Instagram is a mandatory social media platform for marketers.
But your presence on the same won’t make a difference unless you make it impactful. And for that, you need to rely on Instagram marketing tools to grow your business.
It goes without saying that there are multiple hindrances to developing a foolproof Instagram marketing strategy. Generating leads, spreading brand awareness, building social proof, and increasing engagement are all just a handful of aspects you should be considering to grow your brand profile rapidly.
This list of Instagram marketing tools will help you nail most of your goals, right from direct Instagram publishing, analyzing posts to learning about the customer personas, scheduling your Instagram posts and much more.
How we analyze & select Instagram Marketing Tools:
We have compiled the following list of top-notch Instagram marketing tools through extensive research and evaluation. Our process involved actively weighing factors like user experience, G2 ratings and reviews, cost, and scalability. We assessed the proficiency of these tools in automation, crafting content, visualization, analytics, and teamwork to rank them. We have dedicated immense effort to curating this list, with the aim of equipping marketers with insightful data for choosing the right tools that will help grow their businesses.
Buffer is a great Instagram marketing tool that lets you schedule posts for your Instagram account well in advance, so you create thoughtful and consistent content for your Instagram presence.
Posting content regularly with image uploads and links is beneficial for busy solopreneurs or business owners with small social media marketing teams.
Pros
- It integrates with other social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
- Smooth UX ensures that first-time customers will learn it quickly.
- Comprehensive analytics reports are available to help you plan better content strategies in the future.
Amber C.
Buffer makes it easy to schedule your social media posts ahead of time, and you can also manage multiple different accounts from one place.
Cons
- The price is comparatively high. For $10 a month, you can only manage 1 social channel.
- Users often complain of their social media profiles being disconnected from the platform.
- When using Buffer, the default schedule can cause some confusion. The app will not prioritize your posts, and this can lead to some extra work.
Charity R.
The default posting schedule that Buffer comes up with is random; even for premium users, it has nothing to do with engagement or views of past social media posts.
Iconsquare is another popular Instagram marketing tool. You can schedule content for both your Instagram and Facebook accounts, track analytics, and monitor engagement in real-time.
The ability to analyze trends while keeping a steady stream of content flowing can do wonders for your marketing campaign. For instance, the ability to look at your analytics in real-time can help you make informed decisions about what kind of content users want to see.
Pros
- Includes a feature called Conversations, which allows you to see what people are saying about you on your social media profiles.
- Spy on your competitors to see what’s working for them and learn how you can improve.
- Creates custom feeds that give you the flexibility to track influencers in your industry.
Akshay A.
I used Iconosquare for six months to aid Influencer search. It lets you find influencers based on a wide number of parameters. Of about 5 platforms tested, Iconosquare had the most accurate data.
Cons
- It offers limited social media integration. So many marketers will need a second tool to track and schedule their other social media accounts.
- Some users experience a glitchy UI if they upload too many posts to their Instagram or Facebook.
- They removed the free plan and now only offer a 14-day trial.
Verified Iconosquare User
You cannot auto-post carousels with multiple photos. Those posts must be manually posted with a reminder sent to your phone. The media libraries are not cross-platform within the scheduler, meaning you have to upload the photo to three separate media libraries for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram scheduling.
Later can help you create visually stunning content for your Instagram. This Instagram marketing tool allows you to create and schedule posts with a drag-and-drop visual planner. Organize your pictures and content in advance and preview its look when visitors land on your profile.
It’s worth noting that Later is not ideal for medium to large businesses. It’s a good choice if you’re running 1-5 social media accounts and only need the bare minimum of features.
Pros
- Later comes with a free version for people who only want to manage a single social media account.
- Use the visual planner to see what your images will look like on your profile before posting them. You can use this feature to create and schedule multiple images.
- You get access to plenty of valuable premium options.
Samantha C.
Simple to use, drag and drop to auto-schedule based on your preferences, add text, crop, and share to Twitter and Facebook all options when posting or scheduling. It also has plenty of free options!
