A schedule can help shine a light through the ambiguity of social media posting—changing its gears from an overwhelming marketing task to a manageable to-do list. While you do not need to have a presence on every network, you need to be able to identify which media platforms best suit your brand and audience.
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THE HEAVY HITTERS
Twitter:
Allowing for some of the most direct connections between businesses and customers, Twitter’s 317 million monthly users are nothing to scoff at. We recommend an average posting frequency of at least five times a day, as Twitter content is naturally more granular. Though an average of 6,000 tweets are posted every day, you should not treat the platform as quantity-focused over quality-focused—aside from videos, photos, and links, audience engagement can be fostered through questions and responses to customers.
LinkedIn:
Though it may only tout 106 million monthly users, LinkedIn is where your business knowledge will shine brightest, allowing you not only to post meaningful content but to also simultaneously network with like minded individuals in your industry. You should be aiming for a reserved average of just one to two posts a week. A business’ content on LinkedIn should demonstrate their expertise, focusing on case studies and best-observed practices in their respective sectors. Do not forget that upwards of 80% of B2B marketing leads found on social media are actually straight from LinkedIn.
Instagram:
While it may be the only entry on this list to be a mobile-only platform, Instagram’s focus on audience engagement with its 600 million monthly users makes it all worthwhile. A daily Instagram post containing a showcase of your product, a meaningful quote, some key facts, or maybe just the behind-the-scenes actions at your business lets others see what it is you do, and better yet, what it is you know. If this mobile giant seems best suited to your marketing needs, then here is a key fact to remember: Instagram posts containing hashtags obtain up to 13% higher engagement than those that do not.
Pinterest:
If visually driven content is what best suits your current social media marketing strategies then Pinterest could be your new best friend. Often miscast as Instagram’s second fiddle, this platform offers a direct selling benefit to those who can put a visual flair when demonstrating their product. In fact, it has been reported that 73% of Pinterest users have made a purchase on the site. With the ability to post pins that link your audience back to your own site, we advise businesses who use Pinterest to post images of their product, instructional information or even just some relevant quotes five times a day at the very least. Even if an immediate sale is not your focus, this platform can still bring in some serious traffic.
Facebook:
Saving the biggest for last, Facebook is almost always a surefire choice for social media marketing. With a staggering 1.9 billion monthly users, the platform features a built-in advertising platform that allows businesses to easily reach large audiences with their posts. For this media giant, we recommend posting one or two times a day. While photos, links and text-based content are all worthwhile, it is worth noting that Facebook videos get more shares than all other post types.
BUILDING YOUR SCHEDULE
“A good rule of thumb is to divide your posting schedule into one part promotion for every four parts of meaningful audience engagement.”
Even if traction takes a while to get going once you have chosen your ideal networks, remember the keyword: consistency. Though we recommend a certain post-frequency average for each social media platform, it overall comes down to the role you decide these platforms will play in your marketing efforts. Once you know what platforms you want to use, the posting schedule comes next.
As you find your footing, you may want to start small by only focusing on one or two of your primary social networks. Soon you will feel comfortable in this rhythm of posting, then you can begin branching out to every necessary platform.
When starting to form your posting schedule, consider creating some daily themes to act as a template. “Tuesday Tickers” could act as an opportunity to lay out some fast facts, while “Throwback Thursdays” hold potential to bring some retrospective towards your business by showcasing some nostalgic photos of you and your staff.
Try to also get familiar with content that will not go stale over time, otherwise known as “evergreen content.” Best created using your most viewed blog posts, highest-rated videos and even tidbits about your business from your website, evergreen content can be reused throughout a marketing year to ease your workflow. With prolonged usefulness to your audience, it can help in a pinch if you feel like you may miss a post’s deadline.
Whatever it is you decide your tactic will be, keep this next point in mind. Though there will be many pieces of social media content to create, do not simply focus on brand promotion—a savvy business constantly looks for opportunities to grow relationships. In effect, this builds their audience. A good rule of thumb is to divide your posting schedule into one part promotion for every four parts of meaningful audience engagement.
If you need help building your social media marketing posting schedule, look no further than our own free downloadable posting calendar. Take the knowledge you now have and put it towards creating an organized, engaging, and consistent road map.