Want to do more with Instagram? Wondering if there are any tools to make it easier?
In this article, you'll discover 18 tools that will help you optimize your efforts on Instagram, from creating content to running engaging contests.

Instagram Content Creation Tools
Instagram's filters and editing tools can help you produce great-looking content but using native tools exclusively often means your content looks just like everyone else's. These third-party content creation and design tools can help your Instagram stories, reels, and posts stand out.
Animoto
Producing eye-catching video content for Instagram can be incredibly time-consuming, even for experienced designers. Animoto's video storyboards can save you time, whether you want to create feed videos, reels, or stories.
This desktop app has templates for everything from tutorials to testimonials to product promotions so you can efficiently create Instagram content that aligns with your marketing goals. You can even cut production costs with Animoto's stock images and videos while adding your brand's unique stamp with animations and overlays.

Are you running out of royalty-free music clips to use with your video content? Animoto has thousands of songs in a long list of genres so you can create the perfect audio environment.
Cost: Free and paid plans
Canva
When you want an app that goes beyond video and can also design Instagram posts and stories, Canva is a good all-in-one pick. This desktop and mobile app has dozens of templates for every type of Instagram content, along with stock images and graphics to incorporate into your designs. You can also create custom layouts from scratch.
If you want to give your Instagram grid or story highlights a consistent look, Canva makes it easy to repeat design elements or copy templates. You can also save your brand style to the app and collaborate with teammates or clients.

Cost: Free and paid plans
StoryArt
If your team produces a lot of stories for Instagram, then a dedicated app can help you streamline the creative process without making your designs overly repetitive. As a mobile design app just for Stories, StoryArt has dozens of premade layouts including both static and animated options.
You won't find an extensive library of stock images in this app, which means you'll need to create or source your own. But StoryArt does have a big selection of interactive stickers and creative filters so you can develop a unique look for your brand's stories.

Cost: Free and paid plans
Instagram Link in Bio Apps
Instagram allows just one link in your bio so making it count is critical. Rather than linking to your home page, use these link in bio tools to create a mobile-friendly landing page that's optimized for Instagram users.
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GET THE DETAILSCampsite
With Campsite, you can set up a mobile landing page that has much more linking power. You can add as many external links as you like and display them however you want such as chronologically or in order of importance.
If you integrate your Instagram account with Campsite, you can add thumbnails to your links—which can help users find the right links to tap and drive more traffic to your site. To help you keep track of traffic from Instagram, Campsite also offers basic analytics. That way, you can see which content and calls to action (CTAs) are driving the most traffic.

Cost: Free and paid plans
Linktree
If you want a link in bio tool with more layout options and shoppable links, Linktree is a good choice. With Linktree, you can add unlimited links in any order you want and customize your landing page so it aligns with your brand.
This app also lets you schedule links to go live at specific times and link to gated content that requires a code to access. Linktree even integrates with Shopify and other eCommerce platforms, essentially giving you another option to monetize your Instagram account.

Cost: Free and paid plans
Lnk.Bio
If you want more theme and customization options for your Instagram landing page, Lnk.Bio is a good pick. Rather than simply creating a list or grid for your links, this app lets you create and organize content blocks to drive the actions that are most important to your business.
With Lnk.Bio, you can also add thumbnails, schedule links to go live, and organize links in folders for easier browsing. In addition, you can sync the app with your Instagram account to add relevant links efficiently and add tracking pixels to gain more insights.

Cost: Free and paid plans
Instagram Contest and Giveaway Tools
Running Instagram contests and giveaways can be a great idea for promoting products and growing your audience—but hosting them can be more complicated than you might think. These Instagram contest tools can save time, collect entries efficiently, and help you meet the platform's guidelines.
ShortStack
Do you want to run a user-generated content (UGC) contest? With ShortStack, you can set up external forms that outline the terms of the contest and collect the content. If you want to repost the best examples, you can use the app's rights tool to get permission from the original creator.
This desktop app can also support comment-based contests. Ask followers to comment on a post to enter and ShortStack can automatically collect their usernames and comments. You can also prompt the app to draw a random winner for your contest or giveaway.
Cost: Paid plans only
Wishpond
When you want to promote your brand and engage your customer base, a hashtag contest can be a smart solution. Wishpond makes it easy to run Instagram contests, no matter how simple or complex you want it to be.
With this desktop app, you can moderate contest submissions and collect contact details. You can also set up galleries that automatically display contest entries. To generate even more engagement, you can encourage fans to vote on their favorites and even share the contest with their friends.
Cost: Paid plans only
Woobox
Do you want to boost your brand with a hashtag campaign? Woobox can track hashtags on Instagram so you won't miss an entry. To set up a new contest, all you need is a single hashtag or a group of terms to track. Woobox automatically collects submissions and you can randomly choose a winner from the list of approved participants.
Woobox also manages comment giveaways and contests for Instagram. Sync your Instagram account with the tool, select any Instagram post, and let Woobox randomly choose as many commenters as you want to win the giveaway.

Cost: Free and paid plans
Instagram UGC and Influencer Platforms
Customers and fans can be a huge asset to your business and their content can be ideal for promoting your products. With these platforms, you can easily find and repurpose influencer and fan-made content.

