On the outside, Influencer marketing might seem like all fun and games with brands spending large amounts of cash. But that’s not it. As right now the influencer marketing scene is quite different from 2019. There is a drastic increase in the number of influencers, thanks to the pandemic. Hence, the only thing that will give you an upper hand from the rest of the folks other than your content is your social media game.
That said, influencers are business owners. Period.
And, just like any brand needs tools & apps, influencers are no different.
In this blog, we’ve made you an Influencer starter kit, a combination of apps and tools that every influencer should have on deck.
Some of these are totally free. Others require a one-off cost or a subscription.
Either way, these tools are a cost-effective way to increase your engagement rate and grow your numbers as an influencer.
And with that, let’s dig in!
- Best Design Apps
Nailing down that “perfect photo” is every creator’s dream.One of the most important things you need to have to communicate your brand’s identity is- Visuals. You need not to be a professional photographer for this, you can simply click pictures from your smartphones & edit them using different apps.
- Snapseed (iOS, Android, macOS, Windows)
This is a great option to fine- tune your photos. Unlike, Instagram which changes your entire photo at once, here you can perfect each and every detail.
Not only that, you can also save your previous filters & use them on the future ones. This gives your profile a consistent look and saves a lot of time.
Price- Free
- VSCO
Gone are the days when Instagram’s filters were the top of the game. But VSCO has come to your help. It should be at the heart of every Instagram strategy.
With its endless filters, VSCO is also very easy to use & intuitive. Not only that, they are always up to date & roll out new features now & then.
Price- Free for basic presets and standard editing tools; $19.99/year for access to VSCO’s full suite of presets and image/video editing tools.
- InShot
Now Instagram is not only about static content, infact, with the reels coming in, video content has become the king.
But with Inshot, you can edit everything via mobile phone
Need to add transitions? Speed effects? Voice over & Music? Inshot is the answer.
Price- Free for basic, $10/yr for full features, $3 for no watermark
- Best Instagram marketing app
Now your content is ready. Ready to hit post? But wait. In order to grow your followers you would need some great hashtags. Now, you would not want to get lost in the shuffle of a generic hashtag. But also, a hashtag that nobody will see is not good for your brand too.
Now stop that guessing game & use the following apps to generate hashtags with more engagement
- AutoHash (Android)
This might be the most easy to use app to generate hashtags. As this is AI based, it recognises the objects in your image & gives you the most relevant hashtags.
Not only that, it also counts the hashtags for you so that you don’t cross the 30 hashtag limit
Price- Free
- Best Instagram management tools
Time is money. And let’s be honest, posting fresh content & constantly updating the profile takes up a lot of time. At times like these scheduling your posts in advance can make all the difference.
- Schedugram
It focuses only on Instagram. It allows you to post everything, be it statics, videos, carousels and even stories. This app’s visual calendar provides a birds-eye view of your presence alongside built-in reports and analytics.
Price- $20/mo per user per account
- Rivuu
Works for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Here you can store all your digital assets at one place and Rivuu also allows you to plan a comprehensive calendar in advance. As an added bonus, Rivuu acts as a sort of social media agency that posts via a secure server.
Price- $10/mo per user
- Best Instagram analytics app
With all these efforts put in place, you would definitely want to know if your efforts are helping you reach your goal or not. The right Instagram analytics will definitely clear the cloud as to what works for you and your community (which you can replicate) & what does not.
- Iconosquare Instagram Audit
If you are really curious about your engagement rate, your audience score and a lot more then Iconosquare is the right place to go as it covers 20 such touch points.
Not only that, it also gives you the opportunity to compare yourself with your competitors
Price- Free
And with that, we wrap our list.
Now, that you have the right tools, it’s time to get out there and Do Your Thng
