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Social Media Posting Schedule: How to Create and Schedule Using Tool
Are you trapped in an endless cycle of post-now-regret-later because your social media strategy is more of a wild guess than a data-backed one? Let’s turn that anxiety-inducing chaos into a strategic serenade that soothes your marketing soul.
The answer lies in planning and creating a social media posting schedule! Why is this so important? Think about it — we live in a world where timing is everything. Post too much, and you risk becoming the friend who over-shares. Post too little, and you're the mysterious neighbor no one knows. But get it just right, and you become the life of the online party, always hitting the sweet spot with your audience.
Ready to take control of your social media destiny? Through six simple steps, let’s see how you can plan, create and execute a social media symphony that hits all the right notes. So, grab your favorite drink and settle in — we're about to make your social media routine as easy as a Sunday morning.
- What is social media posting schedule?
- What are the optimal scheduling times for social media posts?
- 3 key aspects of social media scheduling
- 5 best tools to automate your social media posts scheduling
- How to schedule posts using Sprinklr
- Tips to maximize social media scheduling benefits
- Social media posting strategy for each channel
What is social media posting schedule?
A social media posting schedule is a planned timetable or calendar that outlines specific dates, times and content to be published across various social media platforms. It helps you organize your social media activities and align them with your marketing goals and audience preferences.
Why you need social media posts schedule
Consistency is key 🔑
- Regular posts mean you're always on your audience's radar
- Consistent content keeps your brand's voice recognizable and reliable
Peak timing 🕒
- Hit the sweet spot by posting when your audience is most active
- Optimized timing can boost engagement rates substantially
Learn More: How to Measure Social Media Engagement Effectively
Less stress, more success 🙌
- Having a schedule in place means less scrambling, more strategizing
- Say goodbye to last-minute panic and hello to peace of mind
Better content quality 🎨
- More time to prepare means more time to perfect your posts
- Quality content resonates more deeply with your followers
Analyze and optimize 📊
- Review what's working and tweak your schedule for better performance
- Stay ahead by understanding social trends and making data-driven decisions
What are the optimal scheduling times for social media posts?
Creating a social media posting schedule that aligns with when your audience is most active can significantly enhance your social media engagement rates. Here's a breakdown of the post frequency and optimal scheduling times for various social media platforms:
Social channel | Post frequency | Optimal scheduling times |
About once a day | Weekdays: Mid-morning (9 AM to 11 AM) and mid-afternoon (1 PM to 3 PM) Thursdays and Fridays see higher engagement as people look forward to the weekend | |
1-2 posts a day | Weekdays: Lunchtime (11 AM to 1 PM) and early evening (7 PM to 9 PM) Wednesdays, being mid-week, are particularly active | |
X | 2-5 times a day | Weekdays: Late morning (10 AM to 11 AM) and early evening (6 PM to 7 PM) Wednesday and Thursday are the most active days |
3-5 times per week | Weekdays: Mid-morning (10 AM to 11 AM) and lunchtime (12 PM to 1 PM) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays Tuesday is the most active day | |
TikTok | 1-4 times a day | Evenings: Between 8 PM and 11 PM Weekends, especially Saturday nights, are popular times |
Dive deeper: Best Times to Post on Social Media for Better ROI
3 key aspects of social media scheduling
It takes thoughtful planning and consideration of your audience, content strategy and available resources to create a posting schedule for each of your social media sites. Here is a quick guide to assist you in preparing an efficient posting schedule:
1. Identify your audience
A solid grasp of your target audience is the cornerstone of every effective social media strategy. Look into their preferences, routines and busiest hours online. Use analytic tools to learn more about your audience's demographics, behaviors and engagement patterns. Your ability to adjust your publishing schedule to align with peak audience activity will help your postings become more visible and effective.
2. Select the appropriate social media channels
Each social media channel has a recommended posting frequency, and not all of them are considered equal. Due to their fast-paced nature, platforms like X and Instagram could necessitate more frequent posting. However, platforms like LinkedIn might have a slower posting rhythm. To avoid spreading yourself too thin, choose the platforms that correspond with your target audience and concentrate your efforts there.
3. Employ scheduling tools
Handling several social media channels may be exhausting. Fortunately, you can schedule and automate your posts by using a variety of scheduling tools. You may queue up articles in advance by using tools, which will save you time and guarantee a constant stream of content, even during busy times.
