What’s the Best Instagram Scheduler Program?

Instagram is one of the few social media platforms where you can’t schedule a post. Where Instagram excels in content creation, photo sharing, and creativity, it lacks in post preparation. This is inconvenient for social media managers and business owners. Like all social media sites, there are optimal posting times for Instagram. As a social manager or business owner, it’s difficult to manage your other responsibilities and also remember to upload posts to Instagram. Luckily, there are third-party apps and services that allow you to plan and schedule Instagram posts. This article will recommend some of the best Instagram schedulers out on the market today and explain why you should include Instagram in your marketing plan.

Why You Should Use Instagram

Instagram is a popular photo and video sharing platform. It’s a great way to showcase a product to a large audience very quickly. However, it’s not the easiest app to use. As of 2021, there are over a billion registered users. Yet, due to Instagram’s constant changes to its algorithm, it’s hard to find an audience. It’s even harder to keep a user engaged. Although this may be true, Instagram is still a powerful influencing tool. Rather than using words, you can market a product through visuals. To clarify, a member of your target audience can see the result rather than read about it. For example, if you sell vegan hair care products, you can show your target audience how well it works.

Subliminal Marketing

Instagram is a platform that excels in subliminal marketing. Subliminal marketing is an advertising tactic that persuades someone to perform an action unconsciously. Let’s revisit the vegan hair care product example. If the model in the ad is visibly happy after using your product, you are telling your audience that your product will make them happier.

What Is an Instagram Scheduler?

An Instagram scheduler is a third-party application that queues Instagram posts. A hashtag suggestion service is often also included in these apps. They have features where you can plan and organize the order of your posts. This allows you to experiment with the placement of your posts for your Instagram feed. They also typically have their own “Best Time to Post” service. “Best Time to Post” refers to the various points of the day when you’ll receive the most engagement from your followers. Each app has different characteristics, so it’s best to pick an app that works the best with your digital marketing plan. There are free Instagram scheduler plans and premium paid Instagram scheduler plans available on the market.

Combin

Combin is a free Instagram scheduler and audience growth app that has premium packages available. It can schedule Instagram posts hours, days, weeks, or even months ahead of time. You can make posts directly from the app without relying on reminders. In addition to scheduling Instagram posts, you can schedule Instagram stories. Lastly, Combin functions as a photo editing app where you can crop photos and alter the aspect ratio of a photo. Combin’s free plan is restricted to one Instagram account, three Instagram posts a week, and 15 Instagram stories a week.

Later

Later is an Instagram marketing platform that doubles as an Instagram scheduling app. Its key features are post scheduling, analytics, traffic growth, and Instagram story planning. Later also offers scheduling capabilities for Tiktok, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. There is a free version of Later as well as three customizable premium plans: Later Starter, Later Growth, and Later Advanced.

Later Free

The free version of Later includes a social media set (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn) where you can schedule 30 posts per month per social media account. Additionally, you get unlimited media storage, access to an Instagram feed planner, and lite Instagram analytics. Unlike the other plans, there aren’t any add-ons.

Later Starter

Starter is $15 a month or $12.50 a month if you choose an annual plan ($150 billed yearly). It includes the social set where you can schedule 60 posts per month per social media account. To add another social set, an additional $12.50 will be added to the total bill per month. Later Starter’s key features are unlimited media storage, access to an Instagram feed planner, lite Instagram analytics, Instagram story scheduling, a hashtag suggestion tool, and an Instagram “Best Time to Post” feature.

Later Growth

Growth is $25 a month or $20.83 a month if you choose an annual plan ($249.96 billed yearly). It includes a social media set where you can schedule 150 posts per month per social media account. To add another social set, an additional $20.83 will be added to the total bill per month. Later Growth’s key features are unlimited media storage, access to an Instagram feed planner, standard Instagram analytics, Instagram story scheduling, a hashtag suggestion tool, a shared calendar feature for team building, Instagram hashtag analytics, and a performance report.

Later Advanced

Advanced is $40 a month or $33.33 a month if you choose an annual plan ($399.96 billed annually). It includes a social set where you get unlimited posts per month per social media account. To add another social set, an additional $33.33 will be added to the total bill per month. Later Advanced key features are unlimited media storage, access to an Instagram feed planner, standard Instagram analytics, Instagram story scheduling, a hashtag suggestion tool, a shared calendar feature, Instagram hashtag analytics, performance reports, and live chat assistance.

