Researching how to schedule Instagram posts? You\u2019ve come to the right place. <\/p>\n
Here, we break down how you can schedule posts, Stories, Threads<\/a>, and even Reels \u2013 so you can plan and execute effective Instagram campaigns rather than wearing out your thumbs posting on the fly.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Bonus: Download our free, customizable social media calendar template<\/span><\/strong> to easily plan and schedule all your content in advance.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n This is an easy one: Yes<\/strong>. In several different ways, in fact. We\u2019re about to show you three different options for scheduling Instagram posts.<\/p>\n Perhaps the bigger question here is why<\/em> you should schedule Instagram posts. Scheduling social media content<\/a> has tons of important benefits for creators and social media managers.<\/p>\n On Instagram, in particular, creating and scheduling your content in advance allows you to focus on the high-quality images and well-edited videos that thrive there.<\/p>\n It also allows you to work interrupted for the rest of your workday so you have a chance to tackle responsibilities like community engagement, reporting<\/a>, analysis, and strategic planning<\/a>. (And avoid getting up at 3 AM to post content when your international audience is most active.) <\/p>\n Since 38% of all social \u201cteams\u201d are actually just one person<\/a>, scheduling posts is a critical way to get more out of the very limited number of hours in your day.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Create. Schedule. Publish. Engage. Measure. Win.<\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree 30-Day Trial<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Heads up: To use any of these scheduling methods, you need to have an Instagram professional account. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re currently using a personal account, you\u2019ll have to switch to an Instagram Business<\/a> or Creator account<\/a> before scheduling posts. Fortunately, it\u2019s free, and it only takes a minute.<\/p>\n Need help switching? We\u2019ve got a step-by-step guide<\/a> to walk you through the process.<\/p>\n This method works for both posts and Reels \u2014 but not Stories.<\/p>\n 1. Open Instagram, tap the plus icon<\/strong>, then tap Post<\/strong> or Reel<\/strong> to create your content as usual.<\/p>\n 2. Once you\u2019ve made your edits and added your caption, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap Advanced Settings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 3. Toggle the Schedule<\/strong> switch on and choose the date and time you want you post to go live.<\/p>\n 4. Tap the back<\/strong> button and then tap Share <\/strong>to schedule your post.<\/p>\n 5. If you want to revise your scheduled posts, open your Instagram profile and tap the menu icon<\/strong> in the top right.<\/p>\n 6. Tap Scheduled content<\/strong>, then tap the three dots next to the relevant post or Reel to edit, reschedule, share now, or delete.<\/p>\n Note that you can schedule a maximum of 25 posts per day and a maximum of 75 days in advance.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d prefer to schedule posts on desktop rather than mobile, you can use Meta Business Suite<\/a>. This method allows you to post Stories as well as Reels and posts.<\/p>\n To schedule Instagram posts from your computer using Meta Business Suite, follow these steps:<\/p>\n 1. Open Meta Business Suite<\/a> and click Content <\/strong>in the left menu.<\/p>\n 2. Click Create Reel<\/strong> or Create post<\/strong>. To create a Story, click the down arrow next to Create post and choose Create Story<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 3. Choose your Instagram account under Post to<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 4. Complete your post, Reel, or Story with all the appropriate image(s), video(s), text, stickers, and so on.<\/p>\n 5. Check to make sure you\u2019re happy with the preview of your post or Story.<\/p>\n 6. To schedule a post, slide the toggle on next to Set date and time<\/strong>. For a Story or Reel, click Schedule<\/strong> and enter your desired time.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it! Now you can lean back and check your DMs<\/a>.<\/p>\n As described above, Meta Business Suite is a good tool if you only want to schedule content for Instagram and Facebook. But most social media pros can save a lot of time and energy using a social media management tool and handling all social channels from a single dashboard.<\/p>\n Hootsuite will help you schedule social media posts to Instagram and Facebook as well as TikTok, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest<\/strong>, all in one place.<\/p>\n You can schedule posts, Stories, carousel posts, Reels, and Instagram ads with Hootsuite. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using Hootsuite, it\u2019s easy to link your Instagram account. From the Hootsuite dashboard<\/a>:<\/p>\n For more details on this process, check out our very thorough help article<\/a>.<\/p>\n Optional: <\/strong>If you\u2019re not sure how to caption your photo or video, click Create a caption now<\/strong> to try OwlyWriter AI. Save your existing post as a draft so you can return to it once you have the perfect caption.<\/p>\n Copy your desired caption, then find your draft on the Calendar tab to resume editing.<\/p>\n You can also edit your image using Canva\u2019s editor inside the Hootsuite dashboard. No more switching tabs, digging through your \u201cDownloads\u201d folder, and reuploading files \u2014 you can seamlessly create beautiful visuals from start to finish without leaving Hootsuite Composer.<\/p>\n To use Canva in Hootsuite:<\/p>\n Posting at the right time can help you reach your audience when they\u2019re online. Plus, early engagement tells the Instagram algorithm <\/a>that people like your content (a.k.a. gives it a nudge to surface it in more users\u2019 feeds).<\/p>\n In fact, our research found that while it\u2019s generally safe to post any time between 6 AM and 6 PM, Wednesday at 4 AM<\/strong> appears to be the best<\/em> time to post on Instagram for engagement.<\/p>\n And no one wants to wake up at 4 AM to schedule those Reels (we don\u2019t, anyway).<\/p>\n Luckiloy, Hootsuite\u2019s Best Time to Publish feature shows you your best time to post on Instagram based on your posts from the past 30 days. It groups posts by weekday and hour to identify when your posts had the highest impact, based on average impressions or engagement rate.<\/p>\n To find your best times to post, save your post as a draft and follow the instructions below:<\/p>\n You will see a heatmap highlighting your best times to post (based on your account\u2019s historical performance). You can switch between three tabs: \u201cExtend reach,\u201d \u201cBuild awareness\u201d and \u201cIncrease engagement\u201d to find the time that will work best for your specific goals.<\/p>\n All right, now comes the easy part. Click Schedule for Later<\/strong> in the bottom right, and select the date and time you\u2019d like your post to go live.