Scheduling Instagram Reels: The Complete Guide
Instagram Reels generate 43.5% more engagement than Instagram videos on average. So if you’re looking to give your content a boost, it’s time to make the switch.
But there’s a catch. It’s impossible to deliver engaging Reels daily. You may run out of time or ideas. Scheduling Instagram Reels is a great solution to keep up with posting every day.
Read the full post to learn how to schedule IG Reels.
Table of Contents
- The Benefits of Scheduling Instagram Reels
- How to Schedule Instagram Reels With Creator Studio by Meta
- How to Schedule Instagram Reels With Other Tools
- Best Apps for Scheduling Instagram Reels
- Gain More Engagement With Instagram Reels Scheduling
The Benefits of Scheduling Instagram Reels
Still not convinced that you should schedule your reels? Here are six major benefits of planning ahead.
1. Posting at the right time garners more engagement.
The best time to post Reels is between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, according to a two-year-long research study from Hootsuite. On Saturdays, you’ll want to post at 9 a.m., and on Sundays, it’s 7 p.m.
Unless you live, sleep, and eat with the phone in your hands, it’s difficult to stick to these time slots without scheduling posts.
If you want the most engagement on your Reels, schedule them when your audience is most active on Instagram.
2. You’ll be flexible and consistent with content creation.
The idea for a Reel can hit you anytime, but you don’t always have to publish it instantly. Let’s say you just posted a Reel one hour ago, and you’re already filming another. It’s better to schedule your new Reel for later the next day. This way, you won’t confuse the Instagram algorithm with excessive posting.
Ideally, your team will post between 14-20 times per week on Instagram for the best reach rate per post. Reportedly, creators should post no less than 4-7 Reels per week.
3. You can plan your marketing campaigns upfront.
When it comes to product updates, seasonal sales, and other planned marketing activities, you create promo content beforehand. Prepare your Reels, schedule them for the future, and enjoy seamless campaigns.
4. You can post even when you’re out of the office.
On Instagram, you’ll get more impressions if you publish quality content regularly. Stop posting for a week, and you’ll see a drop in impressions and engagement.
Make Instagram work for you while you’re on vacation by scheduling IG Reels.
5. You can drive sales and ROI.
Your Reels can help your sales team reach its goals. Eighty-one percent of marketers say that video marketing has helped them drive sales. By preparing and scheduling Reels, you can help prevent dips in sales.
How to Schedule Instagram Reels With Creator Studio by Meta
Meta has allows any user to schedule Instagram Reels since August 2022. You’ll just need to use Creator Studio, Meta’s official, free social media management platform. Let’s go over the process.
1. Create an account and connect your Instagram.
Log into Creator Studio, and enter your Facebook account details. Then, click on the Instagram icon and connect your Instagram account by following the given instructions.
To connect your Instagram profile, you first need to create a Facebook Page (don’t confuse it with a personal profile).
Then, open the Instagram app and click “Edit profile.” Tap “Page,” and connect your Facebook Business Page to your Instagram account.
2. Prepare your Reels using Instagram.
Create your Reel on Instagram, and edit it. Add sounds, choose visual effects, or apply filters. Download the video to your phone by clicking the “Download” button. You’ll use your downloaded video for scheduling in the next step.
3. Create a post and format it with Creator Studio.
Click on the green button at the top right corner and select what video you want to publish. Use Instagram Feed for videos under 60 seconds. Select IG Video for posting Reels up to 90 seconds.
It may sound confusing since Reels aren’t mentioned in the dropdown, but all videos you publish on Instagram automatically become Reels.
Now, upload the Reels you would like to post. Write a caption, add hashtags, and choose a location, if needed.
Lastly, select a cover image. Creator Studio will offer you options. You can pick one of 15 AI-generated images, upload a custom image, or choose any frame from the video.
Navigate to the bottom right corner and click on the blue arrow to trigger publishing options. Select “Schedule” and set the date and time when you want to publish the Reel.
That’s it! Your Reel will be published on the selected day and time.