Buffer

Buffer is an analytic and post scheduler tool that operates as an Instagram scheduling app. Its services are open to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Additionally, it makes team projects more efficient through its team management features. All packages come with a 14-day free trial which you can quit at any time.

Buffer Free

The free version of Buffer allows you to link three social media platforms to the app. Furthermore, you can schedule up to ten posts at a time per social media platform. You may use Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Pinterest is a pay-for-use service. With the free version, you can create a posting schedule for each social media platform. Lastly, you have access to a performance report for past posts.

Buffer Pro

Pro is $15 a month and expands on the services offered in the free version. You can link up to eight social media platforms or accounts to the app. Additionally, instead of ten posts, you can schedule up to 100 posts without a daily, weekly, or monthly time limit. Some other key features include the ability to create a posting schedule, Instagram First Comment, and a full performance history report. Instagram First Comment is a tool where you can write the first comment of your Instagram post. Lastly, it offers engagement tools such as Grid View, Comment Sentiment, and Hotkeys.

Buffer Premium

Premium is $65 a month. You can still only link up to eight separate social media accounts, but you can schedule up to 1,000 posts at a time. Some of its key features are the posting schedule tool, Instagram First Comment, Instagram Hashtag Manager, engagement tools, and a full performance history report.

Buffer Business

Business is $99 a month. You can link up to 25 separate social media accounts to this app and schedule 2,000 posts at a time. Some of its key features are the posting schedule tool, Instagram First Comment, Instagram Hashtag Manager, engagement tools, and a full performance history report.

Planoly

Planoly is an Instagram scheduling app and Pinterest feed planner app. Some of Planoly’s key features are its photo, video, and gif posting capabilities and thematic grid tool. Equally important are Planloy’s Best Time to Post and post analytics features. Planoly has a free version as well as three paid plans to choose from.

Planoly Free

Planoly’s free plan allows you to link two social media profiles to the app and doubles as a free Instagram scheduler. Unfortunately, you can only connect one Instagram account and one Pinterest account instead of two Instagram accounts or two Pinterest accounts. Even so, you are allowed to post up to 30 photo posts on each account per month. This plan comes with basic post analytics for Instagram and Pinterest, management of post replies directly from the Planoly app, and Linkit. Planoly’s Linkit is an app-exclusive service that allows you to create a gallery of your Instagram posts and aids in driving traffic to your website or blog. In other words, Linkit makes embedding links more efficient, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing.

Planoly Solo

The Planoly Solo plan is $9 a month or $7 a month ($84 billed annually) if you choose an annual plan. Similar to Planoly Free, Planoly Solo you can only link one Instagram and one Pinterest account to the app. However, one account of your choice can have unlimited posts via the app while the other still has the 30 post maximum. Solo allows you to post photos, videos, and GIFs to Instagram directly from the app. Moreover, this package includes basic post analytics, advanced post analytics for Instagram, share to Facebook and Twitter features, Linkit, and image filters. Most importantly, the Best Time to Post and Quick Schedule is a part of this package. Planoly’s Best Time to Post function suggests ideal times you should post on Instagram to increase engagement. Their Quick Schedule feature saves your most popular post times. To clarify, if you upload a post to Instagram at 2 pm every Tuesday, Quick Schedule will make Tuesdays at 2 pm a preset.

Planoly Duo

Planoly Duo operates similarly to Planoly Solo. Duo is $19 a month or $15 a month ($180 billed annually) if you choose an annual plan. It doesn’t have the same post or account restrictions as the free version or Solo. With Duo, you get unlimited posts for both accounts and no restrictions on the type of accounts you link to the app. Otherwise, Duo and Solo have the same package perks as both include Best Time to Post, Quick Schedule, Linkit, and post analytics.

Planoly Custom

Planoly’s Custom plan allows you to design your own package. Custom plans start at $29 a month or $23 a month ($276 billed annually) if you choose an annual plan. You can take advantage of unlimited posts for all your accounts. This package includes Best Time to Post, Quick Schedule, Linkit, and post analytics.

Instagram Scheduler Services

Do you still need assistance with finding the best Instagram scheduler for you and your business? SEO Design Chicago can help you with your web analytic, SEO, and digital marketing needs. Visit us at seodesignchicago.com and schedule a consultation with us today.