10 Reasons Why It’s Best to Schedule Instagram Posts from Your Computer (and How to Easily Do So)

You don’t have to sit and wait staring at your watch to publish that Instagram post at the prime hour. Now, You can seamlessly manage your account and get the best results by simply scheduling posts for Instagram like you do for other social networking sites.

The best thing is that you don’t even have to necessarily use a paid 3rd party tool to do so.

In January 2018, Instagram announced that it was now possible to schedule posts with the Instagram Graph API. With this new improvement, businesses and creators no longer had to post manually in real time. They could simply schedule their posts and forget about it.

The catch? Your profile has to be a professional profile attached to a Facebook Page to enjoy this feature. 

There has been another option that Instagram has allowed some lucky few to access that I will also talk about below.

Though Instagram doesn’t have an in-app component that lets you schedule your posts, there are also various third-party tools that can help achieve this goal. However, most of these third-party apps require a computer to work. 

While many Instagrammers use their mobile devices to access Instagram, it’s easier and more efficient when you do it from your computer. Especially if you’re using a third-party scheduling tool or if you’re already scheduling social media posts for your other networks from your computer.

In this article, we will go on to uncover other amazing reasons why you should schedule your posts from your computer and then give you some hands-on advice as to the options you have to do so.

Sound good?

Let’s go!

Why Schedule Instagram Posts from Your Computer?

Here’s 10 reasons why it is so much better to schedule Instagram posts from your computer instead of posting on the fly in the Instagram app.

#1: Time Management 

Think about how much time you will save if you can create and schedule posts at your convenience. Scheduling your posts gives you the chance to create and post content in batches. As such, you won’t have to deal with the tension of trying to beat a deadline. 

Scheduling will also save you the trouble of making too many single posts at different times, as you can schedule them all at once.

It will give you more time to cater to other parts of your business or even take a nap after a tiring day of work.

It’s no coincidence that content batching has been called the best social media trick.

Further Reading: When is the Best Time to Post on Instagram for the Maximum Engagement?

#2: Increased Productivity and Quality Content

Scheduling your posts will increase your productivity. By batch posting, you can take advantage of your flow state. And since you’re not racing against a deadline, you’ll be more efficient with your content. 

Additionally, the procedure for posting DSLR-quality photographs to Instagram using your phone is a hassle in and of itself. You must first edit and share pictures from your PC to Google Drive or Google Photos (or another sharing service), then transfer them to your smartphone, and finally upload them to Instagram. What a pain!

If you use your computer, you won’t have to go through all this pain. Simply upload your content directly from your computer.

#3: Improves Consistency

Your followers are always looking to hear from you and there is no room for disappointment. Your audience will not starve of your content if you schedule posts to air regularly.

To further aid your consistency, here are things you can do:

• Study your audience using Instagram analytics and note the time of the day when they are most active. This will help you know the best time to schedule a post. 
• Plan your daily activities so that you’re free to create your quality content during times when your audience is less active.
• Schedule your posts to air at hours when your followers are most active.

#4: Allows You to More Easily Create Higher Quality Content

With a personal computer and graphical design tools, you will easily carry out content creation tasks. And, like you know, the easier it is to create content, the faster you can schedule your posts and move on to other important activities.

Using computer-based software tools tends to provide superior editing capabilities like templates, graphics, charts, and so on. All these coupled with other social media automation tools you access through your computer can make your content creation processes effortless.

Some available software includes Canva, Visme, and many others. Leverage any of these tools and you’ll be closer to achieving your dream of keeping your audience engaged and skyrocketing your follower numbers.

Further Reading: The 17 Best Infographic Maker and Graphics Tools

#5: Help Deal With Creator’s Block

As a creator, there are days when your thoughts are brimming with new ideas. And there are days when they are completely stumped!!! It’s called Creator’s Block

However, scheduling your Instagram post is an excellent approach to overcome this block. The idea is to create and schedule postings when you have new ideas in mind and to just relax when you don’t. 

This way, you have content when you need them but aren’t wearing yourself thin trying to come up with posts.

#6: Makes it Possible to Run Multiple Instagram Accounts Easily

Handling more than one Instagram account can be tedious. But it doesn’t have to be. 

Using a computer already puts you at an advantage in juggling between pages. However, scheduling just makes things even easier. Simply create content for your different accounts and let the scheduler app do its thing.

#7: Increases Your Engagement and Boost Your Reach

Quality posts entice your readers to stop scrolling and look at what you’ve written. However, those high-quality posts will only benefit you if you publish them on a regular basis, not simply once every two weeks. But at least three or four times a week.

Scheduling your posts makes it possible to keep up with these content demands. And in the long run, you increase your video views and reach.

#8: Monitor Performance And Strategize

Growth is relevant in every aspect of life. Instagram inclusive.  We expect to see some level of progress after a period of Instagramming.

Scheduling tools also have features that allow you to assess your posts’ performance. Meanwhile, knowing your performance and engagement level will guide you to plan future posts based on the insights you’ve gathered.

Further Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Analytics and How They Can Help Your Business

#9: Help You Create Error-Free Content

Being able to schedule posts for a later date can allow you to preview the content before it airs.

