is all about beautiful images. It is a highly visual platform, and to get noticed, you can’t post grainy pictures with terrible lighting. Don’t worry, download the free Adobe Lightroom app on your phone (the desktop version is not free). You can easily edit your pictures and make them look professional.
If editing your photos sounds like a royal pain, then purchase presets. Presets are like special filters that can be uploaded to Adobe Lightroom. Then editing your pictures is as easy as a click of a button. There are a ton of presets out there. I purchased my presets through lightandairyphotog.com. They had a great deal during Christmas, and they run specials pretty regularly. The presets came with easy to follow instructions too.
If you go the preset route (which I recommend), be sure to use the same preset on all of your photos so that they all have a cohesive look.
Canva
I cannot tell you how much I love Canva and how easy it is to use. I’ve tried other graphic programs out there, but this is by far the most intuitive. You don’t have to have a background in graphic design to look like a pro when you use this tool.
You can use Canva on your desktop, and they have an app, making creating graphics on the go easy. I often create my Pinterest graphics while watching TV at night.
Canva offers plenty of ready to go templates. They also offer a large selection of stock photos and done-for-you font pairings that you can include in your graphics as well.
One of my favorite features is their Brand Kit. You can save your brand colors and fonts, so you don’t have to go searching for them each time you crank out a beautiful new graphic.
Have you ever created a graphic for Facebook, but wanted to use it on Instagram too? Well, Canva makes it super easy by letting you resize your graphics to fit the dimensions of the platform you choose. They make it easy to work smarter, not harder
They also offer a feature where you can download your graphic straight to the platform where you want to post. You add your account information and BOOM, done. I will admit, I don’t personally use this feature because I like to create my posts and then schedule them.
Planoly
There are a ton of scheduling tools out there, but I use Planoly. I love being able to batch create my posts for the week, and then plug them into Planoly. Planoly even has a feature that knows the best times to post and schedules for those times.
When I upload my images, I can arrange them on a grid that shows me exactly how it will appear on Instagram. Having this visual helps ensure that the look of my feed is cohesive.
With the paid version, which I do recommend, you can even add your hashtags in the first comment. Speaking of hashtags, you can even create hashtags lists!!! So when you do your hashtag research (that I know you’re doing if you read this blog post), you can store all those hashtags right there in Planoly.
You can even set your location when you’re scheduling your posts. I highly recommend using the location tag on your posts, mainly if you only serve a particular geographic location. Even if you can serve outside of your location, it’s still a good idea to include it.
I’ve also used the free version of Later, and I like it too. The free version does not allow you to add the hashtags in the first comment, and it does not automatically post to your account. It will give you a notification that it’s time to post, though. I’m sure the paid version has all the bells and whistles.
IG Line Breaks
This tool is an absolute LIFESAVER!!!! Have you ever formatted your Instagram caption perfectly, only to have it come out all wonky when you post? I have, and it’s super frustrating! To get the formatting to look the way you want it, you have to add characters since IG doesn’t recognize the line breaks.
That’s why this little site is so amazing (apps4lifehost.com/instagram/captionmaker.html). You type the caption in the window, hit convert, and now you can paste your caption to your post and know that your formatting will be exactly the way you want it.
I’m not sure why this guy doesn’t have Bill Gates status by now???? This is a must-have tool when posting to Instagram.
***UPDATE: Instagram now recognizes line breaks! So no need to format in another program or add those periods for line breaks.
Instagram Font Generator
Changing the fonts helps to highlight important text in your caption that you want your audience to see. I like to use igfont.io. I typically like to use a different font for the first line of my caption.
Between posting for my own business and posting for clients, I’m posting A LOT on Instagram. These tools have been a lifesaver in saving time and giving the posts a professional look.
I hope that you’ll look into these tools. Do you have other tools that make posting on Instagram easy? Please drop me a comment below and let me know!!!
Before you go, don't forget to snag some cool freebies!!!