Best Instagram Marketing Platform Shortlist
Here's a review of the best Instagram marketing platform and how they stand out from other tools.
- Instagram for Business - Best free Instagram marketing platform for basic features
- Iconosquare - Best Instagram marketing platform for analytics
- Hootsuite - Best Instagram marketing platform for scheduling Instagram posts
- Buffer - Best Instagram marketing platform for small business owners
- Sprout Social - Best Instagram marketing platform for social listening
- Canva - Best Instagram marketing platform for designing Instagram marketing graphics
- Constant Contact - Best Instagram marketing platform for creating Instagram ads
- Mailchimp - Best Instagram marketing platform for creating on-brand designs
- Plixi - Best Instagram marketing platform for increasing engagement and follower growth
- Hubspot Marketing Professional - Best Instagram marketing platform for ease of use
- Later - Best Instagram marketing platform for hashtag suggestions
- SocialPilot - Best Instagram marketing platform for planning Instagram content
While Instagram provides a variety of features to help business owners get their brand in front of the right target audience, it becomes difficult to regularly publish posts, run Instagram ads, and keep up the engagement level on your profile. To help you, I have put together a list of the best Instagram marketing platforms. These specialized digital tools offer a range of features, from content scheduling to in-depth performance analytics, aimed at maximizing your brand's impact on this dynamic social media platform. Keep reading to get a detailed review of these tools.
What Is Instagram Marketing Platform
An Instagram marketing platform is a dedicated digital software or service designed to facilitate and optimize marketing efforts on the Instagram social media platform. It provides a range of tools and features that enable users to plan, create, schedule, analyze, and manage their marketing campaigns effectively. These platforms typically offer capabilities such as content scheduling, audience segmentation, performance tracking, influencer collaboration, and engagement analytics, all aimed at helping businesses and marketers enhance their brand visibility, engagement, and overall marketing outcomes on Instagram.
Overviews of the 12 Best Instagram Marketing Platform
Let's delve into my analysis of the best Instagram marketing platform, including what each does best. I've also included standout features, pricing details, and a pros and cons list.
1. Instagram for Business - Best free Instagram marketing platform for basic features
Instagram for Business is a feature of Instagram that allows businesses to create a Instagram business account and use the platform for marketing purposes.
Why I picked Instagram for Business: If you're just beginning your marketing journey on Instagram, then Instagram for Business is a great starting point. It's free for everyone and you just need to switch to a business account.
Additionally, it offers some basic features, such as post scheduling and analytics tool. The Insights dashboard offers in-depth insights about post reach, engagement, and audience demographics. This data will empower you to fine-tune your content strategy and tailor it to your specific audience's preferences. Also, the integration with Facebook's ad manager facilitates advertising campaigns, enhancing reach and targeting capabilities.
Instagram for Business Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include the Instagram shopping feature that enables users to discover, browse, and purchase products without leaving the app.
Integrations are available with Zapier.
Pricing: Free
Pros
- The tool is free
- Provides businesses with audience insights
- Easy to use
Cons
- Lacks advanced social media management features
- Limited insights
2. Iconosquare - Best Instagram marketing platform for analytics
Iconosquare provides a range of tools and features to help users effectively manage their social media presence on these platforms.
Why I picked Iconosquare: I picked Iconosquare due to its analytics features, which help users track and analyze 100+ metrics, such as reach and impressions, engagement, profile activity, post analytics, and so on. Additionally, it provides insightful data about the demographics of your Instagram followers, including age, gender, location, and language. This information is essential for tailoring content to specific target audiences.
Also, the competitor analysis feature helps users can compare their performance to that of competitors, gaining valuable insights into their relative standing in the industry and identifying areas for improvement. Iconosquare also offers metrics for Instagram Stories, including views, reach, and engagement. This helps users assess the effectiveness of their Stories content.
Iconosquare Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include monitoring features that make it easy to reply to comments and mentions on Instagram. Iconosquare also helps users identify and respond to unread comments.
Integrations include Facebook Pages, Shopify, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Canva, Dropbox, Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Mailchimp. You can also get additional integrations through a paid Zapier account and RESTful API.
