One of the first things we all struggle with on Instagram is what to post. Not that we should all post the same things, but you should think about it. So today’s post is going to be about posting.
Posting to Instagram
Instagram is all about images, no matter how you take them. Instagram started initially for a way to share photos taken with your phone. As time has gone on that has changed and now you can also put up photos taken with other cameras.
When I first started using Instagram (IG) that is what I did, I used it for photos from my phone, but about 18 months ago I realised I wanted to show images that were better than what I could do with my phone. That was my choice, but I know that a lot of people are just as comfortable putting up photos from their phone.
Phone
In some ways it is so much easier to put up photos that are taken with your phone. Everything is right there in your hand for doing it. You can take the photo with the camera app and share it to Instagram or you can use the camera in Instagram. If you use the camera in Instagram your photos will all be square, however if you use you camera app then you can put photos that are rectangle up as well.
If you do the latter option then you can edit the photos in Instagram or you can use a mobile app to do it. I’ve used Snapseed many times and have found it great.
There are a lot of filters that you can apply to your photos on IG as well, but you do have to be careful using them. The photos do tend to stand out a bit and they can start to look like everyone else’s. Perhaps less these days. You should do what you want, and if you enjoy using them, then do it.
You can upload your photo then it is ready for everyone to see.
Camera
For many of us the best option is to take photos with our cameras, process them on the computer and get them to our phones for Instagram. Most of the process is easy, but getting the photo from the computer to your phone can be a challenge. For a long time I used a draft gmail email. I put the photo into the draft email and then opened it on my phone, shared it to get it on Instagram. Sound easy, well I thought so for a long time, however you still have to type what you want to say on the phone. That’s the bit I don’t like.
As IG has evolved, new apps have been developed that help you get your image from the computer to your phone. I use one called Later. It is fantastic, you can load the photo into it on your computer and write what you want to go with the image and then schedule it. Then the app is on your phone. When the scheduled time happens a notification pops up on the phone for you to share it. The photo goes up and you paste the text. Brilliant. I love it. I’ve been using it for a few months now.
It is free for 30 posts a month to one IG account, if you want to use it for more, then you need to pay for it. It works well for me, I post once a day, so the months with 31 days I just do it the old way. There are lots of apps out there, and each person you ask will have another suggestion.
Next week
In the next post we will look at hashtags and hubs.
If you missed the first two parts, here are the links, Part 1 and Part 2.
Discussion: Do you use Instagram? How do you take your photos? How do you get your photos to Instagram? Do you have an app you use and can you share it?
Interesting to hear of the different apps and suggestions on how to post to IG. Can definitely see the benefit of using Later (and the other apps as the others suggested ) if you are going to be posting a few times a week and want to put in a thoughtful caption and maximise the use of hastags. You also don’t have to spend time every day scheduling things to go up on IG manually.
I edit my photos on my computer and then transfer it via cable to my phone and then upping it on my public IG, the tedius way. Then again, I don’t post too often so it works well for me. On my phone I have a collection of hastags kept in a notepad so that’s a matter of copying and pasting onto IG.
There are so many and I found it interesting to hear what everyone else does as well. I do love Later, though knowing that some months I have to post some other way is a bit annoying. Still, you do what you have to. If it works that way for you then you should do that. I was doing that, but the different hashtags for images and such was getting confusing for me. Thanks for sharing what you do Mabel.
I’m such a dinosaur! Thanks for the info on Later will check it out 😃
I’m sure you aren’t, it is really learning it all I think, that’s the hard part and then keeping up with it. 😀
Great topic. I love the last photo the most, striking!
That’s great Nicci, glad you are enjoying it, thank you.
Thank you so much for this post Leanne… one of the things that was turning me off of Instagram was the typing on a phone.. I downloaded Later and it is good. I will also be checking out Gramblr
You’re welcome Bren, glad you enjoyed it. I love Later, for the reasons you said, I’m also going to check out Gramblr, could be good for some other things.
Oh, and I absolutely LOVE your feature image of the tree. Where is that? Simply stunning!
Thank you, it was taken at Tenby Point, which is on the way to Phillip Island.
I post to IG daily, and I use Hootsuite. It works exactly like Later, but it doesn’t have any post caps (it does have account caps (3), but I’m mostly posting to just one account anyway). I schedule them all out on Sundays, and then I get the alerts on my phone at the appointed times. The image is automatically uploaded to the IG editor on my phone and the text copied to my clipboard. I paste the text, cut out all the tags, add a location (if applicable), then share. I then immediately add a comment, wherein I post all the tags (removing some if I’ve added too many – silly tag limits). Once everything’s set up and scheduled, it only takes me about a minute to post from my phone each day. Super convenient.
