Social media platforms were set up to be live and in the moment. But, what if you struggle to find the time to be live!!
Scheduling is a great option to help you get what you say out there, without having to be there at the specific moment you want it to go out, by writing it in advance and choosing the date and time you want it to be posted. You can use platforms like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck to schedule your updates for multiple platforms (Hootsuite is my preference!). And Facebook pages now also have the option when you write the update to schedule it for future posting.
But, not all your updates should be scheduled!! A HUGE part of social media is interaction. So, if people are responding to your updates but you only go on social media on a Monday morning to schedule your updates, you’ll be missing out on that interaction. Waiting days later to respond just doesn’t cut it!
Sometimes it can be obvious when all updates are scheduled and users may avoid interacting with you thinking you are never online. If you are going to schedule, I’d definitely recommend doing a mix of both live updates and those that are scheduled. Be in the moment when appropriate!
Never schedule anything that is time specific, such as the weather! In the UK, we’re not fortunate enough to know what the weather is going to be like in the next hour, let alone later that day!!!
And don’t schedule questions! Questions should open interaction, so be online to interact!
So, if you’re really struggling to find the time to get online through the day, scheduling may be the perfect option for you!