Pricing: From $52.50/month (billed annually)
Free Trial: 14-day free trial
Pros
- Simple and intuitive user interface
- Provides detailed stats on social media performance
- Allows users to create customizable dashboards
Cons
- No keyword monitoring feature
- No company-branded PDF reports feature in the Pro plan
3. Hootsuite - Best Instagram marketing platform for scheduling Instagram posts
Hootsuite is a social media management tool trusted by brands like Ikea, Domino’s, Allianz, and more. It helps individuals and businesses manage and schedule posts across various social media platforms from a single dashboard.
Why I picked Hootsuite: While Hootsuite offers a suite of social media management features, making it a versatile tool, I loved its social scheduling features. Other than helping users schedule Instagram posts in advance, it also provides insights into the best times to post based on historical data and engagement patterns. This helps users optimize their posting schedule to reach their target audience when they are most active.
It also supports a variety of media types, including single-image posts, carousel posts (multiple images or videos in a single post), and video content. This flexibility allows for creative and diverse content strategies.
Hootsuite Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include the Streams feature, which enables users to monitor mentions, keywords, relevant hashtags, and posts from their Instagram accounts. It offers a single platform for managing social media conversations. Another feature I liked is Hootsuite Analytics, which helps users track key metrics.
Integrations include Canva, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Mailchimp, Pinterest, Shopify, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also get additional integrations through Zapier and API.
Pricing: From $99/month
Free Trial: 30-day free trial available
Pros
- Customizable reporting available
- Provides a 30-day free trial
- Includes content approval workflow
Cons
- Doesn't allow the uploading of large files
- The Professional plan is limited to 1 user
4. Buffer - Best Instagram marketing platform for small business owners
Buffer is a social media management platform that integrates with social networks Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Buffer also offers professional reports, hashtag generator, and posting strategy recommendations to help users grow their following and build an engaged audience.
Why I picked Buffer: Buffer is a great solution for small business owners and small marketing teams because it offers affordable and scalable pricing plans. It offers a free plan that allows you to connect up to 3 channels and schedule 10 posts per channel. The lowest plan is priced at $6 per channel per month and lets users schedule unlimited posts, making it accessible for those who are starting their Instagram marketing journey.
Additionally, Buffer has a user-friendly interface, making it easy for small business owners to schedule, plan, and publish content on their Instagram social media accounts.
Buffer Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include the scheduling feature that lets users schedule social media content across multiple social platforms, including Instagram. Users can add website links and images to their scheduled content. Buffer also suggests the most suitable time for posting content.
Integrations include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Feedly, Pocket, Slack, Shopify, Google Analytics, and more. You can also get additional integrations through Zapier and RESTful API.
Pricing: From $6/channel/month
Free Trial: 14-day free trial + free plan available
Pros
- Wide range of integrations
- Great collaboration features
- Provides a 14-day free trial on all plans
Cons
- Limited analytics capabilities
- The free plan has limited scheduling features
5. Sprout Social - Best Instagram marketing platform for social listening
Sprout Social is a social media management tool that helps brands and agencies manage their social media marketing efforts on Instagram and other social platforms.
Why I picked Sprout Social: Sprout Social stands out as an Instagram marketing platform with its social listening tools, which help users monitor and analyze conversations and discussions happening on Instagram and other social channels. It provides a platform where users can gain critical insights from raw data and use it to refine their marketing strategy.
Sprout Social also helps identify Instagram influencers in your niche so you can onboard them as advocates of your brand. You can also discover what your customers think about your competitors, which will enable you to identify competitor gaps and find opportunities.
Sprout Social Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include the Smart Inbox feature that helps users manage their social media engagement by consolidating all of their social media messages, comments, and mentions into a unified inbox.
Integrations include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, TINT, Zendesk, Google Analytics, Bitly, Google My Business, and more. You can also get additional integrations through RESTful API.
Pricing: From $249/user/month
Free Trial: 30-day free trial available
Pros
- The interface is easy to navigate
- Provides robust reporting feature
- Great social collaboration tools
Cons
- Limited integrations
- Pricing may not be suitable for small teams
6. Canva - Best Instagram marketing platform for designing Instagram marketing graphics
Canva is a web-based graphic design tool that allows users to create a wide range of visual content, such as presentations, social media graphics, posters, and more.
