Scheduling social media content is a key skill for any social media manager or marketer. It helps you plan ahead, save time, maintain consistency, and reach your audience at the best times. But how do you schedule social media content effectively? In this article, we'll share some tips and tools to help you create and manage your social media calendar.
Before you start scheduling your content, you need to decide which platforms you want to focus on and what goals you want to achieve. Different platforms have different audiences, formats, and algorithms, so you need to tailor your content accordingly. For example, Instagram is great for visual storytelling, while Twitter is ideal for breaking news and engaging conversations. You also need to define your goals for each platform, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or driving traffic to your website. Your goals will help you measure your performance and adjust your strategy as needed.
A content calendar is a document that outlines what, when, and where you will post your content, helping you organize your ideas, plan your themes, and balance your content mix. You can use a spreadsheet, a template, or tools like Google Calendar or Trello to create your content calendar. Some elements you may want to consider in your calendar are the content type (text, image, video or link), its topic (product launch, customer testimonial or industry trend), caption (headline, question or call to action), hashtags (#socialmediatips or #fridayfun) and tags (@influencer or @partner). Additionally, pay attention to the date and time of publication based on audience preferences and behavior, as well as the status of the content (draft, review or scheduled).
When creating a calendar, I like to leave a few days open for spontaneous content! This could be a cultural event, funny moment, or brilliant idea you came up with in the middle of the night.
When you're creating your content calendar, make sure to check the dates of holidays and events. Not every holiday date (and even hashtags) is the same each year. And given how many there are, make sure to curate the list for things that are relevant to you. If the company works primarily in the Middle East, maybe don't post Bacon on #BaconDay
A scheduling tool is a software or app that allows you to upload, edit, preview, and schedule your content in advance. This can save you time and energy, as well as help you avoid errors, delays, or missed opportunities. When using a scheduling tool, you can batch content creation and scheduling tasks, view your content in a visual way to spot gaps or inconsistencies, optimize for each platform by resizing images or adding emojis, and monitor and analyze your content performance. There are many scheduling tools available, such as Buffer, Hootsuite, or Later. You can choose the one that suits your needs, budget, and preferences.
Consistency is key. You want to schedule your posts at the best times to maximize impact. Reusing ideas to create additional content is a savvy move. Some of your followers may have missed your previous posts. Some scheduling tools like Hypefury can suggest new posts based on your previously published content. Choosing a scheduling tool that aligns with your objectives and platform of choice is crucial. Become a power user of that tool and automate everything you can.
Scheduling social media content is not a one-off activity, and there are some best practices to keep in mind to ensure your content is relevant, engaging, and effective. Plan ahead and be flexible - have a content plan for at least a month, but be ready to adjust it if something changes or comes up. Quality should be prioritized over quantity - find the optimal frequency and timing for each platform and your audience. Test and learn - experiment with different types of content, topics, captions, hashtags, tags, dates, and times. Track and measure your results to improve your content and strategy. Finally, engage with your audience - don't just schedule your content and leave. Check your notifications, respond to comments, join conversations, ask questions, and show your personality to build relationships with your followers and customers. With these tips in mind, you can create and manage your social media calendar with ease and confidence.
Days that work best on Social Media: Thursdays & Fridays Days that work least on Social Media: Saturdays & Sundays Early mornings and evenings are popular times for posting
In my experience the scheduling experience really depends on the industry. For my small business I get the best traffic during workday lunches and late weekend evenings. It’s when people are looking for vendors. The most recent company I was at got its best results between 11-3 EST Tuesday thru Thursday. Typically when people were eating lunch or taking an afternoon break. If you’re not A/B testing scheduling times, you need to be. Every industry is different!
It's okay to not schedule for a month but just have some posts ready for rainy days. On spot creativity is best when comes to content creation.
In my experience social media is fluid. You are going to draft and delete more often than not because your content should be changing constantly. If you aren’t evaluating and engaging with each post, you aren’t likely reaching your highest potential.
There is no magic formula or hashtag. Success depends on your subject matter, audience preferences, structured experimentation, and careful observation.