Starting Your Social Media Journey? We’ve Got You.
We know that content is king. Posting on social media and social media marketing is so important! But starting your journey on social media as a business can be overwhelming. You probably have a lot of questions like “just how often I should post content on social media?” or “what are the best times to post on social media?”
At Beanstalk, your local social media marketing firm, we’ve got you covered. We can answer your questions and get you started on your journey!
Understanding Your Audience
Before setting a posting schedule or choosing your content, it’s important to understand your audience’s preferences and online habits. Where are your target customers hanging out online? Different platforms have different peak times, and your target demographic might engage more during specific times of the day or week. Take advantage of the analytics features of social media platforms to provide insights into when your audience is most active, helping you schedule posts for optimal engagement.
Blog Content Updates
Blog posts are great for both social media marketing and SEO (search engine optimization)! Frequency of blog posts as well as content type can depend heavily on your industry and available resources:
- News-heavy industries: If your industry is something involved heavily current events, post several times a week to keep content fresh and relevant.
- Evergreen content: Posting once a week or bi-weekly can be effective if your industry isn’t news-heavy. Maintain a consistent schedule that your audience can rely on and make sure your posts are relevant and informative.
Quality trumps quantity. Each blog post should provide value, solutions, or entertainment. Don’t stuff a post full of key words and fluff content just so you have something to post. Find out what questions your audience is asking and answer them!
Social Media Posting
Social media platforms vary widely in terms of dynamics and audience preferences:
- X (Twitter): High frequency is acceptable; consider several posts per day.
- Facebook: Posting once a day or every other day is generally sufficient. 3 times a week is a perfectly acceptable amount.
- Instagram: Daily stories are recommended, with regular posts 3 times per week.
- LinkedIn: One or two posts per week are ideal for maintaining professional engagement. Also, don’t forget to engage with your feed and others in your industry! Leaving likes, comments, and ideas under other professionals posts as your brand can drive engagement and build trust.
- Consistency is Key: Keep your social media posting schedule fairly consistent. Also, try and use the same content across your platforms, reformatted and reimagined for the different audiences.
Best Times to Post on Social Media
- X (Twitter): Best to post during early morning or late at night, coinciding with commutes.
- Facebook: For Facebook, mid-morning and mid-afternoon during weekdays is ideal.
- Instagram: Late morning and evening on weekdays is the best for Instagram.
- LinkedIn: Early mornings, lunchtime, and late afternoons on weekdays are best for professional audiences.
What Type of Content to Post
- Inspirational and Educational: Content that teaches or inspires tends to perform well across platforms. Remember, answer the questions that your audience is asking!
- Interactive Content: Polls, questions, or contests can increase engagement. Engagement in turn increases awareness and brand recognition.
- Visual Content: High-quality images and videos are important, especially on visually oriented platforms like Instagram. Try free tools like Canva to create engaging and professional looking content.
- Timely Content: Posts that relate to current events or trends can capture more immediate interest and engagement.
- Check Out the Competition: Make sure to follow competitors and other brands in your field. Seeing what content the competition is posting can be great inspiration and can help you generate ideas for your posts.
Automation and Planning
Using social media scheduling tools like Meta Business Suite, Hootsuite, or Later allows you to plan and automate the delivery of content across platforms. This can ensure a consistent social media presence and free up your time to engage directly with followers, plan future posts, and reach your business goals!
Engage and Analyze
After setting up your posting schedule, actively engage with your audience and monitor the performance of your posts. Engagement metrics and feedback will help you better understand what your audience best reacts to, helping you plan better for future social posts.
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Social media marketing is a wild beast. There’s not one formula that fits best for every company and you might have to fail forward a couple of times before realizing what works best. But practice makes perfect!
If social media ads management and organic social posting doesn’t seem like something you have an interest in handling, there are always social media marketing firms like Beanstalk that can help out.
More questions regarding social media management? Let’s chat! Keep it simple and let’s grow your business.