Over the years of graphic design, social media management, and small business consulting, I’ve probably used every app out there. There are a few that I find myself using all the time to this day — with examples from my recent honeymoon to Croatia! To my knowledge, they are all available on both Apple and Android phones.
1. VSCO — always my first step and what I use to edit every single post! Editing all photos for specific accounts in the same cohesive aesthetic and look. Lots of filters and plenty of finetuning and editing available in a platform that’s easy to use. Plenty of cheap upgrades available to help you find your perfect look.
2. Unfold — create Instagram story sized graphics. Lots of upgrades available. Another comparable one I’ve used is StoriesEdit. (I also use this a lot for my personal accounts when I’m on vacation and need a creative, graphic design outlet 😉 You can check out some snaps from my recent honeymoon to Croatia — all created with !)
3. UNUM — create and plan posts (as well as schedule) to create a cohesive feed. You can add multiple accounts if you’re running accounts for differents companies or clients. This is my favorite recommendation because it truly allows you to be creative with presentation and really plan out visual content ahead of time in an easy to use, drag and drop app. Save captions, schedule things out, etc. You can see the posts that are live on Instagram have a teeny tiny Instagram logo in the bottom right, versus the ones that aren’t published above the line of empty grids. They recently added the ability to plan out Instagram story posts which is just genius. I truly love this app for any type of social media management!
Others that I use less frequently but are still super awesome:
1. LightRoom Mobile — if you’re a more serious photographer, this is a great, light app to have in your arsenal to hone your Instagram feed and look. Plenty of Instagram influencers sell their own presets that you can use with this app to recreate a look you love. Incredibly useful for photographers, brands, etc. who have a bit more photo editing skills or a handmade preset they want to apply, etc.
2. LinkTree — particularly useful for the “link in bio” crowd, whether using affiliate marketing to sell products or link to resources to build lists.
3. CameraConnect from Canon — transfer photos and videos from your Canon DSLR to your phone. Easy to post content quickly when shooting professionally. (Protip: make sure you export to social media quality/dimensions so you don’t end up with pixellated images when uploading to Instagram.)
4. iMovie — edit short video clips for free on iPhones to post to social quickly. I love this especially for event coverage, where you can quickly create a video to share on social of an event while on the go.
Looking at this list, I think I’m a little too obsessed with Instagram — ha!