In recent years social media has emerged as a powerful tool for small business growth and customer engagement. However, managing multiple social media platforms can be a daunting task, especially for small business owners who are already juggling numerous responsibilities. This is where social media post schedulers come into play. These tools allow businesses to plan, create, and schedule their social media content in advance, saving time and ensuring a consistent online presence. This article will delve into the world of social media post schedulers, their benefits, and how they can be effectively utilized by small businesses in Canada.
Social Media Post Schedulers
Social media post schedulers are tools that allow users to plan and schedule their social media posts in advance. These tools can schedule posts for multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more. They offer features like bulk scheduling, content calendars, analytics, and more, making it easier for businesses to manage their social media content and strategy.
“Social media scheduling isn’t just about convenience; it’s a strategic tool that empowers small businesses to create consistent, engaging content that resonates with their audience. By leveraging the power of post schedulers, businesses can navigate the dynamic social media landscape with confidence and efficiency.”
– Brent Purves, CEO of Social Marketer
Pros and Cons of Post Schedulers vs. Hiring a Social Media Manager
While post schedulers offer convenience and efficiency, they also have their limitations. They can’t engage with customers in real-time or adapt quickly to social media trends. On the other hand, hiring a social media manager can provide a more personalized and dynamic approach to social media management. However, it can also be more costly and time-consuming.
Using a Social Media Post Scheduler:
Pros:
- Cost-effective: Using a social media post scheduler is typically less expensive than hiring a dedicated social media manager.
- Control: You maintain complete control over your social media content and strategy.
- Efficiency: Scheduling tools allow you to manage all your social media platforms from one place.
Cons:
- Time-consuming: Even with a scheduling tool, creating and scheduling posts can be time-consuming.
- Learning Curve: There can be a learning curve to understanding how to use scheduling tools effectively.
Hiring Someone:
Pros:
- Expertise: A social media manager or agency brings expertise and experience to the table.
- Time-saving: Hiring someone else to manage your social media frees up your time to focus on other aspects of your business.
Cons:
- Cost: Hiring a social media manager or agency can be expensive. (Note: Hiring a low-cost social media management service can be very affordable.)
- Less Control: You may have less control over your social media content and strategy.
The Value of Writing and Scheduling Posts Ahead of Time
Planning and scheduling social media posts ahead of time can help businesses maintain a consistent online presence, reach their audience at optimal times, and free up time to focus on other aspects of their business. It also allows for a more strategic approach to social media marketing, as businesses can plan their content around specific goals, campaigns, or events.
Writing and scheduling posts ahead of time is a strategic move for any business, especially for small businesses that are looking to maximize their social media presence. Here’s why:
- Consistency: Consistency is key in social media. By scheduling posts in advance, you ensure a steady flow of content that keeps your audience engaged and your brand at the forefront of their minds.
- Time Management: Writing and scheduling posts in advance frees up time that can be used to focus on other aspects of your business. Instead of having to remember to post every day, you can set aside a specific time each week to create and schedule your content.
- Better Content: When you’re not rushing to create posts at the last minute, you have more time to create high-quality, engaging content. This can lead to better engagement rates and more followers.
- Strategic Planning: Scheduling posts in advance allows you to plan your content around key dates or events, ensuring that your social media strategy aligns with your overall marketing plan.
- Analytics: Many social media scheduling tools provide analytics that can help you understand what type of content performs best. This can inform your future content strategy.
Top 10 Social Media Post Scheduler Tools in 2023
- Cloud Campaign: A powerful tool designed for agencies, Cloud Campaign offers features like client reporting, white-labeling, and advanced scheduling options. It allows users to schedule posts across multiple platforms and provides detailed analytics to track performance. Tip: Combine the power of Cloud Campaign with a trusted done-for-you social media content creation and posting service from Social Marketer for the perfect small business social media posting solution.
