15 Instagram Helper Apps that I just can't live without! Seriously, these will help you too!

And, just remember if you work in media if the app is a “pay for” Tax Write-off. ;)

Disclosure: This site may contain affiliate links. Your clicks or use come to no extra expense for you. Though, I may receive a commission if you purchase from them.

For Editing:

1. Canva - This one! It is a must! You can do so much with the paid app that it is completely worth it! 60k templates for Stories/Posts/Gifs…so much!

*EXTRA TIP - Canva is also good for Facebook posts, just adding a simple image to your post will get more views.

2. Unfold - VERY CLEAN. Like it’s a clean app and it just helps your images just look clean.

3. Word Swag - More robust use with words then Canva, but similar in making graphics with quotes. Lots of great reviews.

4. Color Story - A lot of photographers use it and save they filters, which is a plus if you aren’t the best at that, but want a consistent filter feels. Also great quality and heard it can help with gridding.

5. Snapseed - By far the best for Object Removal! Great to get rid of those background distractions. (I’ll most likely make a training video for it in my Free FB Group soon).

6. Lightroom Mobile - This one has a little bit of learning curve but once you get it down you will love it. Super professional photo editor, from Adobe, so of course it would be. I believe though when you buy presents on mobile it isn’t transferable to the desktop version.

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For Preplanning (Organized Posting):

7. Panoly - I actually use the free option, so it just limits amount of use a little, but it’s the easiest to use for scheduling out your post.

8. Later - A lot of people swear by it, love it! I am personally do most through Panoly, but I love Later’s emails.

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For Fun:

9. Spark AR Studios - Make your OWN Face Filter!!! Use this to create your own filter for IG Stories, like changing skin for tanner, sparkles….or adding rainbows!?! Just what you want or what your brand is known for for other’s to use.

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For Hashtags #:

10. Hish Hash - I also use this one’s free version. But, it’s great for storing and organizing all those 25-30 hashtags. There is even a “shuffle” option so you don’t come across spammy.

11. Save on Phone with your “Notes” app - Like Hish Hash save your hashtags, but just none of the fun extras. Also, great for jotting quick ideas down for a later post.

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Follower Tracker:

12. Followers - I actually couldn’t find the link on desktop, but this is the one I use. I recommend only checking like once a month, not too much. Good for getting rid of those “follow - unfollower” type accounts just to monitor your numbers a bit. But, word of caution, do not do a mass unfollow, IG does not like that and you might get a temporary block for doing it.

**Please, be careful when downloading an app like this, I use a paid, hoping it reduces the risk that it’s just a phishing scheme to get my login information. But, because of that, I also recommend you make sure to have your 2 Step-Factor Authorization through IG step-up. Protect yourself.

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Closed Captioning:

Nearly half of users have their phones on silent while scrolling through the app, you need captions. Also, captions are also a good idea for the normal CC accessibility reasons. It’s highly recommended you add captions to your Story videos.

13. Threads - (Newer App) This app is actually meant to be more like Marco Polo App, but you can use it to record your video. Have it add captions and then download the video, wha-la.

14. Clipomatic - I believe this app only has a paid option, but it’s also great for captioning if you aren’t wanting to type it out yourself. It’s possible to also edit miscaptioning.

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And Of Course! INSTAGRAM! (#15)

The app it’s self has made huge improvements! You don’t really need to even use their extrenal Boomerang app anymore! Their analytics are fantastic and FREE (unlike pricy other apps). You can do a ton in the app, filters, polls…etc. The great thing to, is IG rewards use! Rewards those that use all it’s features, so give them all a try!

Do you have a favorite app to help you with your IG needs that I missed? Let me know! Love to hear it and try it!

Last year I was honored to be on the Photospark Podcast with Kate and Julie to talk all things Instagram!