Cons
- There are no premium plans for managing more than 6 social media accounts.
- You can only upload one still image at a time per post.
- The analytics reports give a general overview but lack more detailed actionable reports.
Shulaya T
The only thing that I dislike about later would have to be the way you have to post your Instagram posts through the site manually, and then it takes you to Instagram, where you have to fill in everything yourself and then post it from there. So instead of an automatic post like other social media sites, it is just a notification to make a manual post for Instagram.
Blog2Social is a WordPress plugin that gives you full access to your social media accounts from your blog.
When you can track all of this data from your website, you’ll save time and money. Instead of swapping back and forth between an uploader and your WordPress site, this Instagram growth tool lets you keep track of all activities in one place.
Pros
- Blog2Social allows you to automate and share across a vast number of social media platforms.
- You can see the best time to share your posts based on where your target audience lives.
Christopher J.
I absolutely love how I can push a post directly out to all of my social media platforms. Being able to push to Facebook, Google My Business, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter in one push has saved me so much time and frustration.
Cons
- Lacks the ability to report your old blog posts. You can only upload posts as they go live.
- There’s a steep learning curve with little training information.
- The free version does not allow you to schedule posts or engage with a majority of the social platforms offered in the premium versions.
Sylvia S.
It is, in the beginning, a bit difficult to set up as the training video is too short and does not go into detail.
Being a social listening tool Awario lets you to monitor important conversations about your industry. You can use Awario to look for influencers on Instagram that will promote your brand and find new ways to connect with your target audience while looking out for your competitors.
Small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from Instagram tools like Awario. Alternatively, if you are working for several clients, this software will let you track multiple accounts at the same time.
Pros
- You can track down relevant keywords in your industry, so you connect with your target audience by using appropriate hashtags and descriptions in your posts.
- Up-to-date, personalized reports give you all of the information you need to tweak your social media marketing strategy.
Marco M.
It finds the keywords that I’m looking for without me having to break a sweat. I love that the blog is useful and teaches us how to use the interface to greater effect each week.
Cons
- Fine-tuning specific search criteria can pose a challenge if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.
- You can’t track your LinkedIn mentions with Awario, which could be a deal-breaker for people interested in growing their personal brand with LinkedIn.
Gary Smith
Your first searches may not bring back the results you want. You really need to learn how to use the search tool and boolean searches to get what you need, so there is a learning curve on how to use the tool.
Socialinsider is a another name in our Instagram growth tools list. It helps you in Instagram marketing, with a suite of analytics reports to learn more about the people who visit your site.
The ability to analyze how people engage with your brand can help you improve customer relationships and create relevant content. You can also use Socialinsider for rigorous competitive analysis so you stay ahead in adding value.
Pros
- Under the right conditions, you can generate helpful social media benchmark reports that give you valuable insight into growing your business.
- You can use Socialinsider to track your competitors’ page too. This could help you learn more about generating followers and shares.
Johnadeen A.
I like the fact that Socialinsider can analyze any social media page. It allows me to track my competitors and learn more about my audience.
Cons
- Socialinsider is pricey for what it offers. Depending on your needs, there are other tools on this list, specifically SocialPilot, that gives you more value for less money.
- If you’re running a small business or operating an account with only a handful of followers, you’re going to have a hard time finding value with this product.
Mattia P.
Its main downside is that it’s most useful when linked to big profiles, with tons of followers and page likes. It’s harder to retrieve relevant data to study smaller profiles and compare their trends with the biggest ones.
Agorapulse is a CRM and scheduling tool that can be used for Instagram marketing. You can plan your content in advance, freeing up your time and giving you opportunities to grow your business in newer ways.
Plus, they offer several other tools that will help you boost your engagement. Apart from this, Agorapulse also facilitates team collaboration features for better coordination.
Pros
- If you’re working with a client, you can separate their data and leave specific notes on their reports.
