If you’re looking to streamline your content creation process and show up consistently on social media, you need to be harnessing the power of social media scheduling. By batch-creating your posts and scheduling it all in advance, you can take the guesswork out of building your brand through social media marketing.
But the truth is that scheduling your social media content is just the first step to finding success. In fact, you need to be leveraging the latest platform features, placement and best practice tips and tricks to maximize your results.
Not sure where to start? We’ve rounded up five must-know new rules for social media scheduling to drive deeper engagement and tangible results for your business. Ready? Let’s do this.
Rule 1. Plan your posts with your grid in mind
Here’s the thing about social media marketing: your posts don’t exist in isolation. Every Reel, photo and carousel you share on Instagram is seen alongside your most recent posts.
In short, you need to be thinking ahead and planning your feed visually to ensure you’re curating a cohesive, on-brand Instagram experience for your followers.
By using a visual social media scheduling tool (like Plann) you can drag, drop and customize the way your grid appears to users. Sequencing your posts in an aesthetically pleasing order is what will help to keep your feed looking fresh, dynamic and engaging.
Hot tip: make sure you’re using a mix of post formats and assets to ‘wow’ potential followers and elevate your Instagram presence. By using a mix of custom graphics, professional photography and video content, you can make your grid stand out.
Rule 2. Schedule more than just static posts
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It’s no secret that Instagram is much more than just a photo-sharing app. But what does that mean when planning and scheduling your content ahead of time?
You need to be leveraging a range of content formats and placements when planning your content.
Gone are the days when static photos and single graphics could do the job. Today, Instagram users want to see unique, original content from the brands they follow and trust. By mixing up the range of content formats you’re using, you can accurately test and assess which formats are delivering the best results for your business.
Try this: when planning your next week or month of social content, actively plan out how you’re going to create this content and what formats you’re going to use.
• Share a quote as a Reel with a piece of trending audio.
• Turn your latest blog post into a carousel sharing a few tips or tricks.
• Promote an upcoming product launch with a teaser Reel or TikTok.
Rather than keeping things static, proactively incorporate movement and video content into your mix to see keep your content feeling fresh and engaging.
Psst… did you know you can schedule and auto-post your Reels and TikToks with Plann? There’s never been a better time to embrace video content in your social media scheduling strategy.
Rule 3. Harness the power of tags on social media
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Think scheduling content means losing valuable platform functionality? Think again.
Today, the best social media scheduling suites allow you to add tags (like hashtags, geotags and product tags) directly to your posts when scheduling ahead of time.
This is a huge leap forward and a must for all brands and businesses. In the case of hashtags and geotags, these tags allow you to reach a huge pool of relevant new users and boost your impressions on Instagram.
For eCommerce businesses, product tags allow you to turn your Instagram feed into a virtual shopfront where you can sell your goods directly to users (without them even having to leave the Instagram ecosystem).
Did you know that you can effortlessly add hashtags, location tags and even product tags to your posts when scheduling through Plann? This is a total game changer that will help you skyrocket your sales and boost your reach as a brand on social media.
Rule 4. Leverage your best posting times
Do you know when your audience is most active on social media? What about your best posting times and highest-performing days of the week?
Without the right social media scheduling tool, it can be tedious and time-consuming to figure out when to hit ‘publish’ on your next social media posts.
Posting your content at the right time is crucial to maximizing your chances of getting seen and prioritized in the Instagram algorithm. The more people engage with your content immediately after posting, the more likely the algorithms are to promote your posts in their feed.
Hot tip: within your Plann workspace, you can easily schedule your posts at your brand’s best posting times. You can opt to schedule at your highest performing times and days of the week, or even post when your audience is shown to be most active.
Talk about the best way to streamline your content creation workflow and see tangible results from your efforts!
Rule 5. Engaging with your community after your content goes live
Last but not least is the final rule you need to follow when scheduling your social media content: don’t post and ghost.
Even if you’re scheduling posts ahead of time, you need to ensure you’re active and online when your posts are published. As soon as the comments and engagements start rolling in, you should be responding and replying to these users in real-time.
With content publishing taken off your to-do list with the right social media scheduling tool, you can refocus your efforts on community management and ensure you’re building an engaged network of followers.
Ready to grow your business or brand on social media?
If you’re looking to find success with social media just like Ronnie, Plann is your all-in-one content creation suite that allows you to manage all your social media channels effortlessly. From mapping out your strategy and designing your assets to saving plug-and-play hashtag sets, you’ll find everything you need to succeed inside Plann.
Sign up for your free 7-day trial of Plann Pro today and skyrocket your success on social media!