You can listen to that show:

On their website

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Show notes written by Photospark:

If you’ve been in business for awhile, you’ll know how often marketing methods change. When I first started, search engines were really the only way people would find your business. If you weren’t paying for advertising, chances are you were struggling a bit. Then Facebook added business pages and that became the new place to be to nab new clients. Now, Instagram seems to be the way to go! Is anyone else here having a hard time growing your Instagram following? Julie & I have been working on upping our Instagram game lately (have you noticed?? Be sure to follow us!) & couldn’t help but notice friend of the show Melissa McClure’s amazingly successful Instagram account. This girl has 11.2k followers and gets HUNDREDS of likes and comments on her posts. We invited her to join us for a chat about growing your Instagram following!

Key Takeaways

• Follow & Observe. Follow accounts that are doing what you want to be doing. Watch what they do! When do they post? How often do they post? What are their captions like? What type of content seems to be getting engagement? If you can watch and emulate your favorite accounts, you’ll likely be on the right track to growing your Instagram following too!

• Quality over quantity. The most important aspect of Instagram is engagement. You want to have a LOT of likes and comments, and ideally you want to spark conversations in your comment section. Be sure to reply to every single comment you receive; that DOUBLES your comment number just by itself! DMs also count as engagement, so be sure you’re messaging people back when they message you. You should also be messaging others… introduce yourself & let them know what you like about their content! Make sure your captions are fun & add calls to action… it’s the best way to get people to comment!

• Get over your fear of stories & just do them already! We get it… stories are SCARY. The best stories usually involve other people seeing your face, and that’s something most of us are terrified of. Do we have enough makeup on? Is our hair done? Are we a sweaty mess after a 10 hour wedding? NONE of those things matter… what matters is people seeing YOU & getting to know you beyond your images. Stories are a great way for potential & current clients to see glimpses into your personal life and they DON’T CARE if you have makeup on. In fact, the more real you come across, the better!

Melissa has about 30 million more amazing tips during this episode regarding everything from hashtags to sketchy ways to grow your Instagram following, and more. Be sure to tune in to hear the rest!

Also, be sure to check out Melissa at instagram.com/chasingbacklight as well as melissamcclure.com. And if you haven’t heard her previous episodes, you can find them here:

http://photosparkshow.com/episode-10-taxes-are-no-joke/

http://photosparkshow.com/the-other-side-of-the-lens/

Want to know how to get 𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐃 text on Facebook and Instagram?

How about ʇxǝʇ uʍop ǝpısdn?
Or Ⓑⓤⓑⓑⓛⓔ ⓣⓔⓧⓣ?

Have you seen these things and thought 'what secret Myspace html coding shit is this'?

It's actually WAY easier than you would think and I'm going to share the secret! :)

You click this link: https://capitalizemytitle.com/bold-text-generator/

You put in the text you want changed and then copy/paste it to your post! SO simple!

So make your posts 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓 next time by using this effect!

Like this tip? Tell me below! I LⓞⓥE feedback :)

𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐩!
If you want to bold a word on FB messenger, simply add an asterisk *before* and *after* the word!

Building Your Instagram Engagement

Utilizing Instagram to its fullest potential takes some dedication and time every day, but once you develop these habits, you’ll be able to take total advantage of its opportunities! It’s so important to be active 20 minutes before AND after you post. Posting and ghosting won’t bring you business or followers. These additional Instagram secrets will help you create engagement, build relationships, and increase your impressions.

Write Longer Captions
Writing more will allow people to see more of what you’re about. Use this space to educate, entertain, or inspire. Sharing your soul is what will drive people to like, follow, and engage you! Meaningless words generate meaningless posts. Be creative and open – it’s okay to be vulnerable. Don’t forget to include a call to action. Ask your followers their opinion, their stories, and their feelings to form a sense of community.

Show a Face
If your photo shows a face, you’ll see 38% MORE likes! People enjoy seeing other people. Landscapes and food and pretty pictures are totally fine, but if you really want to make an impact, have someone (best option: YOU) in your shot.

Be Consistent
The adage of “quality over quantity” holds true on the ‘gram. Hundreds of sub-par images won’t give you the same results as ten perfect posts. Be selective, be truthful, be yourself in your images and captions and you’ll find you won’t have to be a content farm. You should post in your stories every day to stay fresh, though!

Build Relationships
Slide into those DMs! Send a message to say hi, pay a compliment, learn more about someone. Don’t just drop a sales pitch and run – no one likes that. Potential clients will see through your schtick so be sincere. A slower lead-in to your business is more likely to have to outcome you’re looking for. And you just might get a new friend out of it all.

