Instagram is a place for your creativity and personal brand to flourish, but one of the downsides of the social media platform is that it can be majorly time consuming. Not only can you get lost in the never-ending feed of photos, but publishing content can also take up a good chunk of your time. That’s where Instagram hacks come in.
Without these handy hacks my days would be spent in a latte art abyss. If you’re like me, you’re easily distracted, and a few minutes can turn into half an hour of scrolling through photos. If you want to build your account in less time, these Instagram hacks are key!
As a blogger, Instagram is one of the best ways to grow your fans and following. Your readers are able to get a glimpse into your personal life and get to know you more on a day to day basis. It’s a great way to connect with your readers and followers, as well as network with others in your industry.
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If you’re looking for a more in-depth look at how to grow your following, I would strongly suggest Capture Your Style: Transform Your Instagram Images, Showcase Your Life, and Build the Ultimate Platform. Otherwise, let’s get to it!
1. Scheduling tools
One of the best ways to cut down your time on Instagram is using a scheduling tool such as Hootsuite. With Hootsuite you can prepare your photo and caption whenever you’d like (say the night before with a glass of wine in tow) and schedule it to go out at a specific time the next day.
At whatever time you choose to schedule the post, you will get a notification on your phone, which will prompt you to review the post, open it in Instagram, and paste the caption.
Since you’ve already written your blurb, it cuts off a significant amount of time, especially if you like to write lengthy photo captions on Instagram. It also ensures you get your photo up at the exact time you want, which may slip your mind if you don’t use a scheduling tool.
2. Shortcuts for hashtags
Ahh, the beauty of short cuts. I used to write out my hashtags every time I posted a new photo to Instagram. It was time consuming and I’d always forget some important tags. If you’re a blogger, it’s likely that you post photos that fit under similar hashtags, or at least a few different categories of hashtags.
Write them out in the “notes” section of your phone so you can easily copy and paste them into your post once it goes live! I have two different sets of hashtags that I use and then I add in any new ones that are specific to the photo I’m posting.
For example, if you’re a fashion blogger you can use hashtags like #fashionblogger #fashionblog #styleblog #fashionaddict #ootd, etc. as your base hashtags and then add hashtags with specific brands or details of your outfit that day when you post it live. It makes life so much easier, and you won’t be scrambling to think of all the hashtags you want to use!
3. Analytics
It’s important to know when the best time is to post on Instagram so you can get the highest amount of engagement on your photos. You can figure this out a few different ways. The first way is switching to a business account on Instagram, but this isn’t for everyone.
A business account will show you your Instagram analytics and insights, including the best time to post based on engagement from your earlier posts. To switch your profile to a business account, tap on the round icon in the top right corner of your profile. Then click “Switch to Business Profile”, connect it to your Facebook business page and follow the steps to set up your business profile.
Another way you can find the best times to post is by doing a little research yourself. Keep track of when you post and see when you get the most engagement. I find that in the morning, at lunch, and after 5 are the best times for me, as that’s when my followers tend to be on social media most. Do some trials now so that in a few weeks, you’ll have your peak times down pat!
4. Hide Your Hashtags
Although hashtags are key to growing your Instagram reach (how else is your tribe going to find you?), using tons of hashtags can look spammy and kind of obnoxious. Luckily, there’s a way to hide them so they’re not seen in your comments.
Like you did with the hashtags short cut, you can also use the ‘notes’ section of your phone to do this. Type a dot, press return, and repeat four to five times. Then write out your hashtags under the final dot. You can copy and paste this into your Instagram comment (not your main caption, but in the comment section below). This way Instagram will hide your hashtags!
5. Editing Apps
Editing apps can make a world of different for your photos. The only photos I don’t edit are when I’m outside with the perfect amount of sunlight and beautiful scenery. Everything else needs a little help.
Apps like PicTapGo, VSCO Cam, Afterlight and Priime allow you to make your Instagram photos more appealing. You don’t want to over-edit them, but photos always look better when they’re brighter and more crisp! I used to post photos using only the Instagram filters, but realized that the feeds I was drooling over used something more. That’s when I did my research and became obsessed with editing tools!
You can quickly edit your photos to look 10X better and it will make your feed stand out as a whole. You can also create your own style and theme for your photos through editing. Always make sure to use the same filters so that your photos have the same feel! This also makes the posting process much faster.
6. Reposting
Reposting others’ content is a great way to promote ‘grammers in your network and add something unique to your feed. Always make sure to give credit to the person whose photo you repost. Never try to pass it off as your own. You’ll probably get caught and that’s not a good look.
You can take a screen shot and share it on your feed, or you can use different tools to repost a photo such as Iconosquare or Websta. If you’re super busy and stuck on what to post on Instagram one day, reposting is a great way to get out content quick!
Building a killer Instagram feed can take time and effort, but with these 6 Instagram hacks, you can build your profile quickly and with style!
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