Instagram has now become so much more than a photo-sharing app. With more than 1 billion people using it every month, this social media platform is an ideal marketing channel for today’s marketers.
From creating engaging product teaser videos to posting shoppable posts to sharing catchy product images, marketers make sure that they leave no stone unturned to attract more users and engage them.
That said, the competition on the platform is only getting tougher with each passing day. Today, over 200 million business accounts on Instagram globally that users visit every day– meaning that’s a battle for eyeballs out there.
Simply creating your business account, producing some content, crossing your fingers, and hoping your product or service sells itself will not get you anywhere. You need more advanced strategies with robust Instagram marketing tools to stand out and boost your campaigns on the platform.
The problem is that there are hundreds (if not thousands!) of Instagram marketing tools available on the market– including both useful ones and useless apps. It is no wonder that most businesses are left confused as to what Instagram tools they should use for their marketing efforts, or how exactly it will help them sell more on this platform.
Best 10 Instagram marketing tools
That’s what this post is for. We’ll dive into the best marketing tools you can use to take your Instagram marketing strategies to the next level.
Tool #1. LeeTags
When it comes to Instagram marketing, hashtags are one of the most important things you need to have. Unfortunately, not just any hashtag will do– after all, if they are too broad or off-topic then your posts won’t stand out against users’ feeds.
This is where LeeTags comes into play. This tool lets businesses search for hashtags within their niche so that they can use them in their posts. You can also create clickable and eye-catching hashtags from various categories such as ‘Most Popular’, ‘Photography/Art’, ‘Entertainment’, ‘Fashion’, ‘Fitness’, etc.
What’s even better is that it allows you to filter hashtags by size, engagement, location, and other factors so that you only have to use the most relevant ones.
Tool #2. Awario
Awario is a tool that will help you monitor your brand, your competitors, and the industry as a whole on social media– including Instagram.
It helps to keep track of what people are saying about you online, providing great data on influencers who talk positively or negatively about brands in their posts– which can then be used for promoting purposes.
You can also use it to search keywords related to any topics you’re interested in and get real-time comparative data on your competitors. By using this tool, it would be much easier for you to get feedback, so you can effortlessly understand what areas need some improvements, how you do it, and when you should do it. That’s how you constantly improve your Instagram marketing strategy.
Tool #3. Buffer
Buffer makes it very easy for marketers and business owners alike to schedule posts ahead of time, so they are able to keep their profiles up-to-date daily without having to constantly post new content manually. This is a great tool because it allows you more time to focus on other aspects of digital marketing strategy, while still keeping a consistent Instagram presence online.
Besides being a scheduling marketing tool, Buffer also makes it simple for marketers to find interesting content on the internet. They do this by pulling information from various sources, including blogs and news sites (you can set which ones you want Buffer to use), and create a library of curated posts that are then pushed out automatically into your social media feeds throughout the day or week.
Tool #4. Iconosquare
Iconosquare is a great tool for Instagram marketing that provides advanced analytics, such as detailed insights into followers, demographics, geographical locations, posts consumption habits (previous post history), and hashtags.
The tool allows you to track your own marketing performance on the platform but also to monitor your competitors and best-performing content. Iconosquare also provides you with a detailed list of the most important hashtags in your industry, as well as their respective follower numbers.
This is a great tool for those who are just getting started with Instagram marketing or for small businesses that don’t have dedicated marketers on board yet. It’s also free, which means you can use it as long as your business needs fit into the available features.
Tool #5. Canva
On Instagram, visuals are everything. There’s nothing more frustrating than putting your heart and soul into a post, only to find out that it is not performing well. To make your posts more eye-catching, you can use graphic tools like Canva.
Canva allows you to create short videos or Instagram Stories. It provides you with a ton of templates to choose from. You can also use the app’s built-in filters, graphics, and fonts. So, even when you don’t have any design skills, you can still produce beautiful imagery for your posts.
Tool #6. Gleam
If you use Instagram to capture more qualified leads, Gleam is the tool you need. Through contests and competitions, this tool provides you with all the widgets you need and you can also craft instantly redeemable rewards in exchange for actions from your users.
In addition, Gleam has a powerful email marketing feature that helps you grow and nurture relationships with potential customers. It will track the leads so that you can follow up with them at a later time. It is also integrated with MailChimp, Aweber, Infusionsoft, and Campaign Monitor.
Tool #7. Renderforest
Online videos have now become a high-performing type of content on Instagram. From IGTV to Stories, users on the platform are able to consume video content in many ways. Knowing this will benefit your business if you can include videos on Instagram in the promotion of products and services that you offer.
However, the downside is that you need to hire someone to create your video for you and it can be really expensive. Renderforest can be an affordable option for this.
The tool provides you with every type of template needed for any kind of business or project. You can choose from a range of templates and content including explainer videos, infographics, presentation slideshows, product demonstrations, etc. You can change the texts, animated characters, and even the background music to make your video stand out among all others.
Tool #8. Kicksta
If you’ve just started out on this platform and have no followers yet, Kicksta will help you gain initial traction. It’s a tool you need when you want to build your followers and increase your engagement.
The tool will give you access to a community of users who are willing to follow and like the content you post for free. Of course, all of those followers are real people (no bots!). So, they can interact with your posts and boost your engagement rate.
With a simple yet engaging interface, Kicksta is very easy to use– even for a complete beginner. All you need to do is type in the name of an account or hashtag that relates to your business and choose how many followers and likes you want to gain.
Tool #9. Shoutcart
Shoutcart is a cool shoutout-for-shoutouts platform that connects people who need more exposure with business owners in your niche for free when they provide you with something in return. It’s a win-win situation where users (like influencers) can get massive reach while you can get free promotion.
This tool is beneficial for building solid brand awareness on the platform quickly. They will analyze influencers in their network for niche, activity, and authenticity, and give them a proprietary score. This way, you can get a “shoutout” from reliable and relevant influencers who have the same niche as yours.
You can get shoutouts from popular influencers through their Instagram Stories/swipe-up, custom content, or even video reviews.
Tool #10. Jarvee
Jarvee is a must-have tool for serious Instagram marketers who want to take their game to the next level without spending too much time and energy on it.
It’s an automation tool that allows you to find relevant users or hashtags, follow them and unfollow people who don’t follow back within a certain time frame so you can maintain the interactiveness of your account.
Other key features for your Instagram marketing include post scheduling, auto-reposts, contact prospects, delete posts, hashtags research, target users, and more.
Final Thoughts: Simplify Your Instagram Marketing Today!
In today’s marketing landscape, you cannot do Instagram without help. With all those Instagram marketing mentioned above, you now understand how tools can help you manage a business account hassle-free.
Of course, you don’t have to leverage all of the tools. Not only will it cost you more money but using too many tools will also make the campaigns hard to track and bring you a headache. The one that is actually worth using is the one that your business really needs.