How to Schedule Instagram Reels With Other Tools
If you manage many social media accounts, you may benefit from using a third-party social media management platform.
The process for scheduling a Reel is similar, regardless of platform. For our example, we’ll show you how to schedule your posts using Later.
1. Create Later’s account and connect your Instagram.
This step is super easy. Sign up and click on “Add Social Profile.” Once you connect your account, you’ll appear in the Later dashboard, where you can create Reels.
Note: The auto-scheduling feature works only for Instagram Business Profiles. You cannot use Creator or Personal profiles for scheduling Reels due to Instagram regulations. Here is how to set up a business account on Instagram.
2. Record your Reels and adjust them to meet Instagram video guidelines.
Film and edit videos for Reels. Add music and effects. Crop the video to an aspect ratio of 9:16 or 16:9, which is recommended by Instagram for optimal viewing.
3. Add the video to Later
Upload your Reel video to the Media Library by clicking the blue button in the top left corner. The video will appear right below.
Drag your video to Calendar to schedule and open the Post Builder.
4. Format and schedule your Instagram Reel.
In the Post Builder, select “Post Type — Reel.” Write a caption and add hashtags. Add location and first comment (if needed). Ensure your Reel is up to 90 seconds long, or trim it.
Note: Custom cover images are not allowed for auto-published Reels due to Instagram API restrictions. Choose a frame from the video to use as the thumbnail.
Choose the day and time to post the Reel. Then, follow the instructions in the screenshot.
Click “Save.” Then, your Reel will be automatically published at the selected time.
Now let’s see the best tools for scheduling Instagram Reels.
Best Apps for Scheduling Instagram Reels
This section features three different apps to schedule IG Reels. We’ll discuss what features they have, pricing, and some tips for using each tool.
Let’s start!
Later
Later is an intuitive tool for creators and social media managers alike. You can plan, schedule, and analyze content across all social media platforms.
What we like about Later is the Visual Planner. In this section, you can rearrange upcoming Instagram posts to develop a bespoke look and feel for your social media page.
You can also use Later’s in-depth IG and TikTok analytics to determine when your audience is most engaged. This way, you can uncover the best time to post Reels.
For ecommerce, Later is integrated with Shopify. This lets you tag products on posts to redirect your audience to the item cards.
Pricing
- Try it free for 14 days.
- Pay $18 per month for the Starter plan; $40 per month for the Growth plan; and $80 per month for the Advanced plan.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is an all-in-one social media management tool that is best for digital marketing agencies and mid-to-enterprise-level in-house teams. It works with all social media platforms, including YouTube.
Hootsuite can be used for:
- Planning and scheduling posts.
- Running and optimizing ad campaigns on social media.
- Managing communication in direct messages and comments in one place.
- Monitoring your brand mentions.
Pricing
- Free 30-day trial.
- The Professional plan is $49 monthly; the Team plan is $179 monthly; the Business plan is $739 monthly.
- Custom deals are available for enterprises.
Publer
Publer is a versatile tool for social media management and beyond. It enables you to create, curate, schedule, and analyze all upcoming social media posts with unique features.
With Publer, you can manage Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business profiles, WordPress sites, and even Telegram channels and groups.
Features We Like
- Publer’s “Link in Bio” feature makes Instagram posts clickable. Analytics are included.
- Integration with Crello and VistaCreate. You can design graphics and turn them into social media posts in one click.
- Bulk scheduling. You can craft up to 500 posts and schedule them in advance.
- Recycling. Automatically rewrite your top-performing “evergreen” posts with a built-in Spintax Generator and schedule auto-generated posts.
Pricing
- Freemium for three accounts and limited features.
- The Professional plan is $15 per month; a 7-day free trial is included.
- The Business plan is $28 per month; a 14-day free trial is included.
Gain More Engagement With Instagram Reels Scheduling
Scheduling your Reels helps you drive more engagement and attract new followers faster.
Opt for a paid social media management app if you create content for multiple accounts or across different social platforms. For creators, we recommend using Creator Studio or trying Publer’s free plan.
Soon, you’ll be one step closer to your next viral moment.