Why I picked Canva: If you don't want to use complex design software but want to create professional-looking graphics for your Instagram account, then Canva is for you. Its extensive library of visuals, fonts, and design elements empowers users to create visually appealing and engaging posts, stories, and advertisements.
Canva's collaboration features facilitate teamwork, while its integration with social media scheduling tools helps with content distribution. However, for advanced analytics and social listening capabilities, supplementary tools may be required. Overall, Canva is a valuable resource for businesses seeking to enhance their Instagram marketing efforts through compelling visuals and easy-to-use design tools.
Canva Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include high-resolution downloads that make it easy for users to download Canva designs in high-resolution JPG, PNG, or MP4 formats. Canva also provides a wide variety of templates and design elements, including graphics, images, fonts, and so on.
Integrations include DataPocket, Wedia, Flowcode QR, Widen DAM, SharePoint, Dybder, Brandfolder, Smartmockups, Publuu Flipbooks, and more.
Pricing: From $14.99/month
Free Trial: Freemium plan available
Pros
- A vast variety of templates
- Design editor is easy-to-use
- Allows users to collaborate on designs
Cons
- Many templates and design elements are paid-only
- Customer support is limited to email and chat
7. Constant Contact - Best Instagram marketing platform for creating Instagram ads
Constant Contact is an online marketing platform that provides a suite of tools for email marketing, social media posting and advertising, website building, online advertising, and more.
Why I picked Constant Contact: I picked Constant Contact for this list due to its Instagram ad creation capabilities. The platform allows us to create and manage ad campaigns directly within Constant Contact, eliminating the need for constant switching between platforms. This centralized approach saves valuable time.
The ad creation process is relatively straightforward. The intuitive interface guides users through selecting ad objectives, defining target audiences, setting budgets, and designing creative content. The tool offers a variety of ad formats, including photo, video, carousel, and story ads/
One of the strengths of Constant Contact's Instagram advertising feature is its audience targeting capabilities. It allows users to narrow down the audience based on factors like demographics, interests, behaviors, and location. This level of granularity ensures ads reach the right people, maximizing the return on advertising investment.
Constant Contact Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include Instagram post creation capabilities, which allow users to curate and publish Instagram posts from within the Constant Contact dashboard. This feature helps users save time by consolidating all activities in one place.
Integrations include Google and Facebook Ads, WordPress, Canva, and Vimeo. Constant Contact also integrates with Zapier and provides an API if you require additional integrations.
Pricing: From $12/user/month
Free Trial: 60-day free trial available
Pros
- Well-organized menu and interface
- Integrated email marketing feature
- Includes a 60-day free trial
Cons
- Limited reporting features
- Limited customization options
8. Mailchimp - Best Instagram marketing platform for creating on-brand designs
Mailchimp is an email marketing platform that also offers social media marketing tools to help businesses manage their social media presence.
Why I picked Mailchimp: Mailchimp's Content Studio and Creative Assistant features are designed to help businesses create professional, on-brand designs for their marketing campaigns. The Content Studio is a digital asset management system that allows users to store and manage all of their digital marketing assets, including images, files, and other creative content, in one place. The Content Studio allows users to organize their assets into folders, search for specific files, and preview images before adding them to their campaigns.
The Creative Assistant is Mailchimp’s AI-powered design tool that helps users create on-brand designs using your brand’s colors, images, logo, fonts, etc.
Mailchimp Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include social media analytics features that provide businesses with insights into how their social media posts are performing.
Integrations are available with 250+ apps, including Chargebee, Firebase, Formstack, Patreon, Recurly, Shopify, Stripe, Squarespace Commerce, Typeform, QuickBooks, and so on. You can also get additional integrations through Zapier.
Pricing: From $4.62/month (for 12 months)
Free Trial: Freemium plan available
Pros
- The interface is user-friendly
- Mobile app for Android and iOS
- Easy to navigate
Cons
- Limited customization features
- Limited Instagram marketing features
9. Plixi - Best Instagram marketing platform for increasing engagement and follower growth
Plixi automates the process of getting new followers on Instagram using AI-powered software. Plixi is designed for anyone who wants to grow their Instagram account, whether it's a business, influencer, or personal account.