Proofreading and editing are vital skills for content creation. It improves the quality of your content and makes you see errors that were not obvious at first.

Consistently posting error-free content will build credibility for your brand. Your community will come to have confidence in your work. This is an efficient way to start as an Instagram influencer.

#10: Work Organization 

Scheduling Instagram posts will keep your work organized and professional. Some tools will send you reminders for scheduled posts.

Managing your social media in an organised manner will increase your productivity and efficiency. It’ll help you to set and accomplish your goals for your page. It will also help you prioritise activities and prevent stress or burnout.

Mistakes to Avoid as You Schedule Instagram Posts

It is quite easy to get carried away with posting automatically. Take note of these mistakes and avoid them for better results:

• Neglecting Interactions with Your Audience: Don’t solely concentrate on automation. Always monitor your followers’ engagement with your posts and interact accordingly.

• Too Bulky Scheduling: Don’t fall into the trap of scheduling too far ahead. Your content will not keep in touch with current trends if made months ago.

• Not Previewing Your Scheduled Post: Ensure that you go back to edit and check for possible errors in your content.

Further Reading: 11 Common Instagram Mistakes That Kill Your Online Business

Simple Steps To Scheduling Posts Using Creator Studio On Your Desktop.

Firstly, Ensure that your profile is a business profile or convert it to one before proceeding.

To use Creator studio, you must connect your Facebook and Instagram accounts. You can do this on the Instagram app via the settings.

Now follow these easy-peasy steps:

• Open your desktop browser. 
• Go to Creator Studio. 
• Click on the Instagram logo at the top of the homepage screen. this will show your Instagram content and performance. It will look something like this:

• Click on “Create post”. 
• Select Instagram Feed or IGTV, depending on your content type.
• Click on “Add Content” to create your post.
• Write your caption, hashtags, location tag etc. 
• Select the arrow button which is next to “Publish” at the bottom-right of the screen. 
• Fill in the time and date when you want your post published.
• Click on “Schedule”.

There is a wide variety of third-party tools that can help you schedule Instagram posts with your desktop browser.

How To Post on Instagram From Your Desktop Without Using Creator’s Studio

Facebook recently confirmed that Instagram has introduced the option to write and publish posts directly from accessing Instagram.com on your computer without having to use Facebook Creator Studio. 

Before now, Instagram users could only upload stories and posts from their phone app. The only way they could use a computer was to employ a workaround solution.

Many individuals use their computers to browse Instagram. For this reason, Instagram has set out to design a way for people to be able to create Feed posts on Instagram using their desktop browser. 

However, it turns out that not everyone can access this feature on their computer,  But for the few who can, this update is sure to improve your instagram experience and make posting much easier if you prefer using your computer.

If you’re lucky and you already have the functionality enabled, Instagram will notify you when you log in with a pop-up. Here’s how to upload a post. 

1. The first step is to visit the Instagram website and log in by inserting your details. Press the + button. This is located in the top right corner of your screen. You will find it between the compass and messages icons.

Here is a video illustration of what you should see – please play it to understand how easy it is to schedule once you have access:

2. Next, Drag and drop whatever image or video you want to use. You can also select an image from your computer.

3. Moving on, if you wish to add filters and make any edits to your post, now is the time to do it. 

4. Now, go ahead and add your captions and geotag. If you would like to tag people in the post, also do that here.

5. Now, all you have to do is click Share. Your post will be published.

The upside to this feature is that along with posting through your computer, it allows you to add your caption, location, hashtag, and tags right from your desktop. Plus, this function is available in any browser including Safari, Bing, and Google Chrome.

On the downside, using this functionality to manage several Instagram accounts will be really challenging. Cropping options are limited, and you can’t use it to repost photos. Finally, you won’t be able to upload Instagram Stories or schedule posts ahead of time with the feature.

That said, if you can’t use Creator studio and are not eligible to post directly from your computer, there are other options you can try. Here are a few tools that are great alternatives:

• Agorapulse: This is a comprehensive social media tool that has scheduling features. It allows you to make scheduled Instagram posts using your computer. This app also gives you access to analytics, which is something that’ll assist you in building your Instagram account fast.

• Sendible is a social media scheduler that can enable you to create your content, preview posts and schedule them at your convenience.

• Sprout Social: This third party tool will help you grow your social media networks. It has four main categories: Listening, Publishing, Engagement, and Analytics.

• Tailwind: It offers you an opportunity to grow engagement and build your Instagram account. Its advanced features will help you execute many social media actions including scheduling.

• SocialBee: This allows you to schedule posts across different social media accounts, including Instagram.

Further Reading: The Top 29 Instagram Tools You Need for Successful Marketing

To Draw The Curtains…

Managing your Instagram account and giving your followers terrific content doesn’t have to feel like a rigorous activity.

These tools and features make social media management feel like a walk in the park. 

Take advantage of Instagram scheduling and watch your account grow without putting in as much effort as you used to.

This is a post contributed from one of my marketing partners.

Hero photo by Gabriel Henderson on Unsplash