I only wish the app would save my most common tags. As it is, I’ll usually reference my previously scheduled posts (which I like having a record of on my computer) and copy/paste. it would also be nice if those tags would tie to IG and give you insight into how many posts exist with that tag (as on IG). Those are the main features I wish it had, but I’m otherwise quite happy with the app.
I was using Hootesuite for awhile, but I hated it on my computer and how it seemed to interfere with so many other things, so I got rid of it. I am never that organised to get my stuff up that early, I’m afraid, one day, though it will probably never happen. Sounds exactly how Later works, though I have had to worry about the number of posts, it isn’t really an issue for me. I don’t add the tags like that, I do in the first part. I’ve noticed when you get reposted the tags aren’t reposted, so you loose that second opportunity, but maybe that is just me.
Later does do that, as you start typing it will show you lots of tags, plus I think it has something you can click as well, though I usually look for a previous photo that is similar and cut and paste them that way. I suppose the limitations have a lot to do with it being meant for the phone, it is interesting how they have restricted what you can do on the computer. Thanks Brianna, nice to hear what you do.
I suppose I don’t get reposted, so I’ve never noticed that caveat 😀
I’m going to talk about that next week.
Hi Leanne. I’ve used Instagram a bit for sharing my photos (although not much lately). I use bluetooth to transfer my photo from my computer to my phone. Of course this means I have to type what I want to say on my phone, but I don’t mind that. I’m looking forward to your post on hashtags. I’m trying to use them, but really have no idea what to put in them.
That’s good that you don’t mind typing on the phone, I know my daughter doesn’t mind it either. Thanks for telling us what you do.
Im using Gramblr – I hate fussing about with the keyboard on my phone to add in hashtags and stuff, would much rather use my keyboard for it, and I post different images needing different hashtags so the copy and paste doesnt work for my.
I haven’t heard of Gramblr, I might have to check it out. I hate the keyboard on the phone too. I copy and paste hashtags from previous photos depending on the image, I change them to match the images, so probably similar to you. Thanks for sharing Stacey.
Loving this series, Leanne. Very helpful for me as I am fairly new to Instagram. To answer your questions, I use photos from my camera and, like you, I use Later to manage the upload porcess. Very easy, and the scheduling feature is great.
I am so glad to hear that Robin, I’ve been doing a lot to learn how to use it, and I’m happy to share what I know. How great is Later, I love it, so easy to use. Thanks Robin.
Hi Leanne
I use Instagram (a bit). But I’ve stuck with only posting photos taken with my phone. I also try to keep them in square format. It’s a different challenge. My other photos (from camera) appear on my blog and/or Flickr. for me Instagram is a fun way to share occasionally. the other platforms are where I try to improve my photography.
There are no rules, you can use it however you want, that is how it should be.Thank you for sharing what you do.
Good tip on the Later app, Leanne.
That’s great to hear Jane, thanks.
there is such a beautiful bleakness to these dark studies!
Thank you Cybele, I’ve been enjoying what I’ve been putting on Instagram.
I can understand why!
Oh, thank you.
I get my photos from my computer to IG two ways. I post on my blogs facebook page, then copy the text and hit share external from the photo. This works pretty slick for me. I also will download photos onto Google Drive, then they are available for to open and use on my phone.
that is interesting Mary, good to hear what you do. I hadn’t thought of using FAcebook, maybe I can do that when I’ve used my 30 posts for the month. Thanks for sharing what you do Mary.
Thanks Leanne, appreciate your work on this topic.
You’re welcome Richard, hope it is helpful, thank you.
Hello Leanne, I post a few images on Instagram and use LR/Instagram (www.lrinstagram.com) to publish directly from lightroom. It was a bit glitchy for a start but seems to be good now. The only problem is that I take a lot of images in landscape format and when viewed on a phone a good part of the image is cropped. :>)
A lot of other poeople are using it as well, I have to admit i like Later more, I like that I can type my comment on the computer. Oh, I didn’t know that LR did that, I post landscape format images all the time. You can change the crop for the photo. Thanks for sharing what you do.
Hello Leanne, posting need not be so complicated. Lightroom allows for publication straight out of the library. Works fine for me. Regards, Jim
Thanks for that Jim, though you still have to do the words on your phone, don’t you? I like using my keyboard, I have to say, but great to hear it works for you.