How Often Should You Post on Social Media?

One of the biggest questions individuals and businesses have when it comes to their social media accounts, is how often should they be posting? The answer is…it depends. It depends on which platform you are using, what your insights are telling you and what you want to accomplish. You also have to keep in mind how much you can realistically manage.

Posting something for the sake of posting, is not the answer. Regularly posting quality content will go further, than just quickly throwing up a post without a lot of thought behind it. Consistency matters more than frequency. Create a plan and stick to it.

Social Media Strategy

Speaking of plans…do you have one?

What you are posting should be part of an overall social media strategy. What are you trying to achieve? Trying to get the word out about your business? Trying to sell a product or service? Direct people to your website or mailing list? Spending some time thinking about your businesses goals and objectives, will help guide your social media strategy and that will assist in developing the content you share.

Just Tell Me How Often

For those who are looking for industry standards, many research studies point to the following numbers:

• Facebook: 1-2 posts per day
• Twitter: 5-10 Tweets per day
• Pinterest: 11 Pins per day
• LinkedIn: 1 post per business day
• Instagram: 1-2 posts per day

These numbers may seem high and unrealistic unless you have someone managing this full-time. You also don’t need to be on every platform. Determine which ones will help you reach your audience and focus there in the beginning. You are better off to do one platform well, than wavering on them all.

Things to Consider

When it comes to how often and what to post there are some important things to consider.

• What people are responding to and engaging with

When you see engagement on what you are posting…people liking, commenting and sharing…take note and schedule more content like that. Check your analytics and insights frequently to gather even more info.

• Publish at times when people are most active

Insights allow you to see when people are most active on certain platforms. Try to be publishing during those times, increasing the chances of them engaging with your content.

• Use a scheduling tool

There are scheduling tools that allow you to plan out and schedule your social media. While helpful, keep in mind, you still want to be checking back and responding to any questions or comments, as much as possible.

• Share content your audience will care about

Follow and share other accounts that are relevant to your business. This will help people see you as a trusted resource and helpful in them gathering information.

• Be consistent

Being consistent is one of the most important things you can do when it comes to posting. Using all the considerations mentioned above, developing a consistent posting schedule, will help build your audience and get the results you are looking for.

While there is no easy answer to how often should I post on social media, there are lots of ways to determine how much YOU should be posting. Be realistic about your time and post consistently based on your insights and data.

How often do you post on your accounts? Do you have a strategy behind it or just posting when you remember? Leave a comment and let us know your approach.