Work With Instagram In SmarterQueue

SmarterQueue makes Instagram scheduling seamless, offering powerful features for every content strategy. Whether you're planning feed posts, reels, carousels, or stories, you can streamline your workflow with automation, content discovery, visual planning, and in-depth analytics, all in one place.

📌 In This Article

How To Add Your Instagram Profile To SmarterQueue

You can connect Instagram Business and Creator Profiles to SmarterQueue for direct publishing and scheduling automation:

  1. Ensure you're logged into the correct Instagram profile in your browser before proceeding.
  2. Click the ⚙ Settings icon in the top-right corner and go to Social Profiles.
  3. Click "Connect" for Instagram.
  4. Choose how to connect:
    • Instagram API: Enables direct publishing for most posts, depending on profile type.
    • Facebook API: Adds Find Content and advanced analytics but requires your Instagram profile to be linked to a Facebook Page.
  5. Follow the prompts and grant all permissions to complete the connection.

Once connected, Direct Publishing is enabled by default, but SmarterQueue will automatically switch to manual publishing when required for certain post types.

If you don't have an Instagram profile yet, you can create a Business or Creator Profile by following Instagram's instructions. 

📝 Note: Please note that Personal Instagram profiles cannot be connected to SmarterQueue. If you already have a Personal Profile, you can switch it to a Business or Creator Profile.

How To Create And Schedule An Instagram Post

You can create Feed Posts, Carousels, Reels, and Stories directly within SmarterQueue.

  1. From the Publish view, click "New Post" in the upper-right corner.
  2. Select a Category to organize your post (required) and your Instagram profile:
  3. Select the post type: Feed/Reel or Story.
  4. Write your post caption (including any hashtags or mentions).
  5. Add images or videos following Instagram’s media requirements.
  6. Select the publishing method: SmarterQueue will indicate if Direct Publishing is available, or if Manual Publishing is required, in which case you will receive a mobile notification.
  7. Choose your posting timing preference.
  8. Set your post to Evergreen if you want to repurpose it.
  9. Click “Save Post”.

Publishing to Instagram depends on your profile type, post format, and media specifications. For detailed requirements and guidelines, refer to "Instagram Publishing: Rules, Methods & Steps in SmarterQueue".

How To Import Content To And From Instagram

SmarterQueue allows you to import content from multiple sources to schedule for Instagram. You can import from:

  • Your connected Instagram profiles.
  • Other public Instagram Business and Creator profiles (available via Facebook API), including posts your profiles were specifically tagged in.
  • Other connected profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest).
  • External sources (blogs, news feeds, YouTube channels/playlists, Google Alerts, RSS Feeds).

How To Import Content

  1. Navigate to Discover, then Find Content.
  2. Select your source from the dropdown menu.
  3. Browse the posts and select the content you want to add.
  4. You can choose Save Source to keep the source accessible for future use or set up an Auto-Importer (available for RSS Feeds) to import new content automatically.

Importing Instagram Content via CSV

You can also bulk upload Instagram content using a CSV file. Learn more in our CSV Import Guide.

Instagram Post Requirements

Text & Mentions

  • Character Limit: Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters, but engagement tends to be higher with concise captions.
  • Mentions:
    • To mention another user, type "@" followed by their username.
    • Ensure the username is correct to create a functional link.
    • Mentions become clickable once the post is live.

Link Previews

  • Links included in Instagram captions are not clickable, even when published directly through Instagram. They also don’t generate a link preview, and adding media (image or video) to an Instagram post is mandatory.

Image Guidelines

  • Recommended Size: 
    • Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio).
    • Portrait: 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio).
    • Landscape: 1080 x 566 pixels (1.91:1 aspect ratio).
    • Images exceeding these dimensions may be cropped or resized by Instagram.
  • Max Images per Post: 10
  • Max Image Size: 8MB per image

Video Guidelines

  • Recommended Size: 
    • Feed Videos: 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio).
    • Reels and Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio).
  • File Size: Up to 100 MB per video.
  • Frame Rate: 23 to 60 frames per second (FPS).
  • Duration: 
    • Reels/Feed: 3 seconds to 15 minutes (for direct publishing).
    • Stories: between 3 and 60 seconds per video (up to 15 seconds per Story segment). 

You can review additional information on media guidelines and platform limitations here. 

How To Use The Visual Instagram Planner

The Instagram Grid helps you preview and arrange your content for a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing feed, enhancing your brand's visual identity and appeal.

How It Works:

  1. Access the Planner:
    • Click "Publish" in the top menu.
    • Select "Instagram Grid" from the secondary navigation bar.
  2. View Your Scheduled Posts:
    • Your scheduled Instagram posts will display in a grid format, reflecting how they will appear in your feed once published.
    • Stories appear in separate Story bubbles at the top for easy tracking.
  3. Optimize Your Feed:
    • Identify gaps in your content plan and adjust your strategy accordingly.
    • Drag and drop posts to rearrange their order for an improved visual flow.
    • Fill content gaps by creating new posts via the Post Editor.

By utilizing the Visual Instagram Planner, you can ensure a well-balanced and visually appealing Instagram feed that resonates with your audience.

For more details, check out our guide on how to plan and organize your Instagram Grid. 

How To Check Your Instagram Post Analytics

Understanding your Instagram performance helps you identify what type of content engages your audience and drives interactions. SmarterQueue allows you to track key metrics like likes, comments, and others, giving you the insights you need to refine your content strategy.

How To Track Individual Instagram Post Performance

  1. Click "Publish" in the top menu, then select the "Queue".
  2. Filter for “Published” on the left-hand side to review past posts.
  3. Use additional filters to refine results by social profile, Category, content, post timing, and more.
  4. For each Instagram post, track:
    • Likes – The total number of likes received.
    • Comments – Engagement in the form of user feedback.
    • *Shares – The number of times the post was shared.
    • *Impressions – The number of times the post was displayed to users.
    • *Views – Video views for posts that have a video file attached.

*Shares, Impressions, and Views are only available for Instagram Profiles connected via a Facebook Page. Video Views are also available only for posts published before the end of 2024.

📝 Note: We do not currently provide stats for Instagram stories or posts published via the mobile notification workflow. 

How To Analyze Your Instagram Performance

  1. Click "Analyze" in the top menu, then select “Analyze per Profile” from the left-hand side.
  2. Select your Instagram Profile from the dropdown.
  3. Pick a date range and click "Apply" to refine your results.
  4. The following insights will be available:
    • Total Posts Published – The number of Facebook posts published within the selected period.
    • Engagement Metrics – Includes likes, comments, and shares.
    • Performance Trends – Helps identify which posts perform best over time.

For deeper insights, visit Reports & Insights natively in your Instagram account. 

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