What should I use to schedule Instagram posts?

Social Media

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Scheduling posts helps maintain consistency and engagement. This task explains practical options and steps to set up a reliable publishing workflow.

Consider your posting cadence, time zones, and audience windows as you compare methods.

- Social media managers
- Small teams
- Content creators
- Marketing coordinators

- Access to Instagram account
- A calendar or content plan

Define publishing goals Clarify posting cadence, target times, and content mix.
List available scheduling options Identify built-in platform scheduling, third-party tools, and automation options.
Evaluate reliability and terms Check reliability, API limits, and terms of service for your chosen method.
Prepare content calendar Create a calendar with post times and captions ready.
Set up publishing workflow Configure the chosen tool or platform to publish posts on schedule.
Test the setup Run a test post in draft or private mode to verify timing and content.
Monitor and adjust Review performance and adjust times and cadence as needed.

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Verify prerequisites and content readiness: Ensure you have an Instagram business account connected to a Facebook Page and access to Meta Business Suite; prepare the post media and caption.
Open Meta Business Suite and connect accounts: Log in to Meta Business Suite and confirm that your Instagram account is connected and ready to post.
Create a new Instagram post: In Meta Business Suite, create a new Instagram post, upload your media, and enter a caption.
Optimize media aspect ratio: Use the built-in editor to ensure the media uses a supported aspect ratio (1:1, 4:5, or 16:9) and that important content isn’t cropped.
Schedule the post: Choose Schedule, select date/time, set the timezone, and confirm.
Confirm scheduling: Verify that the post shows as scheduled in the calendar or scheduled posts list.
Verify the scheduled post: Check the Instagram post in the scheduled list to ensure the time and content are correct.
Optional: use a third-party tool: If you prefer other tools (e.g., Later, Buffer, Hootsuite), connect your account and follow their scheduling flow.

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Tool	Free Plan?	Min Price
Lumen5	Yes	$19 / month