Content marketing

How to Schedule Instagram Posts Using Postly: The Complete Guide for Business Growth

Paul Onu

Nov 12, 2024 — 4 min read

Instagram has evolved into one of the most effective platforms for businesses aiming to connect with audiences, build brand visibility, and drive engagement. Scheduling posts on Instagram can streamline your social media management, allowing you to plan and publish content consistently without the need for daily manual posting. This guide walks you through the benefits of using Postly to schedule Instagram posts and explains how it can help grow your business on Instagram.

Why Your Business Should Focus on Instagram

With over 2 billion monthly active users (Statista, 2023), Instagram remains a core social platform for brands aiming to reach and engage a large audience. Businesses with a strong Instagram presence can experience increased engagement and brand loyalty. Key benefits include:

Increased Visibility: A consistent posting strategy helps your brand stay top of mind with followers.
Enhanced Engagement: Brands on Instagram have the chance to interact directly with audiences through comments, direct messages, and stories, which can boost loyalty.
Higher Conversion Potential: Many users follow brands they buy from, making Instagram a great place to share product updates and promotions.
Actionable Analytics: Instagram Insights provides data on audience demographics, active times, and engagement patterns, helping businesses refine their strategies.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Postly Account

To get started with Instagram scheduling, sign up for an account on Postly. Postly offers different plans to meet the needs of businesses, creators, and agencies, providing you with access to an array of Instagram publishing features.

Create Your Project: In the dashboard, start by creating a project dedicated to your Instagram strategy. Projects in Postly help you organize posts by campaign, theme, or social media channel.
Link Your Instagram Account: In the “Manage Accounts” section, connect your Instagram account. With a business Instagram account, Postly can automatically post on your behalf, simplifying the publishing process.

Step 2: Building a Content Strategy and Calendar

A well-structured content calendar helps you stay organized and ensure your Instagram feed is regularly updated.

Define Business Goals: Decide on specific objectives such as brand awareness, lead generation, or audience engagement. These goals will inform your content.
Determine Posting-Frequency: Studies suggest that posting 1-2 times per day can help maintain optimal engagement. Instagram Insights can guide you on your audience’s most active times.
Develop Content Themes: Establish themes, such as product features, user-generated content, and educational posts, to create a diverse and engaging feed.
Plan Around Peak Times: Postly’s scheduling feature lets you post at peak times, maximizing engagement without having to be online at those hours.

Step 3: Creating and Preparing Content with Postly’s AI Tools

With Postly’s AI-powered content generation tools, you can streamline content creation directly within the platform.

AI Content Generation: Postly can generate post content ideas, captions, and hashtags, taking the guesswork out of creating engaging posts. This feature is perfect for inspiration when you need fresh ideas or quick, effective captions.
Pre-Made Hashtag Suggestions: Postly suggests popular and relevant hashtags tailored to your industry, ensuring your posts reach a wider audience.
Diverse Media Support: Postly allows you to schedule different content types including Instagram posts, reels, and stories. The platform supports carousel posts with up to 10 images, helping you leverage Instagram’s multiple-image format.

Step 4: Scheduling Posts with Postly

Here’s how to schedule your Instagram posts in Postly to simplify publishing.

Create a New Post: On the main dashboard, click “Create Post” and select Instagram from your linked accounts.
Upload Media: You can upload images and videos directly or bulk-upload content if you have multiple posts ready for publishing.
Add Captions and Hashtags: Use Postly’s AI-generated captions or type your own. You can also add hashtags from Postly’s suggestions.
Choose Between Scheduling and Immediate Publishing: Postly allows you to either schedule posts for later or publish immediately, depending on your plan and posting needs.
Set Up Recurring Posts: For evergreen content, Postly offers a recurring scheduling option. This allows you to republish valuable posts periodically to keep your feed active.

Postly’s Advanced Instagram Scheduling Features

Postly goes beyond basic scheduling with several advanced features that support growth on Instagram:

Manage Comments: Interacting with your followers is crucial. Postly allows you to manage and respond to Instagram comments directly within the platform, making it easier to engage with your audience.
User Tagging: Tag users on both Instagram posts and story images. This feature is useful for collaborations, influencer partnerships, or highlighting user-generated content.
Carousel and Multi-Image Posts: Postly supports up to 10 images per post, making it simple to create carousel posts that tell a story or show product details.
Bulk Uploading: Plan and upload multiple posts at once, allowing you to stay ahead of schedule and maintain consistency.
Set Up Evergreen Content: Postly’s recurring scheduling lets you automate the re-posting of high-value content, keeping your profile active without extra work.
Upcoming Features: Postly regularly adds new features, ensuring it evolves with Instagram’s updates and continues to meet users' scheduling needs.

Explore all of Postly’s Instagram scheduling features to see how these tools can support your Instagram marketing efforts.

Benefits of Scheduling Instagram Posts for Business Growth

Scheduling Instagram posts on Postly offers numerous benefits for businesses, helping improve results and maximize efficiency.

Consistency Drives Engagement: Instagram’s algorithm rewards accounts that post regularly. By scheduling in advance, you ensure a consistent flow of content, boosting engagement and brand visibility.
Productivity Boost: Scheduling allows you to manage your time more effectively, freeing you up to focus on other aspects of your business.
Post During Peak Times: Use scheduling to ensure posts go live during peak times, regardless of your availability.
Enhanced Content Strategy: With scheduled content, you can take time to analyze results and adjust your strategy, refining your approach based on insights.