With automation taking over most industries, why should social media be deprived of it? However, automating platforms like Instagram is not everyone’s cup of tea. This is because these channels rely on personalised connection, and mechanising the process takes away from the social labour a user is expected to endure to earn likes or followers.

So what should businesses do when dealing with large social media accounts?  It can be time-consuming and drain manpower if everything is done manually. Thus, automation is indeed a necessity, but the big question is how to do it right.

Nowadays, “Instagram automation tools” are floating all around the web. So it has become tough to differentiate between scams and truly worthwhile ones. 

You can easily get trapped by shady businesses offering 100x growth, or you can end up investing in Instagram bots that get you banned. Unfortunately, not all that shines is gold on social media, and you must carefully pick the truth from that fib and fad.

Thus, to help you differentiate between genuine automations and these outlandish claims, we are listing 3 ways to effectively automate Instagram. Furthermore, we have tested these methods ourselves so that you use them in your social media strategy without any risk!

What is Instagram automation? 

instagram automation robot graphic

Before we dive deep into the world of automation, let us first discuss what it is. Instagram automation uses tools and software and manages your account without your presence. There are 2 types of Instagram automation:

1. Instagram bots

In this type of automation, your chosen software automatically conducts tasks and engages with other users without manual input. As a result, you don’t have to be present to execute impersonal functions, yet your account remains active. 

For example, your account will like images of others without your interference. Or it will leave AI-generated comments and interact with stories by voting in polls, answering questions, leaving emojis, etc.

2. Automated posting

This automation reduces repetitive aspects of your Instagram. It cuts down time to do simple tasks such as posting by scheduling them beforehand. 

For example, if you have 5 posts ready for the next 5 days, you can schedule them in a single go instead of opening the app daily and posting them daily. They will get automatically published on the date and time you set.

Why is it important to get Instagram automation the right way?

instagram automation at work graphicAt first glance, automation looks pretty straightforward. So if you are a busy Instagram marketer, anything that boasts of making your social media journey easy would be a catch for you.

However, not all automation tools level up likes, follows, comments, and paying clients. Some can get you outright banned as Instagram algorithms and guidelines are tricky, and you can easily fall on the wrong side. 

Moreover, other automation tools can feel spammy to your followers and decrease their number or engagement. They can also ruin your credibility. So getting Instagram automation the right way is essential to pursuing an effective social media strategy.

If done correctly, it can bring dozen of advantages such as:

  • Help your account gain more followers 
  • Improve content generation in advance.
  • Save time and effort
  • Increased reach and engagement
  • It stops you from getting sidetracked
  • Let’s prepare ahead of time.
  • Allows better planning and execution in one go
  • You don’t have to log in every
  • Automated engagement can be better and more responsive than humans

3 ways to automate Instagram safely

Clock next to man with a magnifying glass and calendar next to woman on laptop graphic

As the importance of automation on Instagram has been established, let’s discuss how to do it the RIGHT way:

1. Create a schedule

Creating schedules and content calendars have always been helpful when running a business. Now you can do the same for social media by automating posts. As a result, you no longer have to be online daily to stay in front of your followers.

Now you can have an active presence while simultaneously taking a break by scheduling your post and stories before hands. This feature is a knight in shining armour because it lets digital marketers and Instagram influencers think through their content strategy in one go.

Now they can go on vacation without having to check Instagram now and then, as automation does the job of publishing content from them. 

Here are some tips on scheduling for newbies:

  • Schedule at least one post per day
  • Try to keep consistency between posts as your content should complement each other
  • When preparing stories, check size and placement
  • Use the time when your audience is most active (you can find the right time by analysing past metrics)
  • Try tweaking the posting schedule after some time to see whether it improves engagement.

Remember, you can schedule posts for as long as you want, but we suggest you keep an eye on them. If you see performance declining, you must intervene and make changes accordingly. 

For example, if your audience is not engaging at a particular time, you can plan to publish your posts later or earlier in the day. However, even after resetting the time, if nothing changes, your scheduled content needs to be revamped. 

By experimenting with different schedules and content, you can nail down the specific time, and the content format is ideal for your followers. Then maintain this frequency and optimize your schedules every few weeks to ensure that it remains top gun.

2. Content streams

Another way to ensure your content remains on top and gets as much engagement as possible is by using streams. This automation is done via third-party tools and allows you to curate content automatically. 

Instead of wasting hours scrolling through Google and other content sites, you can use stream tools and get your hands on pre-made content collections. This automation provides you with perfectly curated content for all sorts of niches.

You can just insert the keyword of your particular niche and get dozens of options to select from. These tools are FULL of content that is trending around the globe. So you can use them to get loads of direct posts and captions related to your field.

With these content streams, it becomes pretty simple to create an entire month’s worth of content in a few hours becomes pretty simple. You dont have to repeat the thought process for every single post, nor do you have to struggle with a shortage of ideas and writer’s block.

Moreover, as these content streams are automatically generated using dozens of algorithms, they are proven to succeed. You can always tweak them to align with your audiences. However, even on their own, they can do pretty well on your Instagram account. So confidently use them!

3. Recycling content

Even though you get a lot of content with content streams, sometimes you will find that some posts and stories succeed more than others. So why waste them!

You can repurpose these top-performing content forms through automation and publish them again in different formats. This drives fresh traffic and allows you to maximize the potential of your ideas.

So when you find an evergreen post or IGTV video, you can always automate their rescheduling to make it reach newer audiences. Recycling like this will not only help you save loads of time, but it will also provide your account with content you KNOW will do well.

Automation done right

So we hope you follow the above 3 ways and get your automation game up and running. Just ensure that you do not violate any Instagram’s terms of service, as wrong automation will lead you straight to Ban-Ville. Instead of opting for fake followers and driving growth, use these safe and proven ways and watch it take your Insta account to the next level. We want to wrap up by mentioning that some users believe automation is a taboo, do not be discouraged but try it yourself before labelling it. When conducted in the right manner, it can help you efficiently accomplish impressive gains on Instagram.