It’s frustrating when I plan to post an Instagram Reel on a certain day and time and then just forget about it. Life happens and posting on social media isn’t always a priority.
However, it is devastating if the reel is particularly culturally relevant, for example if you want to post something during a company event or at the start of a campaign. To avoid missing out on big brand moments, it’s important to plan roles.
Read the guide below to learn more about the benefits of planning roles and planning them using different tools.
Table of contents
The Benefits of Scheduling Instagram Reels
If you’re still not convinced about planning roles, I’ll share with you six key benefits of planning ahead.
1. Posting at the right time gets more engagement.
According to a SocialPilot According to a study that monitored engagement on the Reels of 50,000 Instagram accounts across industries and locations, these are the best times (in EST) to post an Instagram Reel:
- Monday: 6 a.m. and 10 p.m
- Tuesday: 3 a.m., 4 a.m. and 9 a.m
- Wednesday: 7 a.m. and 9 a.m
- Thursday: 12:00, 9:00 and 19:00
- Friday: 5 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m
- Saturday: 12:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m
- Sunday: 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m
Unless you eat, shower, work, exercise, and sleep with a phone in hand, it’s difficult to stick to these exact time slots without scheduling posts in advance.
If you want the most engagement, I highly recommend scheduling Instagram Reels when your audience is most active on Instagram.
2. They are flexible and consistent when creating content.
Inspiration often comes at the most inconvenient times. Just because I have an idea doesn’t mean I should film it and release it straight away.
For example, if I just posted a video an hour ago and have an idea for another one, I can film it and post it tomorrow or later in the week at one of the recommended publishing times.
This way I don’t confuse the Instagram algorithm with over-posting.
Hootsuite recommends brands publish three to five posts per week on Instagram to get the best reach per post. If you have the bandwidth to post more, then great!
But quality trumps quantity, so it’s better to publish three great pieces of content than ten mediocre posts.
3. You can plan your marketing campaigns in advance.
Having a great idea for a role is only half the battle.
Equally important is the decision to either release it immediately as part of a larger cultural trend or wait until it is incorporated into a larger campaign.
If your brand has upcoming product updates, seasonal sales, and other planned marketing activities, create promotional content in advance.
I suggest preparing your Reels during quieter times, planning them for the future and enjoying smooth campaigns.
4. You can post even when you’re not in the office.
The hardest thing about social media is that consistency is the key to getting more impressions. Between quiet and busy weeks, I might take a well-deserved vacation or two.
If I tried to film, produce and release the same amount of content every week, I would never be able to take a day off.
By scheduling roles in advance, I can prepare for time off and be sure that the impressions and appointments will arrive while I’m tanning on the beach.
5. You can increase sales and ROI.
A EssenceMediacom global study found that adding Reels to business-as-usual approaches, including in-feed posts and Stories, was associated with a 17.5% increase in ad recall.
Additionally, adding Reels to campaigns was associated with 44% higher action intent, which increased to 65% with the addition of Reel ads for creator partnerships.
Roles can help sales teams achieve their goals and increase overall brand awareness and purchase intent.
How to schedule Instagram Reels mobile
If you don’t know How to use Instagram well, don’t worry!
Instagram has a built-in scheduler in its mobile app that is very intuitive and perfect for brands that only need to schedule Reels occasionally.
To do this, you must have a professional account.
1. Open the Instagram app.
I tapped this in the Instagram app + Sign at the bottom center of the screen to create a new post.
2. Upload a video.
The app took me there automatically post option, so I switched Sink. I can film a reel or upload an existing video in the app.
3. Go to “More Options”.
After making changes to the video, I clicked Next. That made me Post Settings Screen where I can tag people, add a caption, and more. I scrolled down to find it More options.
4. Plan the role.
Here I had the opportunity to do so Plan this role. I turned this option to “On” so I can select a date and time. I chose Set time and navigated back to the Post Settings screen. When my video was finished, I clicked schedule.