Why I picked Plixi: Plixi uses an AI engine to identify and grow followers organically. The AI engine helps users quickly and easily grow their following on Instagram without the need for time-consuming manual growth tactics. Plixi uses paid advertising, real-human activity, and nano-interactions to increase followers and engagement on Instagram accounts.
Plixi Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include a live growth monitor that provides users with real-time data on their Instagram account's growth, including follower count, engagement rate, and more. This feature helps users to understand the effectiveness of their Instagram growth campaign and make data-driven decisions to optimize their growth strategy.
Integrations are available with 120+ tools, including Hootsuite, Buffer, Zapier, MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Mailerlite, Shopify, Squarespace, and many other tools.
Pricing: From $49/month
Free Trial: 1-day free trial
Pros
- All plans include real-time analytics feature
- Plixi Experts add-on feature provides access to Instagram experts
- Trusted by brands like Dior and Unilever
Cons
- AI-powered growth engine not available in the basic plan
- No mobile app
10. Hubspot Marketing Professional - Best Instagram marketing platform for ease of use
Hubspot Marketing Professional is the marketing module of the Hubspot CRM suite. However, the social media tools are only available in the Professional plan and higher plans.
Why I picked Hubspot Marketing Professional: It is one of the easiest tools, making it accessible to marketers of all levels of expertise. The user interface is clean, well-organized, and every feature is logically placed.
One of the highlights of HubSpot Marketing Professional is its drag-and-drop editor. You can use it to create landing pages, forms, and more. The platform also lets users create content in bulk and schedule content on social media.
Hubspot Marketing Professional Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include the reporting feature that provides an in-depth view of your performances across different social platforms and campaigns.
Integrations are available with popular business tools, including Asana, Canva, Google Search Console, Hotjar, Mailchimp, Microsoft Teams, PandaDoc, Salesforce, Slack, Supermetrics, and more. You can also get additional integrations through Zapier.
Pricing: Professional plan starts from $890/month
Free Trial: Freemium version available
Pros
- The interface is well-designed
- Helpful blog and educational resources
- Integrates with Salesforce
Cons
- No social media tools in the Starter plan
- Ongoing technical support is paid
11. Later - Best Instagram marketing platform for hashtag suggestions
Later is a social media management tool that started as an Instagram scheduler in 2014.
Why I picked Later: The best aspect of Later is its Instagram hashtag suggestions feature that assists users in finding and selecting relevant and effective hashtags for their social media posts. When you're creating a post in Later, the platform analyzes the content you've written and the visual elements you've included. Based on this analysis, Later's algorithm generates a list of suggested hashtags that are likely to be relevant to your content. These suggestions can include a mix of popular, trending, and niche-specific hashtags.
Users can review the suggested hashtags and customize the list to better align with their specific brand, messaging, and goals. This may involve adding, removing, or modifying hashtags as needed.
Later Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include the Inbox feature that aggregates every incoming comment, message, and mention across every social channel, allowing users to stay on top of their social media interactions.
Integrations include Instagram, Meta for Business, and X.
Pricing: From $25/month
Free Trial: 14-day free trial available
Pros
- The interface is user-friendly
- Recommends best time for publishing posts
- Provides a 14-day free trial
Cons
- Lacks direct integration with Shopify
- Lacks direct integration with Etsy
12. SocialPilot - Best Instagram marketing platform for planning Instagram content
SocialPilot is a social media management tool that helps businesses manage and publish their social media content. It connects with various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google My Business, Tumblr, and more.
Why I picked SocialPilot: SocialPilot is a superb tool for planning Instagram content. Its social media calendar tool helps users plan and schedule their content effectively across various social media platforms, including Instagram. The calendar provides a visual representation of your content schedule, allowing you to see your planned posts for a specific period at a glance. This visual layout helps you maintain a bird's-eye view of your content strategy, making it easier to spot gaps or overlaps in your posting schedule.
Duplicating posts can be time-consuming, especially if you have to do it manually. SocialPilot's duplicate posts feature saves you time and effort by allowing you to duplicate similar posts easily and schedule them seamlessly.
SocialPilot Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include SocialPilot's AI Assistant, which analyzes social media data, identifies trends, and formulates creative post ideas. With this feature, users can generate social media post ideas, captions, and hashtags instantly.