Alt-Text
Including alternative text (or Alt-text, obviously) is an easy way to improve showings. This specialty caption is used in place of your image in the chance it doesn’t load. More importantly, it’s also used for screen readers, allowing visually impaired users to access your content. Instagram notices these details.

You don’t have to spend hours sifting through the endless posts on Instagram. Using these tips and the ones posted here, you can get solid results in less than an hour every day! How are you going to take advantage of Instagram?

In the Instagram world, hashtags can make or break a post. Using the wrong ones will leave you buried deep never to be seen again; the good ones can send you to the top of the feed. While the truth about the algorithm remains a mystery to everyone who isn’t employed by Instagram, there are still a few tips I can share to help you increase your reach and impressions.

Unfortunately, there isn’t one single solution that will work for everyone. It may take some trial and error to find your perfect results. Tracking your progress and then backtracking is the best idea to figure out the twisted puzzle of hashtags. So, what first?

Find your Ideal Client.

Where do they hang out in Instaworld? What tags are they following? What do they post about? Searching various hashtags and looking through the posts will help you track down your ideal peeps like a bloodhound. It may take some time, but the more familiar you are with these areas, the more success you’ll see. 

Know the Numbers.

There are four groups of numbers that will determine how your tags will behave, who they’ll reach, and how long your post is likely to stick around. These numbers are determined by how many posts have used that hashtag (use the search function to find this number).

• SMALL: 10k-50k posts per tag -- Use 3-5 per post

• MEDIUM: 50k-100k posts per tag -- Use 7-10 per post

• LARGE: 100k-500k posts per tag -- Use 5-8 per post

• X-LARGE: 500k+ posts per tag -- Use 2-3 per post

What I call The Staircase Method uses tags under EACH of the four groups to increase post longevity while showing it to interested viewers. Extra large hashtags will be shown immediately but will be quickly buried under their popularity. Large and Medium hashtags will stick around for about a week and are the sweet spot of hashtags. Those Small tags will stick around much longer as they are used much less frequently and are more of a niche tag that will still get you noticed, but only by a very specific user.

You know what a staircase looks like, I’m not going to draw one for you. But using your imagination, you can see how each level of numbers will continue to lead you upwards. 

Instagram allows for 30 hashtags per post. While you certainly can do 30, be advised Spambots also like to use all the hashtags all the time and you don’t want to be a Spambot. Create different lists of varied hashtags to avoid repeating yourself with every post. Alter the number of tags (20 to 27 is a good range) and the tags themselves in order to not be flagged as a pesky bot. 

Know Where to Tag.

Should you post in the content section? In the first comment? Should you mail them all to your Mom? You do you, Boo. Honestly, it makes no difference if you post the tags as content or as comment; it really comes down to your aesthetic preference. You can even make comments with different tags and delete them once you think they’ve run their course. You should write your Mom though, she’d be happy to hear from you. *wink*

Know the Type. Knowing your focus can help you narrow down the endless number of hashtags. You should always include something from each of these four types:

• Industry

• Ideal Client

• Location

• Combination of these

Your industry tags should be those Extra Large ones with lots of posts, they’re still important. Think #photographer, #wedding, #realestate, etc. Your ideal client tags will go back to my first tip – where are they hanging out and what tags will reach them? Location tags will shrink your focus to your business zone. Think #sandiego or #chicago. Again, those bigger and more popular tags will be fast and fleeting, but they’ll get you into the local area posts. 

Now do some magic and combine ‘em up! Using industry plus a location (#sandiegophotographer, #chicagorealestate) will narrow it down to specific specifics and will increase the likelihood of that ideal client finding you! Mix it up, try new combinations and find the ones the ones that produce the best results!

Save Time.

Using hashtag generators can save you a ton of time in both finding the right tags and posting those tags. No one wants to sit around typing thirty hashtags into every post, so there are apps and sites out there to help you. Most of these programs will offer suggestions, keep your lists saved, and provide insight into the numbers I mentioned earlier. Check out the HishHash app (available for Apple and Android) or you can use the web-based Seekmetrics. There are plenty of other options out there – many social media schedulers also offer this function. You can always go old school and copy/paste tags lists you’ve saved - just be sure to change them up frequently to avoid being flagged as a bot!