This is a great option for a simple planner, but not my preferred option since everything has to be done individually on mobile. If you prefer to perform this process on a desktop like me, read on for more options.
How to schedule Instagram Reels with Meta Business Suite
Meta Business Suite is a social media management tool that helps businesses and professionals on Meta platforms manage their social media presence.
This includes news and commentary, promotional tools, analytics and insights, automated responses, and content creation and scheduling.
In this post, I will focus on the content creation and scheduling feature.
1. Sign in by connecting a Facebook or Instagram account.
I opened first Meta Business Suite. I had never used this tool before, so I was asked to log in by connecting a Facebook or Instagram account. I created a professional dummy IG account to demonstrate this process.
This took me to the home page in the dashboard.
2. Prepare your Reel with Instagram.
I created and edited a reel on Instagram. I was able to add sounds, select visual effects and apply filters.
When I was happy with the role, I took it Download Click the button to download it to my phone. I then airdropped it to my laptop so I could access Meta Business Suite on a desktop, but you’re welcome to access it on mobile too.
3. Create a post and format it using Meta Business Suite.
I returned to the Meta Business Suite and clicked Create role above.
On the Create role page, I made sure I selected the correct account below Share with. Then I clicked Add video under media to upload the reel you just created.
After I uploaded the video, Meta ran a quick check to make sure there were no copyright issues.
Next I added text Subtitle role section (which is optional) and selected a Thumbnail The image is the image that is visible before viewing the roll. Then I struck Next.
The next screen is an editor, but since I’ve already edited the Reel perfectly in the Instagram app, I didn’t need any further embellishments. However, if you still need to add any finishing touches like audio or text, you can do that here.
Then I struck Next.
On the last page I planned the role. I had the opportunity to do that Share now or schedule up to one month in advance. I scheduled my reel for a Thursday at 9am as that was one of the high engagement times mentioned in this post.
Finally I struck schedule in the bottom right corner, and that’s it! The video will be published on the desired date and time.
How to Schedule Instagram Reels Using Other Tools
While Meta Business Suite is a good choice if your business only has Meta accounts – Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – other platforms are not included.
Therefore, if you manage multiple accounts, it may be beneficial to use a third-party social media management platform.
The process for scheduling a role is similar regardless of platform. In this example I will show how to plan roles Later.
1. Create an account on Later and connect your Instagram.
I tried the 14-day free trial and created an account. Later, I was asked to link my social profiles, so I linked my professional Instagram account and my dummy Facebook page.
Note: The auto-scheduling feature only works for Instagram Business accounts connected to a Facebook Page. Due to Instagram regulations, you cannot use creator or personal profiles to schedule Reels. Here is How to set up a business account on Instagram.
2. Record a role.
For the previous steps in this guide, I used the video I had already created on Instagram and downloaded to my computer.
3. Upload the video to Later and create a post.
As soon as I created my account, Later prompted me to do so Upload media with a pop-up window, but you can always find this button on the top bar.
After my video was uploaded, the calendar view changed like this:
Then I clicked Create post to start planning the role.
4. Edit post settings.
Click Create post brought me to this window:
I clicked first Add media and pulled my roll in. Then I struck save Changes.
When I returned to the main window I was able to change that Post type from page post to reel. Then I switched the account from my Facebook page to my Instagram account in the top left corner. Finally, I added a short caption.
5. Plan the role.
My roll was ready, so I clicked the down arrow next to the date and time at the top of the window. If you don’t select a specific schedule time, Later will automatically schedule it for five minutes after completion.
Once again I chose a Thursday at 9am. After checking everything, I clicked Schedule postthen scrolled to the correct week in my calendar view to ensure the reel was scheduled to be published at the correct date and time.
Now that I’ve walked you through the process using a specific third-party tool, I’ll introduce you to the best tools for scheduling Instagram Reels.
