The original blog post below was published on Sept 24, 2022.
The biggest business hack of all times: scheduled posts! Scheduled posts are auto posted at a future date/time from when created initially. You can schedule your posts directly from Facebook via the Business Suite planner or in your group by selecting the calendar icon versus post now. CinchShare is also another popular scheduling tool, especially when it comes to online parties. Scheduling your posts is the ultimate turn down the hustle. Below are six reasons you should schedule your social media content.
BATCHING
Batching your work is when you group similar tasks and complete them all at once. Think about meal prepping. Instead of preparing ingredients every night, you can cook three meals at once that may last your family six days. Meal prepping saves you time by not having to cook every night.
It is the same for your social media content. Instead of posting in real-time daily, schedule content for a week or month all in one sitting. The time you will save by opening up your files, carving out time in your schedule, and staying focused to post will compound over time. As a small business owner, every minute counts. When you schedule posts, set a goal to schedule two weeks at a time to start.
CONSISTENCY
We need to be what we want our customers to be: consistent. Part of being consistent as a business owner is providing quality items within your posted turn around time and showing up to meet our customers online. If we go silent or take long, unannounced breaks from social media, our customers may forget about your offer unless you have an established email list in which you are still reaching them weekly.
It takes time to build a relationship, especially if you aren't ever meeting your customers in person. As a small business owner, days off online typically get blurred. It is not realistic to show up every single day fully present. Scheduled posts can fill in the gaps when you cannot be present online at that very moment. Feel the weight lifted from your shoulders when you receive a notification that your schedule has posted. You may have even forgotten about what you scheduled, which makes it even that much more exhilarating.
PREDICTABILITY
You are well aware of how harsh social media algorithms can be. For example, competing in your customer's newsfeed against their personal friends' news stories, the latest coffee shop grand opening announcement, engagement party photos, and other businesses can push your posts further and further down. What if your customers knew exactly what posts to look for from you and when? You can, with the predictability of posts.
I do not recommend using social media to surprise your customers with your posts or posting structure. Instead, get in the habit of scheduling your posts for the same day, same time. For instance, if you schedule an ICYMI post, pick the same time and same day of the week every week. Eventually, your customers will start associating your post with a particular date/time of the week. Instead of relying on Facebook to get the information, be predictable and consistent; they come to your group knowing what they will find.
Regarding predictability, keep your call to action and links in the same place every time. If you use an emoji such as ➡️ or 👉; use this emoji every time, so their eyes eventually know precisely what they are scanning for. If you add the links to the comments, always add the links to the comments. However, adding the links to the comments requires you to revisit the post after it has been posted. The beauty of scheduling your posts is that your customers will have all the information, even if you are asleep. Another technique is teasing a product and asking those to comment who are interested and going back to reply to their comments with their link. My technique of choice is adding the link to the original scheduled post with an emoji.
STRATEGY
Have you ever felt like you are posting without any real plan or structure? Each day you feel like you don't have any direction. If you think of something, you post it but then realize the following day that you wish you hadn't posted that sale? It is tough to create a strategy for your business if you never look at it from a God's eye view to see exactly where you are going. Think about swimming underwater. You can know where you are a whole lot better once you come to the surface and look around before going under again. The same can be said for your business.
By scheduling your posts ahead of time, you can review what holidays are coming up, keep your vacation in mind, space out your sales, and strategically plan any giveaways. To add, having a plan lets you see where your business is going and keep it on track. Simply move posts around into a logical order before hitting the schedule button.
ENGAGEMENT
How many birthdays, graduation, or bachelorette parties have you thrown? Did you leave after the guests arrived because you forgot to get the cake? You didn't think through using masking tape for the banner, and now it is falling off the wall. Your lack of preparedness made it pretty hard to entertain, enjoy and engage with your guests. The same happens on social media when you aren't prepared and constantly playing catch up.
