Things change fast in social media, right? Two months ago, I would tell you one-minute videos should be your main focus on Facebook.
Then, wouldn't you know it—Mr. Zuckerberg says, “Longform videos three minutes or longer with good context will get more exposure.”
So, with that being said, here are four applications and sites that will help you get a better grasp on using social media, and even answer some age-old questions, like, “What hashtags should I use?”
Application 1: Foodie
For restaurants and bars, this is a great way to finally get the perfect picture of food, drinks or overall ambience of something happening in your location. Let's be honest—you always ask yourself, “How the hell do these #foodbloggers take such great photos?”
Newsflash: It's not their iPhone-wielding talent. It’s a mixture of light, filters, and angles. This mobile application will take care of all of this for you.
Application 2: Display Purposes Only
Now this one isn’t so much an application, strictly speaking. However, you can visit this browser from your device and add the URL (https://displaypurposes.com/) to your homescreen. This site is simple to use and has been the best solution so far for helping my clients—and me—find the best hashtags for their brands, and increase their exposure per post.
The maximum amount of hashtags are 30 per Instagram post. So, simply plug a word like “burger” in the search bar and voila! Now, I shortened the examples here, but give it a try and you’ll see your engagement change quite quickly. If your Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter have been struggling, give this a try.
#burger
- #burger
- #burgerporn
- #cheeseburger
- #hamburger
- #burgers
- #fries
Application 3: WhenToPost
It’s the oldest question in social media: “When should I post?” Well, this application answers that question for you. WhenToPost does an excellent job of giving you the top three times to post to your accounts.
Here’s the deal: I‘ve tested this for 30 days myself and I now use it on a daily basis. Time is the one thing we typically can't control. However, with today’s technology we now know when to post to get the best engagement and when to get in the face of the people we want at the right time.
From their Apple App Store listing:
“At its core, WhenToPost makes it easy for you to reach the largest number of followers with every photo you post. Knowing the best time to post on Instagram is a huge advantage because if people see your photos at the top of their feed, they are more likely to LIKE your photos. Open the app, and it will tell you ‘POST NOW’ or ‘DON’T POST’. It’s simple and useful!
Application 4: Apphi
This one is interesting. Most of you don't know this, but you can actually schedule out your Instagram stories. LOL, I know you didn't know that.
The mobile application Apphi lets you schedule your Instagram stories, helping make that part of your strategy much easier. If you’re not utilizing Instagram stories, your Instagram is basically operating at 50 percent of its true potential. Most of the time I hear, “I just don't have the time to upload, because I am working.” If that's the case, collect the content and then schedule it using this application.
From their Apple App Store listing:
- Schedule and manage your Instagram in advance from your phone.
- Manage up to 100 Instagram accounts at the same time
- Schedule tory
- Tag People on Story
- Tag Location on Story
- Add Hashtag on Story
- Preview and design your grid with drag & drop
- Search and Repost
- Tag Products
- Suggested hashtags
- Bulk Schedule
- Schedule Profile Website
- Schedule Profile to Public or Private
- Data analytics for followers, likes, comments
- Support schedule multiple photos and videos in one post
- Login without Instagram password
- First comment
- Tag people and location
- Data Analytics
- Saved captions & hashtags for easy add next time.
- @mentions, #hashtags & Emojis.
- Assign members to manage
- Schedule delete time
- Check likes and comments results
Posting Tips
You’re likely not doing the following, and that’s hurting your reach:
- Make sure you’re tagging a location in every post.
- Tag people in your photos when you upload them. This will help you be discovered via the “Explore” feature of Instagram.
- Add your alternate text to your posts. This is located in the “Advanced Options” section.
- Stop using hashtags on your Facebook page—it’s not working.
- Add hashtags to your stories. I’ll be showing you how you can hide hashtags while still using them to get noticed in a later article.
Happy posting!