4 Best Apps for Scheduling Instagram Reels
1. HubSpot
HubSpot has a comprehensive social media management tool that allows users to run all social media campaigns from one central location. This software allows me to create campaigns, publish content, and schedule posts in advance.
Users can also use keyword monitoring to track social media mentions and notify sales directly when prospects search for those keywords. Plus, it’s easier to track performance and get social reports since HubSpot is integrated with your CRM.
Some of the AI features in the beta test will be revolutionary. For example, HubSpot’s AI-powered social post generator can quickly design and publish content to major platforms. You can also use AI insights to understand market sentiment and brand reputation.
Prices
- Contact the HubSpot team for pricing.
2. Later
Later is an intuitive tool for YouTubers and social media managers. It allows you to plan, schedule and analyze content across all social media platforms.
What I like about Later is the visual planner. I can schedule multiple posts by dragging and dropping the videos and images into the calendar. I can also add notes to the calendar with reminders and ideas for future posts.
Later’s detailed analytics track each post’s performance, including impressions, reach and audience, and when my followers are frequently online and engaged. This helps me figure out when is the best time to post Reels.
Later also has two features that are currently in beta testing.
The first is Creator and brand collaborations, This will be a great tool for brands to manage influencer campaigns and discover creators. They have that too Ideasan AI-powered tool that helps brainstorm content ideas.
Prices
- Free 14 day trial.
- Starter plan: $16.67/month (billed annually) or $25/month (billed monthly).
- Growth plan: $30/month (billed annually) or $45/month (billed monthly).
- Advanced plan: $53.33/month (billed annually) or $80/month (billed monthly).
- Agency plan: $133.33/month (billed annually) or $200/month (billed monthly).
- Business plan: Contact us later for prices.
3. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is an all-in-one social media management tool best suited for digital marketing agencies and in-house teams at medium to large companies. It works with all social media platforms including YouTube.
Hootsuite can be used for:
- Planning and scheduling posts.
- Execution and optimization of advertising campaigns on social media.
- Manage communication in direct messages and comments in one place.
- Monitoring brand mentions.
- AI-powered content creation.
Prices
- Free 30 day trial.
- Professional plan: $99/month (billed annually).
- Team plan: $249/month (billed annually).
- Business plan: Contact Hootsuite for pricing information.
4. editor
Publer is a versatile tool for social media management and beyond. It allows users to create, curate, schedule and analyze all upcoming social media posts with unique features.
Publer allows me to manage multiple accounts including Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google My Business, YouTube, WordPress, TikTok, Telegram, Mastodon, Threads, and BlueSky.
Features I like
- Publisher’s “Link in Bio” feature Makes Instagram posts clickable. Analyzes are included.
- Integration with VistaCreate. Users can design illustrations, videos, and GIFs and convert them into social media posts with one click.
- Mass planning. You can create up to 500 posts and schedule them in advance.
- recycling. Automatically rewrite your top-performing “evergreen” posts, create variations of posts, and schedule them automatically with a built-in Spintax generator and AI Assist.
Prices
- Free plan: For up to 3 accounts.
- Professional plan: $9.60/month (billed annually) or $12/month (billed monthly).
- Business plan: $16.80/month (billed annually) or $21/month (billed monthly).
Schedule Instagram Reels easily
While I’ve always been familiar with some of the third-party social media scheduling tools on this list, working on this post helped me discover the sheer amount of options that exist to accomplish this task.
On mobile, professionals can quickly schedule one-time posts on the go. With Meta Business Suite, teams can easily manage all of their meta social account planning in one common area.
And software like Later and HubSpot enable more comprehensive social media management tools, more flexibility and better access for large teams.
I think the most important takeaway is that your time is valuable.
This guide is designed to help you introduce a new method for scheduling Instagram Reels that will help you reclaim your time and prioritize the most important social media tasks: ideation and content creation and audience engagement.
Soon you’ll be one step closer to your next viral moment!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2022 and has been updated for completeness.