5 Low Cost Instagram Tools Worth The Hype
There’s A LOT of Instagram tools out there, some free, some paid, some awful, some illegal…
If you’re a business owner, you probably don’t have the time to hoard through and test out all of the options. So, we’ve done it for you!
Here are our top 5 free/low-cost Instagram tools that we think are worth the hype:
VSCO
Amazing for: Photo editing
Price: Free, Presets from US$59.00
First things first, the picture. VSCO is like a walk-in-wardrobe for a photo. There are so many beautiful filters to choose from, each with its own unique vibe and style. Some of our favourite filters are A6, HB1 and HB2.
As well as pre-made filters, you can make all the adjustments you’d ever need to make on a photo like cropping, light alteration, exposure, colour tones, temperature, sharpness etc. The app is really easy to use, saves your images in full quality and offers tips, tricks and inspiration along the way.
There’s a lot of hype around VSCO, and there’s a reason why. We’ve tried a tonne of photo editing apps in our time, and VSCO, in our opinion, is the best low cost/free option out there.
UNUM
Amazing for: Feed planning
Price: Free
Here at LKO, we can really appreciate a well curated feed. Seamless Instagram feeds are like a puzzle, each post coming together to create a beautiful brand aesthetic.
As with any puzzle, planning is important. UNUM is the ultimate feed planner. Simply upload a pic to the app, and it will show you what the image will look like on your feed. Swap out the pics until you find your perfect post. UNUM has a simple job, but it does it well… and it’s free!
LinkTree
Amazing for: Bio links
Price: Free Version, or $6 a month for pro.
Instagram only allows you to have one link in your bio. But in reality, you’ve probably got more than one platform that you’re trying to drive traffic to. Yes you’ve got your website, but what about selling tickets to that event? Driving traffic to that lead gen piece? Voting for your business in the latest award? Hmmm…. If only there was an app that allowed you to have multiple links.
….oh hey there LinkTree.
LinkTree is an app that allows you to create a customizable link that leads your followers to a menu of your most important link destinations.
It’s SUPER easy to use and the free version does a pretty good job. The only major downfall to the free version is the Linktree branding that is attached to your link and landing page. If you want to upgrade for just $6 month, you can get rid of the Linktree branding and unlock pro features such as access to analytics, custom branding and retargeting.
Say goodbye to the single-use bio link, make way for LinkTree.
Tailwind
Amazing for: Post scheduling
Price: Small Business Package = US$10 per month (billed annually) $15 per month (monthly).
Finding your images, coming up with copy and manually scheduling your posts every day is not efficient. What is efficient is creating a content bank, pre-writing your copy and automatically scheduling your posts. Tailwind is an awesome tool to help you do just that.
The small business package comes in at US$120 per year. The professional package goes up to a whopping $9600 a year, which unless you’re an established international brand or large agency, we recommend sticking to the small business package.
This package allows you to schedule posts for a predetermined time, or Tailwind will work out the best time to post based on your audience activity. Tailwind will also suggest the best hashtags to use based on your niche and help you plan your feed. You can schedule up to 400 posts a month, so you can sit back, and let posting automation do the work for you.
Plus, it also works with Pinterest!
Unfold
Amazing for: Stories
Price: Free, with paid editing packages from US$2.99
Unfold is right up there with our favorite Instagram story apps. It opens new doors for your creativity to shine through in your stories, beyond what Instagram allows you to do in-house.
Unfold has a number of free templates that you can use to design your stories with unique layouts, fonts, colours, and aesthetics. The UX on this app is ah-mazing. Creating, saving and uploading stories is a breeze.
And there you have it! Now you have some amazing free tools to help you totally smash your Instagram strategy and grow your following online!
