Maybe you feel so intimidated by all the ads and graphics other companies are producing on the apps. Take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone! All brands have felt frustration or hopelessness at one point. Luckily, there are resources out there that make it easier to keep up and stand out on all social platforms.
No need to worry about having a graphic designer or buying the full Adobe suite. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite apps that only require a phone and one team member to edit and post the content.
Whether you need help in creating graphic posts, making more engaging Facebook and Instagram stories, editing video without expensive software or videographers, or just a bit of organization we’ve got you covered. The list below will relieve one of your main social media stress points.
If you need a one stop place where you can look at the important information from Instagram, without getting distracted by the notifications or by other people’s content, then Instagram grid apps are here to save the day. Plann and Preview are the two that standout, especially based on ratings.
They both allow you to add media to figure out what you want your feed to look like and which pictures look better next to each other. You can save groups of hashtags to upload instantly to your post instead of having to type each one out or copy and paste from somewhere else. Both have a scheduling feature where you set a date and time and it’ll send you a notification to remind you to post. Analytics are part of both apps but vary depending on the subscription package you have.
If you need a simple way to organize your photos and don’t need to worry about other features, Plann does the trick. Preview has a few more features such as editing tools for photos, including the ability to add text, and calendar to look at posts coming up daily, weekly, and monthly. Most of the grid apps offer enough tools with their free options, so you can get planning today!
Free Photos
If you’re not confident with your photo taking skills or don’t have the time to take a half or full day shooting photos, free photo libraries can help a ton! Unsplash and Pixabay are two of the most common free photo resources. They both have mobile apps if you don’t have the need to download them on a computer.
Simply search any term relating to your project or post and each library has a large selection. You can use those photos for blog posts, social media, your website or simply search for inspiration for the next photoshoot your brand has coming up.
Photo Editing
So, you’ve taken a good photo at an event that’s the perfect content to put on your brand’s social media but it’s a little dark or overexposed. It needs some small editing or a filter to bring it up to your brand’s usual standard. The photos app on your phone and the editing tools on Instagram aren’t extensive enough. The two editing apps VSCO and Lightroom CC can help enhance your photos.
VSCO curated its own filters, they have 17 free ones and over 100 preset filters included in their membership offering. It sorts the filters into groups like warm, cool, vibrant, black and white, portrait, nature and urban. That organization, along with other standard editing features made simple with just one slider control each, makes the editing process easier.
Lightroom CC is an Adobe program but it’s a free editing app. There are only a few tools that aren’t included with the free option. You get all the editing tools you truly need, it has presets, and the ability to edit anywhere since it has cloud storage. Our favorite element is the copying and pasting settings. Once you’re done changing the editing the photo you select “Copy Settings.” If you have multiple photos from the same day or similar environment, you can paste those same settings from the first photo onto the others. This can save time and make for a more cohesive look if posting them together.
Need to create graphic posts for Facebook and Instagram? Need to add text to posts or animation? That is only the start to what Canva can help your brand create. Canva has about eight thousand free customizable templates that are easy to adjust and add your brand’s unique style. More than social posts and ads, it has business cards, flyers, infographics, invitations, lesson plans, cards, reports, and t-shirt designs. Honestly, you can get lost in the fun possibilities.
Adobe Spark Post, as it name gives away, is an Adobe program. It has all the templates you need specifically for social platforms. Spark Post is organized well so you can find your purpose or the industry your brand falls into and get straight to editing. They have free options but also have a premium if you want to upgrade and use more Adobe features, such as its expansive list of fonts. Both Spark and Canva can be edit on their apps or desktop.
If you have video footage that you want to add some text, filters, music or stickers to, Quik or VideoBoost are viable choices. Quik has over twenty preloaded themed edits you can add in one tap. You can also upload pictures create a slideshow by adding music and an edit. Quik might be a better choice for videos you want to post to your feed, while VideoBoost is tailored more for businesses that want to create video and animated ads.
VideoBoost, formally known as Swish, has stock footage, or you can upload your own. The have filters, text, music and templates for you to add and choose from. The animations or videos can be in the 1:1, 16:9, and 9:16 formats. VideoBoost does have a Premium subscription so not all templates are available for free.
Adobe Spark Post and Canva have designs for Facebook and Instagram stories. However, two other apps that focus on creatives for stories are Unfold and Mojo. Unfold is a team favorite here at Nicolet Creative. You can choose from different layouts and add photos, text, background colors, and stickers.
Also, you can add all the slides of stories you want to one group. So, for example, say your brand posts a couple pictures to its Instagram story for every holiday. You can add as many different pictures and templates to one group and name each group to reflect the holiday. You can export the stories and directly share on your social platform of choice. You can use their free templates, buy individual sets of templates you like, or upgrade to their Unfold Plus program.
Mojo is another story editing app. They focus on animated templates that you can add texts, stickers, and music to. The number of free templates is a bit more limited than Unfold but they do have a Pro subscription option. Even though it’s more limited in variety, the quality of the transitional animations stands out.
There are many apps that make social media easier for everyone. Sometimes you go through multiple rounds of trial and error before finding the right apps for your brand. Hopefully, this narrows down your search and you can start creating and updating your social media game like a pro social media marketer.
What’s the social support app your brand can’t live without?
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