Are you winging it when it comes to social media or do you have some sort of plan in place? If you’re the former, I urge you to reconsider creating a plan for your posts. It may seem a little daunting at first, but over time it will help you better hone in on what your audience likes to see and, in turn, increase your social presence.
Here are four actionable ideas to help you get started on your social media planning journey.
1. Create A Posting Schedule
Erratically posting is kind of like throwing darts blindfolded. You’re not maximizing your potential performance and could be posting during times when very few of your followers are online. Take a quick look at your insights to see when your followers are online and start posting at these times. The times will most likely differ across various social platforms, so make sure you follow the times relevant for each one. If you are posting to a platform multiple times per day, I suggest you space things no closer than an hour to avoid spamming your followers and giving your other posts some room to breathe and be seen.
2. Cross-Posting Do’s And Don’ts
You don’t have to post everything on every platform. For example, flyers are great for Facebook but don’t work out very well on Instagram due to the square format of the platform. However, if you have something very important to share (closure, booth number, etc) create a graphic that works well on all platforms and share during your best times.
3. Repurpose Existing Content
Take that flyer you posted on Facebook and break it apart. Showcase lifestyle images with a multiple-image post on Instagram. Or take your recent blog post and turn it into a Facebook or Instagram Live stream so you can hold a discussion with your followers.
4. Check Your Insights Each Month
At the end of the month, check your insights on each platform to see how your posts are performing, then use this information to help guide what and how you post the next month.
To help you get started, I created a FREE Downloadable Social Media Planner that includes a Month at a Glance, Weekly Planner, and Insights Overview. With it, you can write down your best times to post on each platform, curate post ideas, and organize your insights at the end of the month. If you would like to receive a copy, email me at jessica@promocorner.com and I’ll send it your way! (Note: you can either print the planners or use them digitally with a PDF viewer.)
If you’re looking for more ideas on what to post, check out a few of my other blogs where I dive deeper into Social Media Videos, Using LinkedIn, and Creating Easy Social Posts. Until next month, happy planning!