Social media platforms are designed to prefer high-resolution images. I recommend aiming for images that are at least 1080px on their largest axis in order to cut down on pixelation, but not to go too big: some apps can handle a super large graphics file, but others will lose quality past a certain point.

For image and video editing, using the right software for the job cuts down on the time you spend editing. I love apps like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, as well as their mobile counterparts (Adobe Lightroom and, surprisingly, PicsArt). Video and 9:16 will benefit from apps like Adobe Premier and InShot, but don’t be afraid to use the built-in editors of apps like TikTok and Instagram, either. You may be surprised by how powerful they are for basic edits!

Great photo apps to take your shot from camera to social media

I tend to edit images in large batches on my computer because I run a blog and schedule multiple posts at a time, but it’s not uncommon to want to edit your images on a mobile device. (In fact, mobile devices has superseded desktop usage in the US since 2013!) My favourite filtering app is VSCO, which allows you to control photo basics like temperature, exposure, and contrast alongside adding varying degrees of filters.

Whether you’re using a desktop app or a mobile one, there’s plenty of different ways to make your images pop. I’m currently favouring Instagram filters—so much so that I’ll record a video on Instagram even if it’s for use on a different app. I love its wide user base of aesthetically-inclined individuals who design beautiful filters for the masses.

This last section is for those of us who absolutely live on the internet. There is absolutely no need for a camera to social media scheduler if you’re just documenting your daily life, but for the growing number of us who use social media at their day jobs, using a scheduler makes the process so much easier.

A social media scheduler is really the last step on getting your image out to the world. At this point, it’s already run almost the full gamut of camera to social media. Your photo or video has been shot, edited, and tweaked to perfection. Now, it just has to go live!

Using a social media scheduler helps social media managers wrangle multiple platforms and accounts at once, but it isn’t necessarily a key part in today’s social media strategy. With more and more apps focusing on engagement-based algorithms, your posting time is slowly beginning to matter less than the content itself.

I recommend dipping into a few basic social media schedulers—even if you’re just a casual user. Knowing that my post is going up later helps me stay in the moment, because I know I can always edit it to perfection once I get home. I love Later for scheduling my Instagram posts, but I’m constantly being recommended Buffer and TweetDeck (built in to/owned by Twitter), too.

Stay grounded in the moment

Social media has become a huge part of daily life. However, your TikTok views, Instagram likes, and Facebook shares don’t have to rule your life. By streamlining your workflow, you can stay in the moment while cutting down the amount of time you spend on social media.

Easy editing programs like Adobe Lightroom and VSCO for mobile will help you get your photos ready for sharing, which you can schedule to go live whenever you’re ready.

The better your camera to social media process gets, the less time you can spend on it—leaving you more time to stay in the moment.

Explore smartphones and cameras online at Best Buy. 

This post contains images from theNotice and @thenotice, courtesy of the author. Head image from @eaterscollective.

Rae Chen
Rae Chen covers everything from handbags to speakers here on the Best Buy Plug-in Blog. They can also be found at thenotice.net, where they've been writing about beauty & wellness since 2007.

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