5 best tools to automate your social media posts scheduling
Juggling your social media profiles doesn't have to feel like you're spinning plates atop bamboo sticks. These fab five tools are like your personal social media PAs — scheduling your posts so smoothly, you'd think they've passed the Turing test.
1. Sprinklr
Sprinklr Unified Calendar streamlines marketing initiatives while fostering global teamwork and transparency. Leverage Sprinklr's Unified-CXM platform to get rid of content gaps and inconsistencies and provide seamless customer experiences.
With the help of Sprinklr, you can ensure that your marketing content is consistent throughout all of your advertising and promotional initiatives. This tool also makes it easier for everyone on your team to collaborate, no matter where they are. By displaying all of your scheduled events in one place, this tool will help you in saving money as well.
2. Later
Later is a great option if you're focusing on visual media like Instagram. It specializes in arranging visual content, especially for X, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. You may preview your Instagram grid by using Later's visual planning function and keep a consistent design. Based on the interaction habits of your audience, the program also recommends the best times for posting.
3. CoSchedule
CoSchedule is a social media scheduling and marketing calendar. It includes strong team collaboration tools and interacts with other marketing applications. It offers advanced data so you can monitor your social media performance.
A major drawback of CoSchedule, however, is that it can be pricey for small firms, particularly if you need more advanced features.
4. Hootsuite
Hootsuite stands out as a social media marketing platform that streamlines content creation and posting. It enables you to craft content calendars that keep your marketing efforts organized and strategic. With the capability to bulk upload posts, it saves you time and effort, making it easy to plan weeks or even months in advance.
The platform's auto-schedule feature analyzes your audience's online activity to determine the optimal posting times, ensuring your content makes the biggest impact. This smart scheduling, combined with the ability to manage multiple networks from a single dashboard, helps to keep your social media presence vibrant and engaging.
5. Planoly
Planoly is an easy-to-use scheduler with an emphasis on Instagram. It lets you manage many accounts, provides detailed information and allows you to arrange your grid visually. The free plan offers the necessary functions.
However, it may not be as versatile for managing other social media networks as it focuses on Instagram.
Need more leads? Check out our list of 11 social media management platforms for 2024 now!
How to schedule posts using Sprinklr
If you're looking to plan ahead for a busy week or optimize engagement with smart timing, Sprinklr's Advanced Publisher is your go-to tool. Follow these simple steps to set your posts to launch automatically, letting you focus on crafting the perfect message while Sprinklr takes care of the timing.
1. To schedule posts using Sprinklr, start by creating a message in the Advanced Publisher.
2. Then, click the Schedule Post icon and set your desired future date and time. You can select the time zone, choose a date from the calendar, and decide if and how the post should repeat. Decide on repetition settings, if needed. It varies from:
- Does Not Repeat
- Repeat Daily for a Week
- Repeat Weekly for a Month
- Repeat Fortnightly for a Month
- Repeat Monthly for a Year
- Custom Repetition
The Does Not Repeat option will be set as default.
3. You can also select an option to be notified about the post before it goes live, by checking the Notify me everywhere 30 minutes before checkbox. You can customize these repetitions using the Custom Repetition option from the Repeat Post field dropdown.
4. For maximum engagement, Sprinklr offers a Smart Scheduling feature that suggests the optimal posting times based on your social account activity.
5. Changes can be saved by clicking “Apply” — to finalize and automate the posting process.
6. Sprinklr platform also helps optimize your post scheduling, collaborate effectively and ensure a seamless publishing process. You can view, edit, reschedule or delete your scheduled posts in the Scheduled Posts tab. You can also use the filters and search options to find your posts easily.
Want to post in bulk? Read How to Schedule Social Media Posts in Bulk: 5 Easy Ways
Tips to maximize social media scheduling benefits
Now that we’ve looked at how you can go about publishing content on the top social media channels, here are 3 savvy tips to elevate your social media posting schedule and boost social media ROI:
Tip 1: Know your audience's peak activity times
Tailor your posting schedule to sync with when your audience is most active. Dive into your social media analytics platform to unearth those golden hours. Whether it's the morning coffee scroll or the late-night wind-down, aligning with your audience’s peak activity times ensures your content hits the right eyes at the right moment.
