Top 10 Instagram Tools for Your Tech Startup
While traditional businesses have been flattened by the pandemic, investments in tech startups across Southeast Asia have nearly doubled due to the outstanding growth in e-commerce and fintech services.
According to DealStreetAsia, a Singapore-based startup information platform, tech startups have managed to increase their fundraising deals by 91% compared to the previous year, reining in a massive $2.7 billion pool of investments to sustain the growth in online services.
It seems that tech startups are experiencing a gold rush moment in history because of the changes in people’s daily routines and buying habits. Yet some very pressing challenges remain.
Top 2 Challenges That Tech Startups Face Today
First, work hours have become more grueling than ever as tech startup employees have to be available 24/7 to meet the demands of the ever-growing market.
Second, because of the meteoric rise in new startups, the task of getting noticed presents a multi-faceted problem: how can your tech startup connect to your desired audience in the quickest time possible? And how can you sustain acceptance and engagement with your company?
The problem isn’t a lack of information because there are already countless resources telling you what to do, how to strategize, and so on. In this article, we’re going a step further than just giving you advice– we will tell you which tools you should be utilizing to execute your strategies.
We find that the best tools to use don’t have to be overly technical or intimidating. In fact, these fun and creative apps are some of the most essential tools in a tech startup’s marketing arsenal.
To address the problem of how to get noticed, we have outlined Instagram tools for creating the best visual content and video content and also the tools to maximize your user engagement.
And to address the challenge of grueling work hours, we have also outlined tools for automation, which should lessen the load of planning and scheduling the release of your content.
Tools for creating visual content that will get you noticed:
Instasize
Instasize is a creative app that delivers powerful results. You can do the basics such as resizing your images to fit any platform and touching up your photos with filters and adjusting colors, brightness, and more. But you can be more artistic with Instasize as it also allows you to layer photos and videos into collages, add trendy borders, overlay vintage effects, and insert stylized text to make your images stand out.
Save time looking for images you can use for your profile because Instasize gives you access to Unsplash’s free image library. Get professional photos and use them for your brand right from the app.
These features are essential to branding because they help you achieve a consistent and cohesive online profile. The first thing that users notice is your online profile so you have to invest time and creativity into your feed’s look and feel. You can download Instasize for free on both iOS and Android but we recommend upgrading to Premium for $4.99/month to access even more features.
Canva
As a startup, you may think that hiring a graphic designer isn’t a top priority. Perhaps you have other needs that require your funding. This is where cloud-based design programs come in handy. With Canva, you can create professional-looking images by choosing from their extensive library of templates for logos, menus, posters, cover photos, web banners, invites, ads, and more. Even if you have no background in graphic design, you’ll be able to use Canva and come up with polished results.
Start any design project by searching for templates. Type in keywords like “fintech” or “e-commerce” and Canva will draw up the design layouts that are best suited for your industry. The latest update allows you to build Teams that allow multiple members to collaborate and design together so you can finish projects faster.
You can use Canva for free on their website but you should consider investing in Canva Pro for $12.95/month to unlock all of its extensive design features.
Tools to help you create amazing video content:
Animoto
These days, video content is the most engaging type of content but not everyone has a background in video editing. Investing in video gear will also set you back by a lot. This is where Animoto fills in a valuable gap. It is a free online video maker that allows its users to create stunning videos with just a few clicks. To start, you simply choose a template from their bank of free video templates and work by adding your own videos and captions through the intuitive drag-and-drop storyboard editor. You can also customize the transitions and the type of royalty-free background music to use in your videos.
Animoto is available to use for free, however, the Animoto branding will be present in the videos. To eliminate this, you can choose to subscribe to a Professional plan for $33/month.
Uscreen
Once you’ve gotten the hang of making videos, you should think about how you can monetize them. Uscreen is a game-changer because it allows you to optimize your videos by providing end-to-end solutions for video-on-demand (VOD) services. From video hosting, live streaming, built-in invoicing, monetization channels, data analytics, and end-user support, you’ll have everything you need to build a successful channel all in one place.
