10

I N S TA G R A M
SECRET WEAPONS
must have apps & tools to win at insta

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But the fact remains: if you're growing a blog, brand, community, or business then you know that
Instagram is one of the most powerful tools out there for reaching your homies. And by homies I
mean your dream customers, ideal audience, and the people out there who need your gifts!

Great in theory, amirite? There's just one small problem: the Almighty Algorithm. Ouch, I know.

There is no magic cure for the algorithm. I’m not going to lie to you. But there are strategies and
tools. And you do not need to buy followers, folllow/unfollow (yuck), or have a sculpted backside,
golden locks, and spend an inordinate amount of time in the tropics to grow your following. Though
if the latter sounds like you, that’s rad!

The number one strategy, now more than ever, is to lead with your best photo forward at the right
time, engage, and use appropriate + varied hashtags. Instagram used to be about moments (Insta!),
but now Instagram is about images & community more than moments. I’ve got all the tools you need
below to edit like a pro.

Instagram Stories is about moments, so share all those HILARIOUS (but kinda unphotogenic)
moments there and keep your feed a curated representation of your brand. Instagram stories is also
a great place to show that face! People love to connect face to face, and it's the perfect spot to do it.
I’ve got crazy awesome tools for your stories below too!

Bottom line: Consistency is KING on Instagram (and for your brand in general!) You want your
photos, editing, content, and voice to remain consistent so that people get what they signed up for
and stay around! And post consistently! Whether it’s once a week, or 3 times a day, try to keep a
consistent rhythm.

What you may not know is that pro influencers use a whole HOST of apps & tools to help them
slay on Instagram and keep it consistent, timely, hashtagged, and on point. So I've put my list of
essentials together here in this handy little guide cause there are no secrets to success!

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 1 . VSCO

This is one of the OG editing apps, and their filters emulate film. Fact: a lot of your favorite
accounts are using VSCO filters and tweaking them to make them their own! If moody or
vintage is your thing, then you’ll love this app.

As for me, I use VSCO to edit my Instagram story photos on the fly. The editing tools are
responsive and comprehensive, and you can see a before and after preview (which is
ESSENTIAL to me) by holding your finger down on the photo.

Best part? It’s FREE. Go to the in-app shop to grab a variety of different preset packs—try
the Aesthetic collection for free…I use it on my stories all the time!

2. LIGHTROOM

OK. This is the BIG GUNS of mobile editing. I would join Adobe Creative Cloud just for
this app, however I also use Adobe programs for all of my desktop editing needs (I use
InDesign, Premier, Lightroom, and Photoshop!) Needless to say, my Adobe Creative Cloud
membership is worth every penny.

I couldn’t do what I do without them! So, if I ever need to edit a photograph on my phone,
this is my go to, and it’s almost as powerful as Lightroom Desktop (which is my ultimate
fave for editing!)

My favorite features are that it now has a curves tool, a color mixing panel, and SELECTIVE
EDITING!! Woohoo! That means you can apply brush, radial, and linear masks to your
photos to just edit one portion of the photo instead of the whole thing.You have to
upgrade to premium for this, but it’s #worthit. This means perfect, finely tuned photos.Yes,
please!

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 3 . CO LO R STO R Y

This is another great editing app I like to play with. It’s a similar concept but a very different
aesthetic than VSCO.

The app has transform tools, tone curve, and so much color mixing you can do. Also the
filters in this app are super bright, modern, and poppy. Really good for a bright, white, or
minimalist feed. If you want a clean feed with minimal effort, this is the app for you.

4. PRIME

This handy little app will take a look at your Instagram analytics and tell you the best times
to post for YOUR audience.You might think that since the feed is no longer chronological
but rather dictated by the Almighty Algorithm that this doesn’t matter. But actually it
matters now more than ever.

When you post on Instagram it isn’t shown to all of your followers at the top of their feed,
instead, it’s shown to a “sample audience”. If that audience engages with your post, the
algorithm will show it to more people. So you want to post when that sample audience is
likely to be active!

