How to Schedule Instagram Posts on Your Computer without 3^rd-Party Applications

Did you know that Instagram is starting to let users post to the platform directly from their computers rather than having to do it through mobile devices? In this article, we'll go over how to schedule and publish your Instagram posts via your computer without having to deal with any 3^rd-party apps.

Creator Studio

While you still can't post directly from Instagram.com, the new Creator Studio allows you to schedule and post IGTV videos and Instagram feed posts. To access the Creator Studio, follow this link.

Once you enter the Creator Studio, you'll be logged into the accounts and pages that are connected with your Facebook account.

If your Instagram is already connected to your Facebook, you'll see both the Facebook and Instagram icons at the top of the page. If your Instagram isn't connected to your Facebook account yet, you can select the option to connect it here.

Once your accounts are connected, you can click on the Instagram icon at the top of the page to view your Instagram posts and insights.

In the top left corner of the page, you should see a large blue "Create Post" button. Clicking on the button will give you two options: Instagram Feed and IGTV. Choose the option you want and continue.

Please note that as of right now, that while Creator Studio allows you to create Instagram feed posts and IGTV video posts, it does not have an option for Stories.

Posting to Your Instagram Feed

To post to your Instagram feed, click on the "Create Post" button in Creator Studio, and choose the "Instagram Feed" option. A window will then pop up on the right side of the page asking you to select which Instagram account you want to use. The window then expands so you can create your post. If you only have one Instagram account, you will be taken straight to the expanded window to create your post (rather than having to select an account).

Now you can input your caption, location, media content, and choose whether you would like the post to also be added to your associated Facebook account. Make sure you write your caption the way you want it to appear on Instagram, including formatting and spacing. Please keep in mind that the same rules that apply to Captions on Instagram apply to the Creator Studio:

• Spaces are not allowed after the last character of a paragraph. To avoid this, make sure you backspace to the last character.
• Do not use an emoji as the last character of a paragraph.
• End sentences with a single punctuation mark, not a series. Example: "Wow!" not "Wow!!!"

Don't forget to include the Instagram hashtags in the caption as well. Since there isn't an option to create a comment on the post with the posting tool, you'll want to make sure you include any hashtags that you want to use at the time of posting.

There is a tally at the bottom of the caption box that keeps a record of how many characters, mentions, and hashtags you have remaining. And while you don't have to have a caption to publish your post, it's better to have one!

To add a location to your post, start typing the name of the location into the "Add Location" box, and recommendations will appear.

To upload media content, Click the "Add Content" box below the "Add Location" box. Then choose whether you want to upload the content from your computer or your Facebook page. You can use up to 10 photos and videos in one carousel post using this upload option.

If you select only one file from your desktop or Facebook page, you cannot add another file using the upload option. However, you can upload multiple files simultaneously by selecting more than one file from your File Explorer window.

The uploaded images will default to a square crop, but you can edit the placement of the image or change the orientation to portrait or landscape. To edit the image in the Creator, click on the "…" button below the image and choose "Crop" from the pop-up menu.

Once in the edit window, you can drag the image or resize it within the grid. You can also choose the "Landscape" or "Vertical" options to change the size of the picture. The dimensions of landscape and vertical images are the same as they are if you had uploaded to Instagram regularly. Once you're done formatting the photo, click "Save."

If you're uploading a video file, it must be between 3 - 60 seconds in length and must be in 4:5 or 16:9 formats. While your file is uploading, you'll see a blue progress bubble. Once the video is fully uploaded and ready to publish, the bubble will turn green.

There are no options to edit your videos in the Creator Studio, so make sure your video is formatted beforehand. Clicking on the "…" will only give you the option to delete the file.

Once you've uploaded the content file(s), the "Publish" button in the right-hand corner will turn bright blue and allow you to upload your post to Instagram. The button will remain faded out and unactionable until at least one content file has been uploaded.

Once you click "Publish," your post will be uploaded to Instagram immediately. Pop-up messages will show up in the bottom left corner to notify you that the post is uploading and has been uploaded successfully.

Next to the "Publish" button, you'll see a drop-down arrow. Clicking on the arrow will give you three options: Publish Now, Schedule, and Save as Draft. Clicking on the Schedule option will allow you to select a date and time you'd like your post to be published to Instagram. Once you've picked your desired date, click "Schedule" to upload your content for the time you've chosen.

After scheduling your post, you can see it in your Creator Studio Content Library with a Scheduled Post Status. If you click on your scheduled or published post, you can edit it by clicking into it and choosing "Edit."

Posting IGTV Videos

Posting IGTV videos is done in a very similar way as posting to your Instagram feed. Start by clicking on the blue "Create Post" button and choose the IGTV option. Choose the Instagram account you want to post to (if you have more than one). The window will then expand and allow you to upload an IGTV video.

Click the "From File Upload" to upload video content from your computer, or select "From Your Page Content" to upload video content from your Facebook page.

After selecting a file, it will show up on the upload screen. If you decide you want to upload a different video, you can click on the "Select New Video" button beneath the video preview. As the video is uploading, you'll see a blue status bubble in the bottom left corner tracking the upload progress. Once the video is finished uploading, the status bubble will turn green.

Add in the title of your video and add a description. Keep in mind that your video NEEDS a title in order to publish. Your description can include hashtags and any URLs you'd like to add. Make sure you also format your text so that it is easy to read.

For the final step, choose a cover image for the video. You can peruse the list of cover images that populate automatically, or you can select the "Upload Custom image" option to select a file from your computer.

If you try uploading a video or cover image that doesn't meet the IGTV requirements, an error message will pop up and recommend that you review the requirements.

Before publishing your post, check out the options for the placement of your video. If it is over 60 seconds, you'll have the option to display the first-minute preview in your Instagram feed. This box will automatically be checked on the upload screen, but you can always uncheck it if you don't want a preview to appear on your feed. You can also choose whether or not you wish to share the post on your Facebook page as well.

You'll have the option to publish your IGTV video immediately by clicking on the "Publish" button, or you can choose to schedule it for a later date by clicking on the drop-down arrow next to the "Publish" button. If you decide to schedule it for later, choose the time and date, then click "Schedule" to upload the post.

The scheduled or published post will appear in your Creator Studio Content Library. It will appear on the "All Content" screen and the IGTV tab. It may take a minute to show up though, so don't freak out if it doesn't populate immediately!

Conclusion

There are plenty of 3^rd party apps out there that allow you to create, schedule, and upload Instagram content. Creator Studio may not be able to replace some of the functionalities of these 3^rd party tools, but for many users, it's easier to use (and it's free)!

If you're new to social media marketing and would like a few tips to get started, check out our guide on How to Drive Your Online Sales with Social Media Marketing.