Want to Instagram like a pro? Then it’s time to get planning!
Having a content plan makes all the difference in creating a winning feed. Especially if you’re a sucker for an on-point colour scheme and gorgeously coordinated images. Plus, it’ll save you the stress of ‘what shall I post like right now?!’.ย
The aim of the game is a grid with balance. Try alternating your swirly latte pics with your #OOTD shots. You don’t want it to feel too ‘samey’. If you have lots of images that look very similar, that’s fine, just space them out so they’re not always next to each other. Think outside of the box, too, with patterns or arty layouts that bring a unique twist to your grid.
Of course, this takes some planning. If youโre unsure where to start, donโt worry โ weโve got your back. Thereโs plenty of genius Instagram planner apps out there that are designed to be an ‘grammer’s best friend. And all of them are free (yes, free!). Here are our favourite influencer-approved Instagramย planning apps…
# 1ย Preview Planning App
Hailed as โyour visual planner for Instagramโ, the Preview app is a brilliant tool for predicting what your feed will look like before pressing ‘Share’. You can drag and drop your photos and videos into the layout you want then set a day and time for your post. When itโs time to go, Preview will send a notification to remind you to share your post and paste your caption.ย
โI love using Preview to help me plan my feed in advance. Itโs no different to merchandising a shop window. You want to entice people enough that they scroll through your feed.โ – @itslinamar
Thereโs a ton of clever features too, from the hashtag suggestion tool to free templates (like the Puzzle Feed below), as well as a dreamy selection of filters to play with.
View this post on Instagram
# 2ย UNUM
Neat freaks, rejoice! UNUM is a very cool app that has the same basic features for uploading potential images into the grid and playing about with their placement. But this one feels more on the arty side and helps serious Instagrammers to create a beautiful design.
โIโve used UNUM since the app first launched to develop and test new updates. It now offers insights on the best time to post, your most popular hashtags and unfollowers. Itโs a great all-rounder.โ – @livblankson
Other nifty extras include caption presets, integration with other platforms and access across multiple devices. It makes planning on-the-go easy peasy.
View this post on Instagram
# 3 Planoly Planning App
Of course, we have to pay homage to the OG of planner tools: Planoly. Created by designer @brandypham back in 2013, the app has honed its scheduling capabilities, making it easier than ever to use, and now enables you to manage and reply to comments all in one place.ย
“Planning is my jam so using Planoly has made me a happier Instagrammer. It takes all the hassle out of deciding what to share next and helps me to bring some structure to my feed (as opposed to constantly posting cat pics!). It’s so useful that you can draft content for your Stories now too.” – @delphinechui
And you’ve got to check out the new Shoplink add-on. It’s really great for small businesses. You can now tag products on your Planoly content, making it even easier to schedule posts and sell products at the same time. In the words of the savvy founder, ‘I got 99 problems but a grid ain’t one.’ย
View this post on Instagram
# 4 Mosaico
Designed to ‘bring your IG feed to perfection’, Mosaico is so easy-to-use making planning totally pain-free. As well as the standard drag ‘n’ drop positioning, you can manage your feed with bulk uploads and replace a planned image but keep its caption and position in the grid.
โI work full-time so I like to plan my content on weekends using Mosaico. I’ll shoot a bunch of images when the lighting is good then schedule ahead for the coming week. It’s a life-saver!โ – @camillaackley
There’s plenty of tagging help, too. We love that you can save Tag Clouds under custom categories, which populate your caption field with one tap. Hello, perfectionist’s heaven.
View this post on Instagram
# 5 Plann
Last but not least, we have Plann. This is a fuss-free app that is very straight forward to use. Aside from the standard scheduling, you can have plenty of fun with your images, from retouching and resizing to using stickers, borders and text to make your content truly pop.
โI like the colours on my feed to balance, which is harder than it sounds when my wardrobe is every shade of the rainbow! Plann helps a lot. You can switch images about like an ingenious jigsaw puzzle.โ – @rosannafalconer
It’s pretty neat that you can link the app to your Google Drive and Dropbox for super simple sharing. Plus, this one has a competitor stats tool, allowing you a peep at other users’ best performing hashtags. Sneaky but oh-so handy!
View this post on Instagram
A Quick Recap
- Planning is fun, kids! Having a planning tool at your fingertips means you can plan your content, draft captions, schedule posts, discover killer hashtags and review your analytics. It’ll save you hours and level-up your IG game. No brainer, right?
- Visual storytelling is a winner. Of course Instagram is all about ensuring the visuals are top-notch so it pays off to think in โgridโ format and consider the overall look and feel of what you post.
- There’s a planning tool for everyone. Whether building a brand or upping your personal account, you’re sure to find an app that meets your needs. Give these five a go, start experimenting and let us know how you get on.
- Show up consistently. Thereโs nothing worse than coming across an IG account full of cool content only to see the last post was three months ago. By sticking to a posting schedule as part of your content plan, your followers will come to trust you and engagement will follow. Bring on the grid goals…
