Social Media 101: What, when and how much should you post?

A niggling voice in the back of your mind whispers: “Is this the right content to publish? Is this the right time to post? Am I sharing too much? Have I left it too long between posts?”

Take a deep breath and relax: Aruga’s social media gurus have your back.

Scroll on for our expert advice on content calendars, scheduling platforms and to make posting to social media a breeze.

 

1. Set your posting schedule

One of social media’s trickiest arts is determining the best posting time to increase engagement and action.

Sharing content across various platforms is very time consuming, whether you’re running your own blog or managing socials for your clients.

There are many social media scheduling tools available but you need one that is reliable and works with you.

You don’t want to waste your time – or money – on a tool that won’t upload your content when you need or won’t sync with your apps or digital tools.

Take one of Aruga’s tried-and-tested suggestions for a spin:

• Buffer is a wonderful alternative for new bloggers who only need to schedule posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
• SocialPilot is an inexpensive approach for company users to connect and post across social platforms and Google Business pages.
• Consider Hootsuite or Sendible if you want an all-purpose application that works with both social media sites and blogging platforms.

 

2 Don’t post too much or too little

If you’re just getting started with social media marketing, you tend to rely on trial and error to learn how frequently to post to each network for the best engagement.

You risk bugging your readers if you post too frequently, however, if you publish sporadically, you risk appearing unworthy of following.

Our tips are:

• Plan an appropriate content mix across each social platform.
• Make sure your content strategy and calendar mirror the mission statement you’ve allocated to each social page so that everything you post contributes to the achievement of your business objectives.
• Include various types of posts in your content calendar to help you maintain the correct balance.

If you’re beginning from scratch and don’t know what kind of content to upload, follow the 80-20 rule.

Aruga’s Top Tip: 80% of your postings should inform, educate, or entertain your audience, while the remaining 20% should directly promote your brand.

 

3. Be consistent 

The frequency with which you post should be tailored to each social media platform.

Some, such as Twitter and Instagram Stories, demand activity multiple times per day to get the most visibility and engagement from of your following.

Other content, like Instagram posts and Facebook updates, lack urgency and can be shared more sparingly.

Consider elements such as how each platform’s algorithm operates and whether the information is posted chronologically, or filtered based on other characteristics, when establishing your social media publishing strategies.

We recommend you ask:

• How frequently do you intend to publish on each social media network in line with the best strategies for that platform?
• What kind of material do you intend to post on each platform?
• Who is your target audience?

 

4. Keep an eye on what’s hot

While it is critical your brand stays unique, you can still draw inspiration from other businesses that are successful on social media.

Social media constantly evolves, so it’s a savvy move to keep up with the platforms’ progress and to constantly look for trends to maximise engagement.

 

Discover how Aruga can work with you to develop a calendar of scroll-stopping, attention-grabbing social content here. We create and implement social media strategies that are distinctive, effective, and super simple to comprehend. Let’s chat, doll!