<\/p>\n If you skipped the step above and didn\u2019t go to analytics to look up your best times to publish, you will see a couple of recommended posting times once you select a date. You can pick one or manually set a time.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it! You can review your scheduled posts in the Hootsuite Planner<\/a>, and edit them there before they go live, as well.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ready to take the plunge and get really efficient with your posting habits, these tips will help keep you ahead of the game.<\/p>\n In general, posting when your followers are online is key. That\u2019s because early engagement is a value signal for the Instagram algorithm<\/a>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s one reason why simple cross-posting may not work. Your audience on Facebook may be active from 6-10PM on weeknights, but browsing Instagram from 1-4PM.<\/p>\n The right Instagram analytics tool will tell you when your audience is most likely to be online and\/or engage with your post.<\/p>\n For the Hootsuite social media team, that time is<\/a> 8AM-12PM PST, or 4-5PM PST on weekdays. For you, it might be different.<\/p>\n Hootsuite\u2019s Best Time to Publish feature can show you your individual best time to post on Instagram based on your posts from the past 30 days. <\/p>\n It will also suggest time slots that you haven\u2019t used in the last 30 days so that you can shake up your posting habits and test new tactics.<\/p>\n When it comes to Instagram scheduling, going much farther than a week or two in advance can start to increase the risk of something going sideways.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t want to cause a social media crisis<\/a> for your brand by posting something insensitive. If something unexpected happens, you may need to pause your content calendar entirely (Hint: You can do that with one button<\/a> in Hootsuite). You might even need to use your social channels to communicate through a crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n Posting everything too far in advance also makes it tricky to stay on top of the latest trending audio, trending effects, and popular memes. That said, posting evergreen and non-time-sensitive content in advance actually frees you up to jump on those trending moments as they happen.<\/p>\n Our advice: Keep your finger on the pulse, and stay nimble.<\/p>\n Yes, the miracle of Instagram scheduling means you can increase your quantity of posts without sacrificing quality. But should you?<\/p>\n The short answer is \u201cmaybe.\u201d The long answer is \u201cmaybe, if you can maintain consistent quality at that pace over the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n Consistency matters more than frequency when it comes to engagement. Remember that the algorithm<\/a> prioritizes good relationships: if your followers are engaging with your Instagram content, the algorithm will show more of it to them.<\/p>\n Great visuals are key on Instagram. Get yourself an Instagram scheduler that allows you to edit your photos in the same dashboard you publish from. It\u2019ll save you much more time and ensure that your images are fully optimized before posting.<\/p>\n Shout out to Hootsuite\u2019s image editor, which can crop your image to the correct size for any social network<\/a>. It also has an extensive filter library (useful for those who would rather leave photo editing up to the professionals). Watch the video below for a preview of the tool.<\/p>\n Scheduling also allows the chance to double-check and proofread the text that accompanies your Instagram content.\u00a0And for big teams with a lot of moving parts, an internal multi-stage approval system is ideal<\/a> for preventing a gaffe.<\/p>\n Now that you know how to schedule an Instagram post, you\u2019ve got time to take a look at the big picture.<\/p>\n Are you creating content that works for your audience? What\u2019s earning likes<\/a>? What\u2019s falling flat?<\/p>\nKey Takeaways<\/h3>\n
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Can you schedule Instagram posts in advance?<\/span><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Inpost-CTA-Planner.png?ssl=1\"\/)
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t#1 Social Media Tool\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\nHow to schedule Instagram posts: 3 ways<\/span><\/h2>\n
How to schedule posts on Instagram (the app)<\/h3>\n
![\"Sumas](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-1-620x1466.png?resize=620%2C1466&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"schedule](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-2-620x1378.png?resize=620%2C1378&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nHow to schedule Instagram posts in Meta Business Suite<\/h3>\n
![\"Meta](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-3-620x168.png?resize=620%2C168&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"schedule](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-4-620x505.png?resize=620%2C505&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nHow to schedule Instagram posts with Hootsuite<\/h3>\n
1. Add your Instagram Business account to your social media management platform<\/h3>\n
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![\"manage](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-5.png?resize=550%2C273&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"private](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-6.png?resize=478%2C163&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n2. Compose your Instagram post<\/h3>\n
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![\"new](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-7.png?resize=499%2C425&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Instagram](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-8.png?resize=455%2C673&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n
![\"prepare](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-9-620x434.png?resize=620%2C434&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n
![\"Canva](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-10.png?resize=465%2C484&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-11-620x458.png?resize=620%2C458&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n3. Find the best time to post<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/best-time-to-post-on-instagram-620x413.png.webp)
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![\"Hootsuite](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-12-620x364.png?resize=620%2C364&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n4. Schedule your post<\/h3>\n
![\"Hootsuite](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/schedule-instagram-posts-13.png?resize=510%2C641&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nBest practices for scheduling Instagram posts<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Post at the right time<\/h3>\n
2. Pause or adjust your posting schedule when necessary<\/h3>\n
3. Don\u2019t get carried away<\/h3>\n
4. Optimize and edit<\/h3>\n
![\"Thumbnail](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hootsuite-youtube-photo-and-video-editor-620x346.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n5. Analyze and adjust<\/h3>\n