Also, if you’ve been seeing a lack of impressions, check to make sure none of the tags you’re using are banned ones. One banned tag in your post will make ALL of your other tags null and void – meaning you are showing up exactly zero times in searches. And that’s sad. 

Final Thoughts.

No, sorry, not a Jerry Springer Show break, but a few last things to mention. Personal Tags won’t bring in post views, but they do help define your brand! Using them adds a sense of identity to your posts that you clients and prospectives will remember – it won’t hurt you, so add a few in! (ie #melissamcclurephotography)

Remember that while the hashtags will bring people in, it’s only quality content that will keep them there. Providing images that are eye-catching and more importantly, that relate to the content, will pique interest and rack up views. Add a call to action, ask a question, and engage!

While hashtags are strange little buggers, these are just a few ways to really utilize them to your best advantage! Happy Tagging! 

xo, Melissa

North Country friends!
I’ve seen so many lists for Black Owned San Diego places to eat and drink that I thought I would show my love to our North County friends. Please support Black owned businesses now and in the continuing decades. The wealth disparaities is outrageous. Visit here for more info on this.

I haven't been a patron to many of these (yet)! I'm supplying info as I get it. Please let me know if I got something wrong or need an update! :)

So far I have:

One Love Island Cuisine in Oceanside - Get their sweet fried plantains and Oxtail!
Felix's BBQ With Soul in Oceanside - My fav is the pulled pork sandwich!
Sip Wine & Beer in Escondido
@boobaliciouspies in Oceanside
Da South in ya Mouth in Fallbrook (temp closed for now)
LeRoy's Sweet Potato Shack at Oside Sunset Market
Chez Elliott - Catering/Cheese - Escondido
Bliss Tea and Treats Oceanside
Altipiano Vineyard and Winery Escondido (temp closed)

Big Dev’s BBQ - Food truck all over North County

Rafikiz Foodz - Catering and Farmers Markets in No Co.

If you can't make it there soon, please like the pages above to support 🙂

Do you have any more i can add to this list?

xo, Melissa

#blacklivesmatter #amplifyblackvoices

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Increasing your engagement on the ‘gram doesn’t have to take hours out of your day. With these five easy tips, you can expand your followers, comments, and views in under a half hour. Start your social media day spending five minutes with each of these tips and watch your Instagram grow before your coffee gets cold. Or tea. Or beer. Whatever, I don’t judge. 

• Comment on the first five photos in your feed (5 minutes)

• Reply to comments on your posts (5 minutes)

• Go to commenter’s profiles and return the favor (5 minutes)

• Search for relevant hashtags - like and comment (5 minutes)

And if my 3rd grade math is correct - that should total 20 minutes!

Seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? Instagram thrives on engagement and content and utilizing these tricks every day will increase your views and insert you into more relevant feeds and searches.

Set a goal for yourself that every time you open the app to mindlessly scroll or check out what Busy Phillips is doing, comment and like on the first five (non sponsored) posts that show in your feed. These are typically accounts you already engage with anyways but also new to you followers.

Replying to comments, especially in the first 20 minutes of posting, will DOUBLE your engagement. Do this with every comment, on every post, and you’ll see amazing results. You don’t have to write your life story with every comment back, a simple emoji to show you’ve read it can sometimes be enough. Your followers will appreciate your presence. I also recommend engaging 20 minutes prior to posting, but that’s not the point of this blog!

Notice a commenter you’ve never seen before? Go check them out! Like their most recent posts, comment on a few, and follow back if they are of true interest to you. You don’t have to follow everyone – keep your feed clear of clutter and only add people you want to see more from or that you’d like to build a relationship with.

You can actually follow hashtag groupings like you would another profile! Follow ones that your idea client hangs out on, it exposes you to new accounts and integrates super easy in to your feed.

What’s your favorite hashtag to use?

Follow me on Instagram for more fun tips!

xo, Melissa