Looking for tips on social media scheduling? We know it can be challenging to develop and maintain a strong social media presence which actually converts lookers into bookers. To save time, improve efficiency and get results, we really recommend implementing a scheduling process for your brand.
Without planning ahead, you will end up adopting what we call an ‘as and when’ approach to your social media.
Essentially, you’ll be posting only when you remember and often at the last minute, without giving much thought to your strategy or business goals.
If you recognise this pattern, that’s okay – it’s an easy habit to slip into. But this approach means you end up spending an unnecessary amount of time on your brand’s social media. Using a scheduling tool allows you to reduce the time you spend on these marketing activities while improving the quality and relevance of your output.
So, where do you start? Facebook itself has a handy built-in scheduling function which allows you to schedule your posts straight through the platform itself. This can make a good starting point for experimenting with scheduling.
While other social media platforms don’t currently offer similar features, there are a number of online tools you can use to schedule your posts – including Buffer and Later. The one you choose will largely depend on the social media platforms you are using and personal preference. If you would like advice about which platform is best for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch – we’d be happy to advise.
While scheduling means you will spend less time on social media overall, there are three main rules to keep in mind:
1. STAY ACTIVE
So your posts are all scheduled for the week ahead – you can log out and kick back, right? Well, not quite.
As we have mentioned before, customer service now begins long before guests check in. Social media is one of the most convenient places for potential guests to contact you – in fact, a third of millennials say that it’s their preferred way of communicating with businesses.
Even when all your posts are good to go, you need to take the time to check in on your accounts each day and respond to any messages, comments or queries that come through. Actively responding to posts in a timely manner is hugely important as it shows potential guests that you care about their needs.
2.DON’T DOUBLE UP
While it is possible to link your social media accounts so that Instagram posts are automatically posted on your Facebook page or Twitter account (and vice versa), we would not recommend this approach.
It might save you a bit of time in the short term, but each social media platform has its own distinct format and functions so your posts could end up incorrectly formatted. Plus, potential guests – especially your target age groups – are social media savvy and will soon get tired of spotting the same posts over and over again.
For these reasons, it is vital to take the extra few minutes to tailor your content to each individual platform – we promise, it’s worth it.
3. TAKE TIME TO LISTEN
Take the time to monitor your social media feeds and get a feel for what your audience are posting about. This technique – called ‘social listening’ – will help you come up with ideas for shareable content that will resonate with your target audience. It also gives you the opportunity to interject into relevant conversations and engage with your followers.
Instagram makes social listening easy by giving you the option to follow hashtags that are relevant to you.
As long as you follow these three rules, social media scheduling should help you maintain a strong, consistent online presence and get results. If you have any questions, just drop us a message and we’ll be happy to answer your queries.
