The interfaces (APIs) of the different networks partially limit the possibilities of publishing via third-party providers like Facelift. This article summarizes everything you need to know about publishing Instagram posts.
Post formats
You can create different post formats for Instagram. There is a distinction between direct publishing and mobile app publishing. Read on in this article for a more detailed explanation.
Photo: Text and a photo from your media library. You can schedule photo posts via direct publishing or via mobile app publishing.
Carousel: Text and up to ten photos and/or videos from your media library. You can schedule Carousel posts via direct publishing or via mobile app publishing
Reel: A Reel post with a video from your media library. If Allow remixing is enabled, it will be possible to remix published Reels. It can be changed manually in the App.
Story: Instagram Story posts with photos and/or videos from your media library.
💡Note that due to API limitations, the following options for stories are not possible:
adding stickers or overlay Text
adding polls or questions
music
Resharing posts and stories
You can work around some restrictions with mobile-app publishing.
Publishing Instagram live videos is not possible via Facelift.
You can publish the first comment with the post. This can be used for hashtags, for example.
Direct Publishing and Mobile-App Publishing
In the first step of the post creation for Instagram, you have to choose whether you want to publish directly via Facelift or via the Facelift app.
Direct Publishing for Instagram works the same way as you know it from the other networks. You can schedule the post directly via Facelift as usual, and it will be published at the specified time.
If you select Mobile-App Publishing, you can also schedule the post via Facelift so that it also appears in your Post Plan. At the scheduled time, however, it must be finally published via the Facelift app (available for iOS and Android) with just a few clicks.
💡 Learn how mobile app publishing works in this article.
Profile mentions
You can mention other Instagram profiles in your posts using an @mention. Type @ in the text field and add the Instagram handle (profile name). Ensure the handle is correct, as no drop-down selection will appear.
User tagging
You can tag profiles directly in your post once you have added a visual.
Click on Users under Tagging or directly in the post preview. A new window will open. Under the User tab, enter the profile name (Instagram handle without @). The tagged profile must be public. Repeat the process to tag additional profiles. You can see the tags directly in the post preview and move them around using drag-and-drop.
💡 There is no drop-down selection, so ensure the profile name is entered correctly.
Co-Author (Collab Partner) tagging
Once you have added a visual, you can invite profiles as co-authors to your post. Click on Collab Partner under Tagging or directly in the post preview. A new window will open. Under the Collab Partners tab, enter the profile name (Instagram handle without @).
💡 There is no drop-down selection, so ensure the profile name is entered correctly.
Conditions:
The invited profile must have enabled co-author posts
Images, reels and carousels are possible
Up to 3 profiles can be invited
Public profiles can invite public and private profiles
The invited profile will also be tagged in the visual. You can see the tags in the post preview and move them around using drag-and-drop.
Product tagging
If you have created product catalogues for your Instagram profiles in the Meta Business Manager, you can tag your products in Facelift while creating posts.
To use product tagging, first select the corresponding profile and your visuals. You may need to re-authorize the profile to give Facelift permission to view the catalogue and products.
Click on Products under Tagging or directly in the post preview. A new window will open. Under the Products tab, select the products from your product catalogue. You can place the product tags correctly in your visual by moving them around using drag & drop.
💡 User and product tagging can be combined.
Location Tagging
Click on Location under Tagging and type in the location. A drop-down menu will show you suggestions. Click on the arrow next to the location to visit the linked Facebook page.