I’ve wanted to share my favorite apps with you for quite some time.
My husband didn’t understand why I would want to do that. He reasoned that I worked hard at testing apps and said that I shouldn’t share my “secrets” with you.
I explained to him the information is “out there” anyway. Anyone can learn about the apps I use.
You need to understand that my husband doesn’t have a website or use social media. So, of course, he doesn’t understand the notion that the more information I “give away,” the more my online credibility grows.
So here is the post I’ve meant to write for months.
My Favorite Apps for Instagram
I have four favorite apps for Instagram: Later, Lensa, ColorStory, and All-Hashtag.
Later is a scheduling app for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, but I use it just for Instagram.
I love Later because I can get a visual sense of my scheduled images for the week or the month. For example, this is what I have planned for December.
When I click the Preview tab, I can more specifically see what I’ve scheduled.
And, Later makes it easy to move images around.
Later also has analytics that indicate:
- Profile interactions
- Profile growth
- Best posting times
- Post performance
- Story performance
- Hashtag analytics
Lensa is my other favorite app for Instagram.
Lensa will make your selfies look better. If you are camera shy like I am, Lensa will change that. I take pictures of myself, and Lensa improves them.
Take this image, for example. I no longer have the original, but this is definitely an improvement!
Plus, Lensa has an array of cool backgrounds that you can add to your selfies.
With Lensa, I no longer need to hire a photographer for my profile pictures.
I also like to use All-Hashtag.com. You can use this app on any social platform that uses hashtags, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
On Instagram, you can have up to 30 hashtags. Hashtags are basically hyperlinked keywords. The more hashtags you use, the greater the chance that people will find you by using one of the hashtags you include in your first comment or in your caption.
For example, when I search for writer, these options appear:
#writer #writersofinstagram #writersofig #writers #writerscommunity #writerslife #writersofindia #writersnetwork #writersblock #writercommunity #writersoninstagram #writerlife #writerscorner #writerofinstagram #writersuniverse #writersofinsta #writerofig #writerssociety #writersociety #writerscommunityofinstagram #writerswrite #writersclub #writersonig #writersblog #writermemes #writerso #writermeme #writergram #WriterGirl
When I enter poet, these options appear:
#poetry #poet #poetrycommunity #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetryisnotdead #poets #poetic #poetryofinstagram #poeta #poetsociety #poetryporn #poetryofig #poetryinmotion #poetrygram #poetrysociety #poeticjustice #poetrylovers #poetess #poetryslam #Poetas #poetrycommunityofinstagram #poetssociety #poetryislife #poeticjusticebraids #poetscommunity #poetryclub #poetofinstagram #poetrylove #poetsofinsta
You can use these hashtags or just use some of them and add your own. But All-Hashtag.com will give you a starting place.
Finally, you can improve images in general by using the free version of ColorStory.
With ColorStory, you can crop images, sharpen images, and provide filters. I am surprised at how dull my original images appear before using ColorStory.
For example, here is an image of a flower I found in an outdoor nursery:
Here is the same images after I used ColorStory:
ColorStory make the pictures I take a brighter.
My Favorite Scheduling App
I’ve tested Buffer, Hootsuite, and SocialOommph. But the scheduling app I like the best is SmarterQueue.
On SmarterQueue, you can schedule Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest updates. I like to use it for Twitter and LinkedIn.
What is incredibly cool about SmarterQueue is that you can schedule recurring posts.
In this example, my sample tweet would post on 12/3/2020 at 8 am and post every four weeks for a total of four times.
Because tweets last just 18 minutes in the news feed, it’s essential to repost important tweets. With SmarterQueue, the reposting becomes automatic according to the criteria you establish.
My Fave Graphics Apps
I’ve used Canva for years now, and I haven’t found a substitute that I like better.
I have the professional version of Canva. That option enables me to convert images to different sizes quickly and without any effort.
Plus, with the paid version of Canva, you have access to its library of images for free.
You can use Canva for free. But an additional benefit of the paid Canva is that you can upload your favorite fonts and designate your brand colors in your brand kit.
To learn how to use Canva, just watch its tutorials.
As an aside, I’ve been experimenting with PhotoFunia.
For Halloween, I added this picture of myself to Instagram. See what fun you can have with this app?
Photo Apps
I use several sources to find images. I use:
- Canva
- Freepik – This is a paid service. The annual fee is typically $119, but the app is always offering specials for first-time users.
- Unsplash (Be sure to credit the photographer when using these images.)
Get Rid of Non-Followers
The way you grow your Twitter and Instagram accounts is by posting content that resonates with your readers, selecting the best hashtags, and following others.
But, when you follow others not all of them will follow you back. What to do?
I usually give people two weeks to decide whether they want to follow a client back. After that, I unfollow them.
For Twitter, I use Tweepi. It costs just $12.99/month and is easy to use.
I follow the same system on Instagram. For that platform, I use Unfollowers for Instagram. It costs just a few dollars and is easy to set up and use.
I don’t endorse churning: the rapid follow-unfollow cycle. Give people at least two weeks to decide whether they like your content and want to engage with you. After that, let them go.
For a list of Instagram apps, check out this blog post.
