There are so many apps out there that can help you stay on top of your Instagram game. I honestly have so many on my phone from trying to figure out which ones work best for me. I get asked often about the ones that I use for editing photos & stories, how I link items, and for scheduling so I pieced together a list of my favorites:
Scheduling
UNUM
I’ve been using UNUM since day one. I love how easy it is to drag and drop my images and that I can customize how many “empty” squares I want before my last post. Their analytic data used to be really good too but I don’t use their app for that information anymore. The main thing I’ve always wanted UNUM to have is a way to access the scheduling online but I recently found out they are working on creating that. Right now you can move your grid around from photos you have loaded on your phone.
Overall: This is the app I use to plan how my feed will look.
Later
Later was the first app I found that let me post my captions with space between the paragraphs and it was the first one I could access on my laptop as well. If you sign up for their newsletter they are constantly releasing informative blog posts and sometimes even videos to keep you up to date and educated on Instagram. I recently paid for their program just to see what their analytics are like since you can’t access them in the free version. I originally only used them for writing out my captions but they have other features like automatic posting, creating groups of hashtags, and if you have a business plan they will also suggest hashtags for you.
Overall: They are my go-to site for learning and for caption writing.
Iconosquare
This is my numero uno. They have the best break down of analytics in my opinion and keep coming out with helpful features. One of their most recent updates is marking in your scheduler when most of your audience is online as well as your best performing times – THANK YOU! These would be the two factors I would track at the beginning of each month to determine my ideal times for posting. Iconosquare can be accessed from your phone or desktop and although they have a blog I still think Later is more informative. Another fun thing with Iconosquare is being able to track “competitors” where you can see their following growth over a certain period of time as well as their posting habits, top hashtags, and their average engagement.
Overall: My favorite site for analytics.
Editing
Lightroom CC
I actually prefer to use the desktop version but having this app available on the go is a blessing. I don’t truly understand how to transfer the mobile presets that some influencers sell but I have added my presets to the mobile version by creating an album and copy/pasting the settings. Every single one of my photos has been edited in Lightroom and I do not use Photoshop to alter my photos. This is mostly because editing them in Lightroom takes enough time as it is already so unless I have some spare time I don’t see Photoshop as a necessary step.
VSCO
If you don’t have Lightroom CC, VSCO is a great alternative. I used VSCO before I learned how to use Lightroom and you can adjust how much of a filter goes over your photo.
Splice
This app from GoPro is great for editing vertical videos. I use it to create some of the videos I share to Instagram. Other times I am using Wondershare Filmora on my laptop. This app is also great for creating gif like posts.
A Design Kit
I recently discovered this one and it is a lot of fun to work with. There are multiple font options, stickers, and a range of brushes that you can use to make each edit unique.
Story Editing
Unfold
This app is great for creating aesthetically pleasing stories on your Instagram. They also create new templates every so often that you can choose to purchase. You can insert photos or videos into these templates as well. My favorite aspect of this app is you can piece together your story pages and save them all together or individually (page by page).
Story Luxe
Story Luxe is becoming one of my go-to apps for creating my stories. You can also upload video or story to these templates and for the background of any template you can upload your own photo. My favorite template sets right now are their kodak and instant designs.
Cut Story
I use this app to cut up my longer videos into 15-second clips for Instagram stories. Cut Story also chops your videos up for other platforms as well but I only use it for my Instagram stories. Some other features available on the app are adding music, stickers, and a background to your video.
Canva
I have been using Canva since college to write up resumes. Now I use Canva for creating Instagram posts & stories, my media kit, contracts, and invoices. You can seriously use this app for so many things and it is free for the most part. They do offer templates that you have to pay for as well as a subscription to help you stay organized with your branding.
If you have more questions about social media management or content creation you can submit your questions here or join me at my meet-up on March 2nd where I will be diving into Instagram strategy. There is a spot to enter your email so that I can respond to any questions you have!