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Pixlee
Do your customers share tons of high-quality UGC on Instagram? With Pixlee, you can repurpose the best examples from Instagram throughout your marketing channels. The platform automatically collects UGC for your brand so you can integrate it in your email marketing, on your eCommerce website, and on other channels.
With this platform, you can automatically turn UGC into shoppable posts that link directly to your eCommerce site. Because Pixlee automates the permission process, you can maintain brand safety while giving credit to the original creator.
Cost: Paid plans only
Repost
Instagram Stories makes it relatively easy to republish UGC and fan posts—at least until they disappear after 24 hours. But reposting other people's content to your Instagram feed is much harder because there's no built-in sharing feature.
Repost makes the sharing process much less painful and it can republish feed content and reels. First, get permission to repost from the original creator. Then copy the link to the content you want to share and open Repost. The app can repost the content and the caption to your profile, along with a watermark that credits the original creator.

Cost: Free and paid plans
Sauce
With Sauce, you can collect UGC and encourage your biggest fans to create more great content featuring your brand. This platform can manage UGC campaigns, track brand mentions, and monitor branded and campaign hashtags. Then you can choose the best examples from your media library and use them as social proof.
Sauce enables you to repurpose UGC on eCommerce product pages or in customized galleries. Because the platform lets you tag any post, you can effectively make all of your UGC shoppable. Sauce integrates with eCommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, giving you a straightforward way to drive more revenue for your business.
Cost: Paid plans only
Instagram Hashtag Tools
Hashtags can increase the reach of your content and help new fans find your business but knowing which keywords to use isn't always easy. With these Instagram hashtag tools, you can find the best terms and maximize their impact.
Hashtagify
When you want to join trending conversations, it's important to use hashtags that are likely to get engagement instead of those that have fallen out of favor. Hashtagify provides real-time statistics for any hashtag so you can see how popular a hashtag is now and how it's been trending over the course of the week or month.
When you search with Hashtagify, you can also get ideas for related hashtags to increase your reach. This desktop app also tracks metrics like engagement rate and content quality so you can identify which hashtags are driving the best results.
Cost: Paid plans only
Keyword Tool
If you've been using the same hashtag list repeatedly, Keyword Tool can help you expand your list. You can enter any keyword into the search bar and get dozens of hashtag ideas for Instagram. The tool sorts results based on usage so you can quickly see which hashtags are most likely to give your content the exposure you want.
Keyword Tool also has filtering options to help you find less-competitive hashtags, which may help put your posts in the spotlight. You can even copy and paste your saved hashtag lists to your social media posts, streamlining your Instagram publishing process.

Cost: Free and paid plans
RiteTag
If you'd prefer to generate hashtag suggestions with images instead of words, RiteTag is a good choice. Before publishing to Instagram, you can upload your creative (with an optional caption) to RiteTag and get hashtag ideas in seconds. The desktop app automatically generates color-coded hashtags to separate viral from evergreen hashtags.
RiteTag also provides lists of banned hashtags that you should remove from your caption before posting. Because these terms can compromise your reach, keeping an eye out for them can help you improve performance and get better results with hashtags.

Cost: Paid plans only
Instagram Chatbot Apps
Instagram direct messages (DMs) hold tons of potential for brands. With DMs, you can do everything from building relationships to selling products. These chatbot apps can help you start more conversations and get more value from your DMs.
InstaChamp
Whether you want to take comments to DMs or get more value from story interactions, InstaChamp can help. This desktop app has pre-made chat templates for a variety of automated conversations, including responding to story mentions, story reactions, and DMs.
You can also set up automated chats that trigger when an Instagram user leaves a comment containing certain keywords. Because DMs support links, this strategy can help you drive traffic to your website, where you can complete conversions. Because InstaChamp also integrates with Facebook, you can get more value by setting up similar automations in your linked Messenger inbox.

Cost: Free and paid plans
ManyChat
Do you get tons of story mentions that never really go anywhere? Do you get a lot of DMs from potential customers that never really pan out? With ManyChat, you can respond to mentions and DMs more effectively, without having to write manual replies.
You can use ManyChat's FAQ templates to help potential customers get the answers they need quickly. The app also has chat templates for story mentions to help you get feedback and reviews from customers. If you want to take the conversation off Instagram, you can use the app's automated chats to qualify leads and encourage prospects to sign up for consultations.

Cost: Free and paid plans
SendPulse
Whether you want to provide customer support or get more sales on Instagram, SendPulse can help. This chatbot app lets you set triggers and create conversations so you can automate DMs.
Although SendPulse doesn't have as many pre-made templates, the app makes it easy to customize DMs to meet your brand's needs. That means you can automate conversations based on user status, keywords, and other factors. You can also set up complex rules to qualify prospects, provide information, and build relationships through DMs.

Cost: Free and paid plans
Conclusion
Whether you want to publish more compelling content, start more conversations, sell more products, or leverage your customers' UGC, these apps can help you accomplish more with Instagram. With the right mix of Instagram marketing tools, you can go beyond the basics and use this social media channel to grow your business.
Get More Advice on Instagram Marketing
- Create Instagram reels like a pro.
- Optimize your Instagram marketing plan to bring in better results.
- Build an Instagram sales funnel that converts.
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