Since watching your audience like a hawk is practically not feasible, it’s best to use a social media publishing and scheduling tool which offers features like:
- Smart Scheduler to determine the best time to post by analyzing your account details and considering the specific engagement patterns for each social account, varying with the scheduled time of dayUSE SMART SCHEDULER FOR FREE
- Editorial Calendar for organized collaborative content planning across various channels
You know how important it is to plan and execute your social media content strategy, right? But it can be hard to keep track of everything, from what to post, when to post and how to post. That’s why you need a content calendar. A content calendar is a tool that helps you organize your social media content, save time and boost your engagement.
Read this article on social media content creation, to learn the four easy steps to create your own content calendar for social media, from auditing your current social media handles to getting feedback from your team.
Tip 2: Consistency trumps sporadic bursts
As we’ve touched on before, it’s not about bombarding your audience sporadically — it's about establishing a rhythm. Consistency builds anticipation and trust. Craft a posting schedule that aligns with your brand's tempo. Whether it's twice a day, thrice a week or a daily dose, stick to your plan. A reliable presence keeps your audience engaged and invested. Consider using quick publishers or smart scheduling tools to make your posting routine seamless.
Tip 3: Experiment and analyze
Social media is a dynamic landscape and what works today might need a tweak tomorrow. Embrace experimentation. Test different posting times, content formats and frequencies. Regularly analyze your social media metrics to decode what resonates best with your audience. The beauty lies in the data — let it guide the evolution of your posting strategy. Use a social media analytics tool like Sprinklr which can be integrated with many platforms to gain deeper insights.
Social media posting strategy for each channel
Now, let’s break down how you can make the most of your social media posting strategy on each major social media platform.
Engagement-centric approach
- Encourage likes, comments and shares by posing questions or running polls
- Leverage Facebook Groups to foster a sense of community among your audience
Read More: Facebook Group Marketing: How to Build a Community
Visual appeal
- Invest in eye-catching visuals that align with your brand and capture attention in Facebook feeds
- Experiment with the carousel format to tell compelling visual stories
X
Concise messaging
- Craft posts that are concise, engaging and reflective of your brand voice
- Utilize hashtags strategically to broaden the reach of your posts
Learn More: How to Find the Hashtags That Actually Work
Regular updates
- Post consistently throughout the week and maintain an active presence
- Schedule posts during peak hours to maximize visibility
Captivating visuals
- Prioritize high-quality, visually appealing images and videos
- Utilize Instagram Stories for behind-the-scenes content and temporary promotions
Consistent aesthetics
- Maintain a consistent visual theme or color palette to strengthen your brand identity
- Experiment with carousel posts for a more interactive storytelling experience
Thought leadership
- Share in-depth articles, industry insights and thought-leadership pieces
- Participate in relevant LinkedIn Groups to engage with professionals in your industry
Polished and professional
- Optimize your LinkedIn company page with up-to-date, accurate information for trust-building and enhancing your brand image
- Share professional achievements, company milestones and employee spotlights
TikTok
Discover your niche
- Explore trending topics like #LearnOnTikTok or #BookTok to pinpoint where your brand can resonate
- Experiment with TikTok video ideas to find your unique space
Authenticity over polish
- Embrace the unfiltered and human side of TikTok because statistics reveal that 56% of users feel a stronger connection to brands that share genuine, unpolished content on the platform
Leverage native features
- Utilize TikTok's native editor for seamless video creation to enhance your natural presence on the platform
Explore Further: Three Strategies for Planning Your Q5 Marketing on TikTok
Final thoughts
And there you have it — the tactics, tools and timeless wisdom to elevate your social media game. "Failing to plan is planning to fail," says good ol' Benjamin Franklin, and in our cyber-centric world, this couldn't be truer. Studies suggest that brands who post consistently experience 23% more revenue than those who post sporadically — that's a third of potential excellence knocking on your digital door!
So, step into the spotlight with confidence, knowing your social soirée is the talk of the virtual town, your content waltzing through feeds with purpose and charm. Automate your posting schedule with an advanced tool like Sprinklr and make your digital influence undeniably en vogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with 3–5 articles each week and adapt based on interaction. The frequency will vary depending on the platform and preferences of your audience.
Analyze the demographics of your audience and utilize social media analytics tools to determine when your target audience is most engaged to determine the best publishing times.
While certain information may be posted across platforms, you need to customize your posts to the audiences and formats of each site for optimal interaction.
Make space for real-time posts to take advantage of trendy topics or events while making sure your primary schedule doesn't change.
