It’s vital to have a strategy when it comes to posting content.
A social media schedule is a plan that outlines the key content of your future posts across all of your social media platforms.
Having a clear strategy when posting content is essential. It helps you stay consistent and ensures all the hard work of maintaining a regular presence actually pays off.
A schedule also helps make sure your content aligns with your business goals. It gives you time to think about the messages you’re sharing and link them to new product or service launches, events throughout the year, key achievements, milestones, and much more.
Why Having a Social Media Schedule Matters
When it comes to social media, the main goals are usually to:
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Increase followers
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Boost engagement
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Generate leads
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Establish yourself as a leader in your field
Creating a social media schedule allows you to work towards these goals more effectively. It moves you from being reactive to proactive, which is key to any successful business strategy.
Identify Why You’re Using Social Media
First things first, you need to identify the reason you’re using social media and link your posts directly to your objectives.
For example:
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Brand awareness: Ensure your posts reflect your business image and values.
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Customer service or research: Make your posts interactive, open and welcoming.
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Lead generation: Focus on what matters to your customers and clearly show why you’re the best choice.
Being clear on your purpose will guide what you post and how you communicate.
Mix It Up and Keep Content Interesting
Generally speaking, being active on social media is a good thing. However, constantly promoting yourself without providing value can turn people away.
Remember your goals and support your promotional posts with useful content such as blogs, tips or advice.
There are many different types of posts you can include in your social media schedule:
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Photos
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Videos
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GIFs
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Links
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Text posts
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Offers
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Quotes
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Hashtags
Mixing up content types keeps your updates fresh and engaging.
Post at the Right Time
Knowing when your audience is online is just as important as what you post.
Your customers are busy, so make it easy for them to see your content by posting at the right times. For many businesses, weekday lunchtimes work well, while Friday evenings tend to perform poorly.
Testing and reviewing engagement will help you identify what works best for your audience.
Remember Social Media Is Still Social
There are many tools available to help schedule content, such as Hootsuite, as well as other platforms that may suit your needs better.
If you don’t want to use scheduling software, a simple spreadsheet or document can work just as well. The only downside is that posts won’t be published automatically.
While a social media schedule saves time and helps with planning, it’s important to remember these are social platforms. You still need to log in regularly to respond, like and interact with your followers.
A schedule helps you focus your time and target your messages. It should never replace genuine interaction.
Would You Follow Your Business?
Every new social media channel is an opportunity to reach new customers and stay connected with existing ones.
Sharing well-planned, valuable content allows customers and prospects to validate your brand and build trust through visibility.
So ask yourself… would you follow your business?
If you’d like help creating or managing a social media schedule, get in touch.
Call 01903 688789 or email makeithappen@mbsmih.com, we’re always happy to help.