Integrations include Slack, Unsplash, Google Drive, Giphy, Dropbox, Sniply, Rebrandly, Feedly, Canva, and Box.
Pricing: From $200/month
Free Trial: 14-day free trial available
Pros
- Android and iOS mobile app is available
- The dashboard is easy to navigate
- Integrates with Canva
Cons
- Pricing may not be suitable for small business owners
- Lacks advanced features
Other Options
Here are more Instagram marketing tools that didn't make it to the top 10 list but are worth looking at:
- Meta Business Suite - Best Instagram marketing platform for a consolidated inbox
- Agorapulse - Best Instagram marketing platform for Instagram Reels management
- Sendible - Best Instagram marketing platform for scheduling and managing Instagram stories
- Marketing 360 - Best Instagram marketing platform for small teams
- Loomly - Best Instagram marketing platform for managing approvals
- Tailwind - Best Instagram marketing platform for Instagram content ideation
- Sked - Best Instagram marketing platform for creating unlimited posts
- MeetEdgar - Best Instagram marketing platform for automating social media content sharing
- Microsoft Digital Marketing Center - Best Instagram marketing platform for AI-powered campaign management
- GoGram - Best Instagram marketing platform for auto followers and likes
- SocialBee - Best Instagram marketing platform for content categorization
- Brandwatch - Best Instagram marketing platform for sentiment analysis
- Dash Hudson - Best Instagram marketing platform for managing user-generated content (UGC)
Selection Criteria For Instagram Marketing Platform
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best Instagram marketing tools for this article:
Core Functionality
While researching for an Instagram marketing tool, I looked for the following core functionalities:
- Content scheduling; allows users to plan and organize their Instagram posts in advance, helping maintain a consistent posting schedule for optimal audience engagement.
- Performance analytics; provide insights into the effectiveness of marketing efforts by tracking metrics like reach, engagement, likes, comments, and follower growth.
Key Features
To fulfill the above core functionalities, here are some key features to look for in Instagram marketing platforms:
- Content scheduling: Allows users to plan and schedule Instagram posts in advance, ensuring a consistent and timely content strategy.
- Content creation tools: Offers features for creating and editing visually appealing content, including image and video editing tools.
- Content library: Stores and organizes content assets in a centralized place.
- Performance tracking: Offers analytics and reporting features to measure the performance of Instagram marketing efforts.
- Social listening: Monitors social media conversations and mentions related to the brand, allowing for timely responses and engagement.
- Multi-account management: Allows for the management of multiple Instagram profiles from a single platform, making it easier for teams to collaborate on various brand profiles.
Usability
Usability is an important aspect of social media management tools. Hence, I looked for Instagram marketing platforms that were easy to use and navigate. Automation is also a key aspect of social media management tools. Users should be able to schedule posts in advance, automate responses to comments and messages, and track analytics automatically. It should allow for collaboration between team members. This includes the ability to assign tasks, share content, and communicate within the tool.
Software Integrations
Social media management software should integrate with various tools and platforms to provide a seamless experience for users. Some types of integrations that matter for social media management software are CRM software, email marketing tools, and collaboration tools.
People Also Ask
Here are some questions that I frequently get asked:
How much do Instagram marketing platforms cost?
Are there any free Instagram marketing platforms?
What are the benefits of Instagram marketing platforms?
Other Social Media Marketing Platform Reviews
Here are some other social media marketing platform you can consider:
- Social Media Management Software
- Social Media Marketing Software
- Social Media Scheduling Tools
- Social Media Analytics Software
- Social Listening Tools
The Takeaway
With over a billion active users, Instagram is no longer an optional marketing platform for businesses. The platforms mentioned in this article represent some of the best tools available to optimize your Instagram marketing strategy. Whether you're looking to schedule posts, analyze performance, or engage with your audience in innovative ways, these platforms offer a diverse range of features to suit every business need.
Remember, successful Instagram marketing isn't just about numbers but about creating meaningful connections with your audience. It's about telling a compelling story, showcasing your brand's unique personality, and providing value to your followers.
To learn more about such tools and marketing-related insights from top thinkers, subscribe to The CMO newsletter.