Scheduled posts allow you to enjoy your hard work with your social media followers. Instead of showing up frazzled to your group, you can cut loose with them in the comments and enjoy the posts with them.
WHAT MATTERS MOST
What about the time you get back from not stressing and trying to brainstorm every day what to post? What if your scheduled posts show up for you so you can spend time with your "why?" You started a business to provide a better life for your family or find freedom in being your boss. What good is pursuing that dream if you are owned by your phone? Scheduling your posts allows you to put down the phone and spend time with your loved ones. Also, you know when your posts will be scheduled, so showing up for 10 minutes around the time that posts first hit the interweb goes a long way.
I highly recommend sharing who you are and more about your life with your audience, but this doesn't have to be posted in real-time. Capture those moments and enjoy them to the fullest. Set aside 15 minutes a week to grab all the photos from your camera roll and add them to an album so you can share them with your group as a scheduled post.
SO WHAT
You may feel convinced about why you should schedule posts for your business but are confused about what you are supposed to be posting or where to start. Brittany Jones from Queen B Graphics & Design and I have created a product to help you do that.
Queen B offers themed engagement collections so you can stop wasting time on Canva creating your own from scratch. I have outlined content calendars to match her graphics with captions and areas to plan out your product releases.
➡️ Check out the corresponding Content Calendars.
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Podcast Episode: "21| Facebook Group Tools: Scheduled Posts"
This blog post was updated and converted into a Podcast episode on Feb 15, 2024.
APPLE | SPOTIFY | AUDIBLE
In the dynamic world of social media, maintaining an active presence is often synonymous with success. Yet, the pressure to be always 'on' can lead to burnout and blur the lines between work and personal life. In this episode, we learn about a transformative strategy that not only boosts efficiency but also restores the joy in our daily lives.
The discussion begins by addressing a common struggle faced by many: the relentless cycle of content creation and social media engagement. Scheduled posts emerge as a beacon of hope, promising to keep the online community engaged while creators and entrepreneurs indulge in the moments that matter most. The idea is to work smarter, not harder, by batching work, a method akin to meal prepping but for online content. By dedicating time to create and schedule posts in advance, one can save countless hours that would otherwise be lost in task-switching—a productivity killer identified by a University of California at Irvine study.
Consistency is another cornerstone of the scheduled post strategy. Being consistent online means being reliable to your audience, a trait that fosters trust and strengthens business-customer relationships. The predictability of scheduled posts means your audience knows when to expect content from you, making you a stable fixture in their digital routine. It’s not about tricking the algorithm; it’s about setting a reliable rhythm for your business.
The conversation shifts to Queen B Graphics and Designs, which offers content calendar packages that bring organizational nirvana to those craving a structured approach. These tools are designed to streamline the scheduling process, ensuring that posts go out even when you’re asleep or otherwise engaged in life’s pleasures. The episode generously provides a special listener discount for these services, further incentivizing listeners to take control of their social media strategies.
But what about engagement? Scheduled posts allow you to be present in the comments, interacting with your audience without the pressure of crafting posts on the spot. It's about setting the stage for meaningful interactions rather than scrambling for content daily. This strategy also aligns with the notion of being present for what matters most—whether that’s family, hobbies, or self-care.
Lastly, the episode imparts a sense of freedom that comes from knowing your business can operate without your constant attention, thanks to the strategic automation of social media. It's a reminder that the pursuit of our dreams shouldn't come at the cost of our well-being.
In essence, the podcast episode does more than just share tips on social media management—it redefines the relationship between business owners and their online presence. It encourages a balanced life, where business growth and personal happiness coexist, facilitated by the smart use of technology. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by the demands of an always-on digital world, this episode is not just a lesson in social media efficiency; it’s a blueprint for a more vibrant life.
Links mentioned in this episode
- Turn Down The Hustle Facebook Group
- Product Drop Organizer
- Content Calendars save with discount code mentioned 21% OFF
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