Finding the sweet spot: How often should you post on social media?

Social media offers endless virtual possibilities, from different outlets to various media formats to the frequency of posts. But with options comes the difficulty of decision-making. 

You may post to social media less frequently than other businesses, posting a couple of times per week on LinkedIn and maybe once a week on Facebook. Perhaps you notice some of your competitors post multiple times per day on all platforms, churning out a constant stream of content. But does this mean you're falling behind in the social selling race? 

Not necessarily. Success in social selling depends on several factors: post quality and consistency, which you control, and prime engagement days and times, which your audience controls. It comes down to your capabilities for creating and posting content and what is best for your prospects and clients. The frequency at which you should post on social media also depends on your platform and content strategy. 

We collected some helpful tips on optimizing your posts' timing and frequency. 

Prioritize quality and consistency. 

Optimizing post times and frequencies will only matter if your content is relevant. You might catch your audience at the perfect time and be at the top of their feed, but if your content isn't captivating, they will scroll past it, and you will miss out on a prime opportunity. 

According to Sendible, social media algorithms now make businesses' posts less likely to appear in users' feeds, so make the most of your views. Your posts need to be engaging and relevant enough that your audience at least stops to look. If clients are bored every time your posts appear in their feed, they may unfollow you.  

Relevance is a significant factor in the algorithms. Your connections express their interests through likes, comments, and shares on social media. When you produce targeted, relevant content that matches your network's preferences, the algorithms are more likely to display your posts in their feeds. For this reason, quality should always come before quantity in your social media strategy. 

Consistency is key. You're trying to build credibility in your business through social selling, and a large piece of that is dependability. Your prospects need to know they can rely upon you to be there for them should they come on as clients. 

You can demonstrate your business's dependability by practicing social media dependability. If you consistently post, whether daily or weekly, your prospects can count on seeing your posts when they log on to social media, helping you retain followers. A consistent stream of quality content will also help you generate meetings and close deals. 

Align post frequency and times with your audience and business. 

Rather than following general recommendations for post frequency and times, do what's right for your audience and industry. What time zone are most of your prospects located in? During what times of the day do they interact with your posts? Do you have post-scheduling software, or are your post times determined by your employees' hours? These are all questions that you need to ask yourself as you decide when to post. Cater to your audience—within your capabilities. 

Since social media algorithms tend to drive recent content higher in users' feeds, publishing content just before your audience checks their social media, if not while they're online, is best. A combination of analytics and trial and error can help you determine what's best for your audience.  

Willingness to try new approaches is critical to maximizing your social selling success. If your post engagements are high on Sunday night, then post on Sunday night! See what kind of results you get. Leave no stone unturned to discover what works best for your audience and create a targeted plan to boost engagement. 

Follow these general recommendations for post frequency and times. 

To strike a balance, remaining present in your prospects' minds while not overwhelming them with content, we recommend posting once daily on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and three to four times per day on Twitter. People expect that Twitter accounts will post frequently, and you need to publish more to get noticed in the sea of Tweets.  

As for exactly when to post: All platforms tend to receive the most engagement on posts from 10 am until mid-afternoon. Noon is an especially popular time as many people take their lunch break and have a moment to pause and check social media. 

But remember that your competitors likely have this data and may be posting at these times as well. If you think it's better to differentiate yourself and be the sole representative for your industry when you post, choose different time windows to stand out from the crowd.  

Posting frequency for social media platforms at a glance: 

1. Facebook: Post once a day or a few times a week.

2. Twitter: You can post several times a day on Twitter, as tweets have a shorter lifespan compared to other platforms. 

3. Instagram: Post at least once a day, but keep in mind that posting up to three times daily is acceptable as long as you have engaging and relevant content. 

4. LinkedIn: Sharing one post with professional content a day is excellent, but you can also opt to post two to three times a week. 

5. TikTok: Posting at least once a day but up to three times daily is acceptable for engaging with your followers. 

Remember that it's crucial to maintain consistency in your posting schedule and provide high-quality content that resonates with your audience. However, it's also important not to over-post and overwhelm your followers. It's better to post less frequently but with high-quality content than often with low-quality content. 

Learn the process to determine your strategy. 

To formulate frequency and timing for your social media posts, consider your business's capabilities and your consumer's needs. Determine the maximum number of high-quality posts you can produce in a set time frame and scale that number to your customers' expectations. Then, establish a consistent schedule for your post days and times to signify your reliability to your audience. 

Tweak your post days and times as you go along to match your audience's periods of high social media use and maximize the benefits of your social selling. 

How have you determined when and how often to post? Share your strategy and results with us in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you. 

Photos by Kentaro Toma on Unsplash; Morgane Le Breton on Unsplash; and Alex Perz on Unsplash