- Agorapulse has a clean design, managing your different types of content and pulling reports quickly and easily.
Bobby B.
I like Agorapulse because it is easy to create publications and analyze the reports that the same tool provides us to increase the productivity of each of our social networks.
Cons
- While this Instagram marketing tool does come with an impressive selection of features, some people might find almost $100 a month pricey.
- Getting the hang of Agorapulse can be tricky if you’re new to using CRMs and scheduling software.
Ramona C.
There are some parts of the site that use language that isn’t really explained anywhere, which is pretty frustrating. This is especially a problem in the analytics section. And these aren’t specific terms to social media stuff.
Kicksta is an Instagram marketing tool that helps you get more followers. Normally, users would have to manually go through accounts liking and following everyone they think might follow their account back. This process is time-consuming and usually results in a significantly lower ROI than most people expect.
When you use Kicksta, you can search tags and rival profiles for your target audience. For instance, if you’re an email marketer, you might look up the hashtag #EmailMarketing. Now you can set parameters around who you want to follow under that group. The AI technology used with this program helps you fine-tune your Instagram strategy and reach your target audience.
Pros
- You’ll have all the tools you need to find profiles that are most likely to engage with your business by tracking audiences who follow your competitors, have similar interests, and more.
- It automatically engages with people who are most likely to follow your brand, which results in more likes and shares.
Alicia C.
We love that Kicksta lets us optimize our followers and grow organically without us having to spend tons of time on our account growth.
Cons
- It may take some time before it reaches a specific audience since it is AI-based software.
- It does work well as an Instagram marketing tool. However, you’ll have to supplement it with another program if you want scheduling benefits and detailed analytics data.
Ben T.
It’s good to complement Kicksta with a solution for automating regular Instagram posts.
Smartly.io is an automated Instagram marketing tool that helps you get the most out of your advertising campaign. If you have an ad idea, they can generate thousands of different variations of your ad so you can find what suits you the best.
You can create, change, and measure your social ad performance. You’ll also get the added benefit of knowing what kind of ads work for your followers and which ones lack engagement.
Pros
- Create thousands of ad variants so you can look at plenty of options before finalizing your marketing campaign.
- Plenty of flexible payment options are designed to help business owners based on their ad budget.
Korraratt S.
What I like the most is how their customer service is always on 24/7 during the working days. Every time I have a problem or a question, they always answer me quickly in a very friendly way as well.
Cons
- Smartly’s UI varies depending on the product within the catalog you’re using. This change in design can be overwhelming to new business owners.
- Only capable of supporting ads on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Stang G.
The UI is a little dated. The platform can be slightly buggy at times, but support is always a few minutes away on the logged-in chat. I’m also not so sure how useful it is for smaller accounts that don’t need dynamic creative.
Phlanx is an essential Instagram analytics tool to surge your engagement rates. You can use this tool specifically for influencer marketing along with amazing audit features. Find the right influencer to promote your campaigns across multiple platforms like Twitch, Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter, apart from Instagram. Filter active and inactive followers so you can work towards a dedicated follower strategy.
Pros
- Phlanx has an intuitive UI for easy navigation.
- Engagement calculators and search tools are robust and helpful.
John Matthew A.
It has a collaborative atmosphere which is a contrast to other marketing tools. I also appreciate the templates for contracts included in their line of services. This helps bring an air of professionalism.
Cons
- Customer support isn’t responsive.
- Social listening and scheduling features are missing.
Milana S.
Anything useful about this software is negated by the terrible user experience.
Sked Social is another growth tool for Instagram that helps marketers to upload multiple posts at once and schedule them in advance or simply immediately post them. You can visually plan your Instagram feed with its drag-and-drop grid feature. Businesses and individuals can manage multiple accounts from a single dashboard thus reducing the friction of switching profiles.
Pros
- Effortlessly schedule Stories and carousels.
- Better track your Instagram marketing strategies with in-depth analytics.
