As a creative, there are a few apps I’ve found that make planning my Instagram strategy so much easier! I’ll bet you thought the IG app itself was enough, didn’t you? It can be, but I’m all about simplifying systems and making them faster. Here are my top five apps for Instagram that help me do that:
VSCO
It’s what I use for all of my iPhone shots! I use the same editing process every time to ensure consistency in my feed. And I like that I can upload straight from the app into Instagram. Also consider similar apps like Pic-Tap-Go.
DropBox
I use DropBox when I want to share a preview from something I haven’t finished yet. I’ll export a preview from Lightroom straight into a folder marked “Previews” in DB. Because I also have the DB folder on my phone, all I have to do after that is save the image from DB to my phone’s photo album. (Mac Users: I’ve heard AirDrop is also good for that kind of thing, but I’ve never used it.)
Squaready
I don’t always love that Insta wants to crop my photos into a square, so whenever I want to preserve the dimensions of a rectangular image, I upload it first to Squaready. It pops my photo onto a white square background first, and then sends that to Instagram! Also consider similar apps like NoCrop.
Lauren’s note: I use SquareReady to make my images all have the same cohesive border around the images before they post! It’s just an extra tip for creating a nice balanced feed on Instagram.
Latergramme
This is one I use sparingly (because I typically forget to post ahead of time), but it’s great for when you need to prep a few images before it’s time to post them on IG! Because IG’s user agreement states that you’re not allowed to schedule posts (nor are you allowed to use a third party to do so), Latergramme is a great solution- you choose your photo, write your text, and then tell the app what time you want to post that particular image + text. Then, whenever it’s time for the post to go live, you get a notification on your phone from Latergramme- all you have to do is swipe to the side, and it’ll upload to IG for you. Perfect solution for if you’re going to be away on vacation and don’t want to be bothered to come up with material while you’re laying on the beach.
Mappr Latergram Location Editor
This is easily becoming one of my favorite new apps. I love to add locations to my Instagrams, especially when I’m posting images from my latest travels. The only problem is that Instagram only recognizes locations nearby to me. Enter, Mappr. It’s an app that allows you to Geo-tag your images on your phone so that the location automatically pops up in your post.
What about you? Do you have a favorite app that makes using Insta a bit more streamlined or enjoyable? Share in the comments below!
Thanks Abby for sharing your tips with us!
