You can use Viraltag to schedule posts directly to Instagram. No more forgetting to post a photo when you know your audience is most likely to see it.
With 300 million users on Instagram, it is the fastest growing social network for adults in the U.S. You can’t afford not to take Instagram seriously. By serious we mean setting a content sharing and engagement strategy connected to your business goals, and executing on that strategy consistently.
The brands that are doing exactly that are already seeing a huge payoff. Posting on Instagram is strongly correlated to business outcomes, luxury brands posting more than 5 times a week on Instagram saw a growth in customer base over the last year, according to a report by the agency L2.
We know that visual content is the best way to create a connection with your customers, drive engagement, and ultimately web traffic and sales. It’s the reason we created a marketing platform designed around the discovery and sharing of visual content. That’s why we’re so excited that we are finally supporting scheduling to one of the most important visual social networks of our time.
But being serious about Instagram is more than just scheduling. You need to find the best content to post, create original material, and monitor conversations.
Use Viraltag to:
- Find content by keyword and category to share.
- Search hashtags and keywords on Instagram to make sure you’re engaged with conversations that matter to your audience.
- Create original designs that will attract more attention on Instagram.
- Edit and optimize your photos to look their best on Instagram.
When you know when and how to engage, all you have to do is schedule.
To get started scheduling posts to Instagram, just follow these steps outlined below and in this tutorial video.
CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED SCHEDULING ON INSTAGRAM
1. Connect your Instagram account to Viraltag.
Once you login to Viraltag (if you’re not a subscriber yet, click here for a free 14 day trial), click the “Connect” button under the Instagram icon on your Accounts tab.
2. Download the Viraltag Instagram mobile app.
Once you connect your Instagram account, a pop up will appear with a link to download the Viraltag Instagram mobile app. You can also find it at this link — bit.ly/viraltag-app. You need this app to be able to schedule to Instagram, so make sure it’s downloaded before you start scheduling.
3. Schedule an image.
Just like you would for any other social network on Viraltag, schedule an image. You can upload an original photo, design something using our Canva integration, or pull something in from another source. Then click the Instagram icon at the top of your scheduler to schedule to Instagram. Remember, Instagram doesn’t have links on photos, so no need to add a url in the “link box”, just add your caption to the description box along with any hashtags you would like to use.
4. At the time it is schedule for, you’ll receive a notification on your phone.
Simply swipe to open the Instagram Viraltag Instagram app. The Viraltag Instagram app will open to show your photo and caption you added.
6. Click to share the photo on Instagram.
When you click to share, your caption will automatically be copied. Then click to open the Instagram app.
7. Make any changes to the photo.
The Instagram app will open to your picture. You may add filters or make changes to the photo here if you wish.
8. Click to paste your caption.
We automatically copied your Instagram caption. You just need to paste it here. (Unfortunately this is a requirement when posting to a third party on Instagram). Double click the caption box and a Paste button will appear. Click to paste your caption.
9. Click to post.
When you are happy with your caption, and have added any location or account tags you like, just click to post.
If you haven’t yet signed up for Viraltag, give it a try for free. Click here to sign up for a 14 day Free Trial. No credit card required.
Perhaps you are already scheduling content on other networks with Viraltag (remember Viraltag also supports schedulding to Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn). But Instagram is a unique social network and will require a new strategy. You can find some great tips and inspiration in the Instagram section of our Viraltag Blog.
Here are five things to know about building your presence on Instagram.
1. Sharing the best version of your photo is vital.
Instagram is a mobile photo sharing app, so obviously the actual photo is central to your success. But you don’t have to be an expert photographer to excel here. You just need to put in the extra effort to optimize key elements like your composition and lighting. Fortunately, there are some great (mostly free) apps to help you take and share better photos on Instagram.
Check out this list of 7 Instagram apps to improve your photos for Instagram.
2. Keep track of trends and use the best hashtags.
An important factor to getting more exposure on Instagram are tags. Using the most relevant and popular hashtags, tagging a location, or relevant accounts will expose your content to many more people than simply those who follow your account.
A recent improvement to Instagram’s search feature means its easy to follow trending conversations and find the best tags to get your content seen by more people. Use this feature to research which tags you should be using before you post your photos.
In this post we explain five ways you can use the Search & Explore feature on Instagram to grow your business.
3. Writing matters too.
Yes, Instagram is about photos. But the caption and words you use make a big difference, too. We’re seeing a growing trend of “microblogging” on Instagram, that means writing mini stories or blog posts under your Instagram photos. Don’t overlook this opportunity to create your own voice, tell a story behind the photo, and create a deeper connection with your audience.
Here are five tips for getting more from your writing on Instagram.
4. Imitate the pros.
Like getting started with any other social network, a success strategy is a balance between creating your own voice and imitating strategies that the channel’s rockstars have already proven will work. On Instagram, we know that spacing your posts throughout the day with consistency helps build a following. Within that schedule you can find a balance of promoting your own content that works for you and your audience. Then use tricks, like using your caption to point your users to a link in your profile (the only place Instagram allows a live link) to see whatever you’re promoting that day.
Check out the six tips we gained from analyzing the account of The Man Repeller, who has 1 million followers on Instagram.
5. Listen to your audience.
If you are trying to reach young people, Instagram will be one of your most useful outlets. In fact, 90 percent of Instagram users are younger than 35. Reaching new audiences starts with listening. Pay attention to the way people speak and what they share will help you more effectively deliver something that will engage them.
Check out these five things we know about teens specifically on Instagram and what you can do to engage them with your content.