Andrea C.
I love the ability to schedule stories and carousel posts to instagram, while also tracking better and more analytics than it’s competitors. I love thee LinkinBio feature and think it brings a better look overall to that part of our feed. We’ve loved seeing the ease of scheduling and being more organized, while also saving time with templates, bulk creating posts, and the like.
Cons
- Sometimes the images are not properly cropped, making the look blurry.
- Posts don`t go on time.
Courtney D.
It is a very glitchy system. The posts do not go out on time, content takes minutes to load each time. There are cropping issues when posting images. They will crop incorrectly making the content blurry.
Conclusion
Instagram is constantly releasing newer features to support small businesses. That’s why you need a tool that also evolves with time so you can make the most out of your presence on Instagram. With reels being the biggest trend on Instagram now, it’s important to focus on this feature especially.
In this article, we have listed several Instagram marketing tools, taking varying business sizes, experiences, needs, and budgets into consideration so you can make the right choice to grow your social media account.
After comparing all of these tool stacks together, our number one pick is SocialPilot. All in all, this Instagram marketing tool has the most features, including features like Reels scheduling, posting, and analytics at an affordable price. It is easily accessible for new users with the ability to scale quickly. Get a 14-day free trial to boost your Instagram growth now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Instagram marketing tools?
The best Instagram marketing tools every marketer should have are:
- SocialPilot
- Buffer
- Iconosquare
- Later
- Blog2Social
- Awario
- Socialinsider
- Agorapulse
- Kicksta
- Smartly.io
- Phlanx
What are the promotional tools on Instagram?
The tools that help you promote your brand better on Instagram are:
- SocialPilot
- Later
- Awario
- Kicksta
How do I promote my business on Instagram?
The best way to promote your business on Instagram is to post consistently with a scheduling tool like SocialPilot. You can also partner with influencers, run ad campaigns, or boost your best-performing posts.
What is the best scheduling tool for Instagram?
SocialPilot is one of the best scheduling tools for Instagram. It supports major platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, VK, Google My Business, and more. It also offers a free trial of 14 days before you make a final call for the purchase.
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
The best time to post on Instagram is different for every niche. But 6 am to 11 am on weekdays and till 2 pm on weekends are preferable.
Should you post on Instagram every day?
Unlike LinkedIn or Facebook, you should post on Instagram every day. Aim for posting 2-3 posts each day when your followers are most active on the platform. Track your analytics to find the perfect time frame for that.
About the Author
SocialPilot
$30
SocialPilot is the first Instagram marketing tool on our list due to its robust features, including Reels and Story posting and analytics, stellar customer support, and affordable pricing. Connect multiple social media profiles, including Instagram, and manage it all in one place. That’s why SocialPilot has become a favorite among business owners with growing teams.
Take your Instagram strategy to the next level by directly scheduling your Instagram posts, Reels, Stories, or videos in advance to be directly published without needing any extra steps in between. This will save your team hundreds of hours. SocialPilot is also integrated with Canva, so you create beautiful Instagram posts right from the SocialPilot dashboard.
Combine all of these features with the ability to automate watermarking of every image post with its own unique brand logos, and it’s easy to see why SocialPilot is at the top of our list of Instagram marketing tools.
Pros of SocialPilot
What do people say about SocialPilot?
Hannia F.
What I like about SocialPilot is that it facilitates the scheduling of posts in bulk, and it does not seem automated at all. Its customization and UI are what I love most about this program since it’s very flexible and allows the creation of hundreds of posts without any issues.
Lee C.
“I love its ease of use and that you can schedule up to 30 posts which is way more than other platforms. I love the Chrome Extension which allows you to schedule on the go. The interface is beyond easy to use. It automatically shortens your links. You can reshare posts you’ve previously posted. SocialPilot is one of the best tools to use to schedule all social media – from Twitter to Pinterest to Instagram, even LinkedIn and Tumblr.”