Social Media Content Scheduling – How Agencies Help You on This?

In the current digitally-driven market, it is important to post your content in the optimal times to reach the right audience. Even if you have done your social media analytics and figured out the best time to post on specific social networks, with the demands of your business, time may get away from you. That is where a social media calendar comes in handy. 

But having a social media calendar is not enough. Social media marketing is constantly evolving and you need to have a competitive social media strategy to survive in the social networks. Having a great social media presence in multiple social media channels is a highly demanding task. With the limited time you have in a day, it’s best to get the help you need from a digital marketing agency. 

What Is the Social Media Schedule?

The social media schedule is a predetermined calendar of when you will publish posts of specific content types on your various social media channels. Creating and sticking to a social media content calendar can help you ensure that you have a consistent social media presence and that your followers know what to expect from you.

The Importance of Having an Agency in Handling Business’ Social Media Content Scheduling

Handling multiple accounts across various social channels can be very challenging.  Especially for small businesses that are slowly conquering the social network landscape. That is where an agency specializing in social media management can be useful. The following are the importance of having an agency in handling business’ social media content scheduling:

Consistent Cadence 

With an experienced agency, you can be assured that your social media posts will have a consistent cadence. This is important because it helps keep your followers engaged and ensures that they always know when to expect new content from you.

Time-Sensitive Content

An agency can help you create time-sensitive content for special occasions or events so that you can make the most of your social media platforms. For example, if you’re planning to launch a new product or service, an agency can help craft social media posts that convey the importance of this event and encourage engagement from potential customers.

No More Silo

With an agency, you don’t have to worry about each type of social media content being posted on the correct platform. An agency can help you create a system of record that ensures all content is properly disseminated and that no platform is neglected, getting the maximum out of your social media efforts.

System of Record

An agency can also help you create and maintain a system of record for your social media accounts. This is important because it allows you to track important metrics such as:

• How many followers you have and how engaged they are
• Which types of content tend to perform the best
• What times of day do your posts get the most engagement? 

With this information, you can better tailor your social media strategy for increasing engagement and attracting new customers.

The 411 Rule

An agency is also great for ensuring that your social media content follows the 411 Rule. This simply means you should use 4 in 1 in every post. The 411 Rule requires each of your posts have at least one from each of the following:

• An image, video, or link
• An informative headline
• A date stamp
• Your company name and logo

The 411 Rule is important because it helps you tell your story in a meaningful, cohesive way across social media platforms.

5 Steps in Creating a Social Media Posting Schedule

The steps in creating a social media posting schedule are:

Conduct a Social Media Audit

The first step in creating a social media posting schedule is to conduct a social media audit. This means taking a look at your current social platforms and determining how active you are on each. You should also consider the types of content that perform well for your brand, as well as topics that may be relevant to your industry.

Use Social Listening to Understand Industry Norms

Once you’ve done some self-reflection, it’s time to look at what the industry norms are. This can be done by using social listening tools to track how other brands in your industry are interacting on social media. This will help you get an idea of what content is being shared and what type of tone your brand should aim for.

Decide How Often to Post

Now that you have a good understanding of your brand, the industry, and what content performs well, it’s time to decide how often to post. This will vary depending on your brand and the industry that you’re in, but a good rule of thumb is to post at least once a day. This would encourage more social media interactions. 

Decide When to Post

The next step is to figure out when to post. This can be done by doing some research into your target audience and finding out which social media platforms they use the most. For example, if you’re targeting students who are likely in school during weekdays, it might not make sense for you to schedule all of your posts on a Monday or Friday.

Determine Your Content Mix

The final step is to determine your content mix. This means figuring out what type of content you will post and how much of it. You should have a good mix of:

• Articles
• Images
• Videos
• Infographics
• Links to helpful resources

By having a variety of content types, you can keep your social media accounts fresh and interesting for your followers.

Social Media Scheduling Tools to Boost Your Marketing Efforts

The best way to ensure you’re following the 411 Rule and posting at the right times is to use social media scheduling tools. These social media tools allow you to create posts in advance and then schedule social media content to be automatically published at the times you specify.

Some popular social media scheduling tools include:

ContentCal

Features

• Upload and schedule images, videos, and articles
• Automatically resize images for different social media platforms
• Set publishing dates and times
• Generate link previews

Pros

• Tracks social media trends
• Provides a variety of analytics
• Gives social audience suggestions

Loomly

Features

• Sync with Google Analytics to track traffic
• Schedule posts for different social media accounts
• Automatically resize images and videos

Pros

• Track your competitors to see what’s trending in the industry 
• Allows you to schedule content from almost any website, and image editing program
• Posts can be queued and published sequentially for a drip campaign

Agorapulse

Features

• Upload and schedule images, videos, and articles
• Automatically resize images for different social media platforms
• Set publishing dates and times
• Generate link previews
• Tracks views, engagement, and clicks

Pros

• Comes with a smart scheduling algorithm 
• Includes reporting tools to track the impact of your social media campaigns

Sendible

Features

• Upload and schedule images, videos, and articles
• Automatically resize images for different social media platforms
• Set publishing dates and times
• Generate link previews
• Tracks clicks and engagement

Pros

• 30-day free trial
• Can manage up to 10 social media accounts
• Automated reporting tells you how well your posts are performing

Promo Republic

Features

• Sync with Google Analytics to track traffic
• Upload and schedule images, videos, and articles
• Automatically resize images and videos
• Set publishing dates and times
• Generates link previews
• Tracks views, likes, shares, and comments

Pros

• Comes with a library of royalty-free stock photos and videos
• Posts can be queued for drip campaigns
• Automated reporting tells you how well your posts are performing

Buffer

Features

• Upload and schedule images, videos, and articles
• Automatically resize images for different social media platforms
• Set publishing dates and times
• Generates link previews

Pros

• A free plan that includes 10 posts per month
• Posts can be queued and published sequentially for drip campaigns
• Automated reporting tells you how well your posts are performing

TweetDeck

Features

• Upload and schedule images, videos, and articles
• Automatically resize images for different social media platforms
• Set publishing dates and times.

Pros

• Manage up to 5 Twitter accounts
• Posts can be queued for drip campaigns

SocialOomph

Features

• Upload and schedule images, videos, and articles
• Automatically resize images and videos
• Set publishing dates and times
• Generate link previews

Pros

• Free for life on the basic plan

Conclusion 

Social media marketing requires in-depth social analytics and a consistent social media presence across multiple platforms. Choosing the right social media content scheduling tool can be a daunting task. But with so many great choices on the market, there’s definitely something for everyone. The best tool for your business will depend on your budget, the size of your team, and the type of content you plan to publish. No matter which tool you choose, make sure to test it out before you commit to a subscription. And always be prepared to switch tools if one doesn’t work for you.