Social media can be a powerful tool for businesses large and small. Like all tools, however, it must be used properly for maximum effectiveness. This aim means knowing exactly when to post and how often. Post at the wrong times and it gets lost or overlooked. Post too often and your posts just become white noise. Don’t post often enough and you will have a hard time gaining a following. Here are four pieces of advice for scheduling social media posts.
Find the right time of day for the outlet you are using
Every social media platform attracts a slightly different audience. Not only do you need to find the right platform, but you need to find out what time of day the audience for that platform is the largest. In addition, each industry will also have its own prime time for posting. To get the most mileage out of your posts, it is important to ensure you are posting them at the right time.
Create a weekly, monthly, and yearly plan
Like almost everything in life, the more planning you do, the more successful your social media campaigns are likely to be. A good plan needs to be comprehensive, but also flexible enough to account for changes in the plan. For instance, you may have a blog post on tap for release in the fall when it is pertinent to your industry, but a major industry event may make it suddenly relevant right now.
Change up your content
Not only do you need to find the sweet spot for how often to post, but you also need to offer a wide range of content. While there should certainly be some thematic ties that help set your content apart from the rest, you also need to ensure you are giving followers enough variety to keep them interested in what you have to offer.
Automate
There is no way you will remember every day to post at the right time, and you don’t have to. Today, there are a wide range of services that allow you to sit down once and schedule social media content up to a month in advance. Again, you can always go in and change the schedule if something comes up, but automating gives you the peace of mind your posts are going out on schedule even when you are busy with other things.
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