I know there’s approximately one zillion digital tools for planning out your Instagram feed and strategy. But I also know there’s plenty of paper-planner fans out there so this one is for YOU! And me, haha! #selfish As things have gotten a little more hectic with a baby in the mix, I knew I needed a way to see my entire week on Instagram in one glance, and this free printable Instagram planner was born.
It actually has two purposes, to both plan what you want to post and track each post’s engagement, but I’ll dive into that more below. If you’re ready to up your Instagram game, this is the perfect first step into making that happen!
Click HERE to download the free printable Instagram planner!
First, let’s talk about the planning aspect. I was told at an Instagram seminar that the ideal number of photos to post per day is five. Now, don’t panic. That’s a LOT. I don’t even post that much. But I think anywhere between 3-5 times a day is a good goal to work towards which is why our planner includes five spots per day. Each spot has a section for you to jot down a quick idea of what you want that photo to be and then a slot for the time you want to post it below there. (We’ll talk more about the other spaces in a minute!)
There’s also a spot for story planning. Nothing fancy, just a space to jot down a few notes if you have anything you want to accompany the content you’re posting that week and don’t want to forget!
And next, let’s talk about the engagement tracker. Under each post, we have a spot for you to track the number of likes and comments and whether you used a hashtag cloud. (Side note: a hashtag cloud is a group of relevant hashtags a lot of people save elsewhere and then they will copy and paste it onto each of their posts. You can look back at some of your favorite Instagrammers to see which ones they use, if you want to get an idea.) This allows you to see over an entire week if there are certain patterns that develop. Do your posts perform in the morning do better? Do your posts about dessert get more comments than posts about party supplies? Does adding a hashtag cloud really bring more exposure + engagement or should you try different ones? None at all?
There are two things that are incredibly important when trying to build and brand your Instagram: consistency and engagement tracking. Consistency so that you remain relevant and in everyone’s feed and engagement tracking so you can start gearing your content towards what your audience responds to best.
At the end of the week there is a spot to document the post(s) that got the most likes and comments, as well as a place to track the number of followers you ended the week with. Last, there’s a spot to list any goals you have for the next week. Maybe you want to gain a certain amount of followers, post a certain amount of times or what have you. This is where you write it to hold yourself accountable.
I would suggest getting a binder where you can house all your past weeks so you can go back and review over time to see how you have grown and changed.
I highly recommend checking out the PLANN app to work alongside this. It allows you to visually plan out your feed with photos and would be a great complement to this worksheet! Not sponsored, just really like the app. =)
I hope this is helpful for you guys! Building an Instagram following is one of the things I get the most questions about so I wanted to create this to help you guys get rolling! And also to help my sleep-deprived self, frankly. 😉
Michelle says
I never thought about planning my Instagram feed, but I guess you can plan everything these days. The design is cute, but I guess this is nothing for me!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Lilly says
Stop waisting your time.
I was so happy to find out the way to schedule posts in IG!
Have you ever tried https://push.photo/ ? I am using it only for 2 weeks and it works awesomel! You’ve got an opportunity to try!
You need just to schadule posts and relax!
Vera says
Ahw, YES! This is exactly what I need right now. I’m trying to up my instagram game and I’ve been jotting down ideas in my planner, but that just makes my weeks seem full of appointments when really it’s just instagram ideas. That wasn’t good for feeling organized, I can tell you that. Thanks Kelly, I will be using this a lot. Especially the tracking ‘option’ is extremely convenient.
Kelly says
Amazing! Let me know how you like it!
Emilia W says
Hi! I just found your blog a couple of days ago and I really love it! Great work!! I just wanted to let you know I borrowed two photos (from different DIY’s) to a blogpost, here: http://www.emiliawesterstrom.se/2017/04/11/monthly-makers-inspiration-djur/ Ofc I wrote your blogname, photographer and direct link to your original post. Thank you for inspiration <3
Christine Peel says
Thank you for sharing this! Planning out Instagram posts has been something I’ve been wanting to tackle. This is going to be very helpful.
Kelly says
You’re welcome! Hope it helps!
Tiffany says
This is so fun and I still love paper planning and lists. I know when I have really put a effort into my Instagram it has paid off. I can’t wait to print this out and try it for a week. I know I have been slacking a lot with my Instagram in the last few months.
Kelly says
I hope this helps Tiffany! 🙂
Mea says
Thank you for the fun and colorful planners! Where is that insane stapler from?
carrie says
How brilliant! And super fun too. Thanks, K. Xo
Carrie
www.wearwherewell.com
Kristina B says
This is SO COOL and it looks fun to use (obv bc you made it…) so maybe that will actually like, make me use it HAHA
Mary England says
This is so great! I would love to see one for planning blog posts, too!! 🙂
Lisa says
Where did you find that fabulous easy-touch stapler that is yellow, green, blue and pink? I am IN LOVE! What an adorable and easy way to brighten a desk 🙂