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 5 . P L A N O LY

I love, love this app. I pay for the “solo” $9/mo plan, but as I grow my team I can upgrade to
plans where multiple people can manage multiple accounts. Small business gold! I use it to
plan out my grid in advance. When it’s time to post (I choose times based on the Prime), I
get a notification on my phone. Then it’s just a few clicks and bam—my post is live!

The best part is that this app also offers analytics, a drag and drop grid so you can plan
your feed easily, create & manage hashtag groups, and moderate and respond to comments
all within the app. Also, they are Instagram approved so you don’t have to worry about it
doing anything weird to your account!

6 . W O R D S WA G

A big shout out to @Jenna_Kutcher for turning me on to this app. Ever wonder how I am
getting those sweet fonts on my IG stories instead of the, ah, less-than-ideal (a.k.a. fugly!)
default font? Well, this is it.

But! Not only that, I can also use it to create Pinterest posts, Facebook posts, and opt in
buttons for my website on the go! Score! I LOVE this app. It’s like having a graphic designer
in your pocket.

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 7 . OV E R V I D E O

Ah, but what about video?? WordSwag only works on stills. Enter OverVideo. This app
allows you to put fun fonts on VERTICAL video. A lot of the other apps crop your video,
but not this one.

8. GOLDEN HOUR

As all seasoned photographers know, light is EVERYTHING when it comes to getting a

This handy app let's you know when morning and evening golden hour are in your time
zone on that particular day so it takes the guesswork out of getting beautiful travel shots,
portraits, and anything outdoors. It also lets you know when you will lose light if you're
shooting indoors because "golden hour" is the hour right before the sun sets and is at a
beautiful, glowy angle in the sky.

Catching golden hour is the difference between a photo that makes me say, "Oh, some
trees." and "HOLY MAGICAL FOREST!" And remember what we said about leading best
photo foward? Yeah.You definitely want that magical forest. So get stalking golden hour (aka
MAGIC hour!)

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 9. LINKTREE

Okay this isn’t an app. It’s a service. But if you’ve ever struggled with which amazing thing
to link in you bio (your blog? Your portfolio? Your store? Your e-course?!!! Ahhhh!!!!) then
this is the solution for you! Linktree creates a little landing page out of the link in your bio.
When people click they see options to click on all of the above!

1 0 . D I S P L AY P U R P O S E S

Also not an app, but rather a website that acts a hashtag generator. Type in a relatively
popular hashtag, and this generator will bring up a cloud of other related hashtags.You then
simply click “copy mode”, and you can copy a cloud complete with nifty dots to separate it
from your caption.

My favorite way to use this is to use it along with good old fashioned research to collect a
variety of high and low density hashtags and create 2-3 clouds per topic I post about (i.e.
food, travel, motherhood) and save those in Planoly. Then I’m just a click away from a
variety of hashtag clouds for my posts no matter what they’re about!

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N ow t h a t yo u ’ve go t
t h e t o o l s . . .

Remember. You are not a number on a screen, and the sum total of your worth is NOT your
followers. If your goal is to grow a meaningful brand and share your gifts with the people out there
who need them, then it's QUALITY of followers that matters, not quantity.

I am a believer in the "1000 True Fans" theory. What that theory says is that if you have just 1000
people who truly LOVE what you do, will show up when you show up, will invest in what you create,
and will support your work then you can make an excellent living selling them just $100 of product
a year.

Popularity doesn't matter.You don't get a dollar for every Instagram follower you have. What does
matter is that the followers you DO have like, know, and trust you. Make that your focus, and you
will be successful.

If you find instagram is really getting you down, step away. People don't unfollow you for not post-
ing—they can hardly remember to! Take a break, reconnect with what you're passionate about &
your WHY, and then start up again when you feel inspired. The world can always wait, and whatever
opportunities are out there for you won't be snatched by someone else because you are the only
YOU out there, and no one can compete with that.

xo,
Beth

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