On top of that, Uscreen also has a vast library of sleek video templates that will make your audience’s jaw drop. Posting high-quality video content is good for your brand because it makes you look like you are ahead of the pack.
There are plenty of ways to pivot your business through VOD services. Uscreen has been gaining quite a following because of its applications in the fields of eLearning, Entertainment, Health and Fitness, Kids, and other popular lifestyles.
You can start exploring Uscreen’s VOD services for only $49/month.
Tools to boost engagement with your business:
Vyper
One surefire way of attracting more followers is to run giveaways, rewards programs, and similar promos. Setting up a promo manually can leave a lot of room for error so it is best to go with a platform like Vyper. Companies who have used Vyper to run contests experienced an “explosive growth” in followers, reactions, and overall activity within their social media profiles. Waiakea, a brand of Hawaiian Volcanic Water, grew their brand through a partner giveaway with Vyper.
Vyper is also straightforward. You can select a giveaway template, design your visuals, choose where to place your ads, and publish your promotion. You can then monitor real-time results through an organized dashboard and deliver your giveaways seamlessly to your contest winners.
You can test Vyper for free before you upgrade to an Enterprise account for $149/month.
ReferralCandy
Another way to get the leads, conversions, and engagement you need to grow your brand is through ReferralCandy. This platform allows you to send rewards to customers who refer other customers or friends through “referral nudges.” You can choose to give away store discounts, rebates, cash payouts, and other custom rewards. For Riff Raff & Co, a baby sleep toy brand, their referral program alone is responsible for 20-35% of their total sales per month.
The best part is that the referral program will virtually run itself so you can experience a surge in sales without the labor cost. It is easy to integrate with any webstore application and you can also monitor your results and pull out analytical data in real-time. If your tech startup could benefit from an intensive marketing platform such as this, you may try ReferralCandy for free for 30 days and then upgrade to Premium for $49/month.
Tools to automate your posting and organize your content calendar:
Tailwind
Tailwind is the leading post scheduler and analytics tool for Instagram and Pinterest. It allows you to post your content at the best time possible each and every time. Its 1-click hashtag suggestions also pools the best hashtags to use with your post so that you get the most mileage out of every single post. Indeed, no post goes to waste!
Tailwind’s seamless platform lets you schedule your posts and Stories weeks in advance so you won’t have to log in to every single account and repeat the same posting process for different platforms. It also delivers Insightful Analytics, which provides you with cornerstone data that will shape important marketing decisions.
You can try using Tailwind’s scheduler for free before upgrading to a Plus account for either Pinterest or Instagram for only $9.99/month.
Planable
Another exciting tool that tech startups should get into is Planable. This company listened to the woes of social media managers across the globe to build a platform that’s more intuitive and collaboration-friendly. No more dizzying spreadsheets. By presenting your content plan in a clean, neat, and color-coded calendar, you will minimize the risk of losing important details or mixing up your scheduled posting times.
More than that, Planable makes it easier for you to get approval for every single piece of brilliant content that you come up with. No need to go back-and-forth over email or start needlessly long comment threads on your Google Docs. Planable is an end-to-end workflow tool.
You can try Planable with your team for free for the first 50 posts before moving on up to either a Starter Plan for $33/month or a Premium Plan for $83/month.
Bulk.ly
As the name implies, Bulk.ly is a platform that will allow you to upload social media posts in bulk through a CSV file or spreadsheet. While social media automation tools like Buffer are good for a week’s worth of posts, there are companies whose social media needs extend beyond this narrow timeframe.
Bulk.ly also lets you shuffle posts around, recycle old posts, assign hashtags, and further funnel your scheduling to your Buffer account. This way, you’ll never run out of scheduled posts ever again. You can enjoy this masterful view of your monthly content for free for 7 days then you can upgrade to a Pro account for as little as $12/month.
Wrapping up:
Every tech startup is different but any combination of these apps and tools is enough to supercharge your marketing campaigns so that you can breeze through increasing brand awareness and building customer loyalty.
What are the tools that your startup relies on for productivity? Let us know in the comments and we can build more discussions that are tailored for the young and dynamic startup landscape that we are part of today.