- Brandwatch: This tool focuses on providing social media professionals with a structured set of features that help listen, engage, measure, schedule, and publish content that makes a difference. It offers two plans: the Essential plan for single users and small teams, and the Full Suite for larger companies with multiple teams and markets. Brandwatch supports images, videos, Instagram Stories, and Facebook carousels. It also provides roles, approval processes, and an audit trail to boost quality. Source
- Loomly: Loomly is a powerful social media scheduling and management platform with a clean, intuitive interface. It offers four pricing tiers, ranging from a $26/month Base plan for those with 10 or fewer social accounts up to the $269/month Premium Plan, allowing up to 30 users and 50 social accounts. Loomly allows you to set various calendar workflows and manage comments, messages, and track social handle mentions.
- Sendible: Describing itself as “The #1 Social Media Management Tool for Agencies”, Sendible offers plans for different organizations, from freelancers to large teams. It allows you to connect to just about any social network, as well as post directly to your WordPress, Medium, Tumblr, or Blogger blog. Sendible also features geo-targeting features to reach specific segments of your audience.
- SocialBee: This tool uses content libraries and post recycling to keep things organized and save time. It’s ideal for individuals and businesses looking to simplify their social media schedules and optimize marketing efforts. SocialBee supports scheduling posts on numerous social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Google Business Profile, Pinterest, and Tumblr. Source
- Agorapulse: Agorapulse is an all-in-one social media management tool that helps you schedule and publish posts across various social platforms. It also offers a social inbox for managing messages from all platforms, making it easier to stay on top of your social media interactions.
- Pallyy: Pallyy is a social media scheduler tool with a user interface designed to save you time. It supports scheduling posts on popular platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google My Business. Pallyy features an easy-to-use content calendar and a link in bio tool that supports both grid & button-based bio link pages. Source
- Sendible: Sendible describes itself as “The #1 Social Media Management Tool for Agencies”. It allows you to connect to just about any social network, as well as post directly to your WordPress, Medium, Tumblr, or Blogger blog. Sendible also features geo-targeting features to reach specific segments of your audience. Source
- Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a planner tool mainly used by enterprise-level agencies. It supports scheduling social media posts on popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Youtube. However, Hootsuite plans are pricey, making it less affordable for small businesses.
- Buffer: Buffer is a simple post scheduler with a free plan. It allows you to schedule posts for various social media platforms and organize them into an easy-to-understand social calendar.
Please note that the effectiveness of these tools can vary depending on your specific needs and the nature of your business. It’s always a good idea to try out a few different options and see which one works best for you.
Best Practices for Social Media Scheduling
Effectively scheduling social media posts involves more than just choosing the right tool. Here are some best practices to consider:
- Understand Your Audience: Know when your audience is most active on each platform. This will help you schedule your posts for the most optimal times.
- Maintain Consistency: Consistency is key in social media marketing. Try to maintain a regular posting schedule to keep your audience engaged.
- Diversify Your Content: Mix up your content types to keep your audience interested. This could include blog posts, videos, infographics, and more.
- Plan Ahead: Take advantage of scheduling tools to plan your content in advance. This can help you align your social media strategy with your overall marketing goals.
- Analyze and Adjust: Use analytics to understand what’s working and what’s not. Don’t be afraid to adjust your strategy based on your findings.
By leveraging social media post schedulers and following these best practices, small businesses can maximize their social media potential and drive significant growth. Whether you’re a startup entrepreneur or an established small business owner, these tools and strategies can help you navigate the social media landscape and connect with your audience in meaningful ways.
The Consequences of Not Having a Social Media Content Plan
A well-thought-out social media content plan is the backbone of any successful social media strategy. Without it, businesses may face several challenges:
- Inconsistent Posting: Without a plan, your social media posts may become sporadic and inconsistent. This can lead to a loss of engagement and followers, as audiences typically prefer to follow accounts that offer regular, predictable content.
- Off-Brand Messages: A content plan helps ensure that all your posts align with your brand’s voice, style, and messaging. Without it, you run the risk of posting content that doesn’t fit with your brand, which can confuse your audience and dilute your brand image.
- Missed Opportunities: A content plan allows you to schedule posts around key dates, events, or product launches. Without it, you may miss out on these opportunities to engage your audience and promote your business.
- Lack of Strategic Direction: A social media content plan is a key part of your overall social media strategy. Without it, your social media efforts may lack direction, making it difficult to achieve your business goals.
- Inefficient Use of Resources: Without a plan, you may end up wasting time and resources creating and posting content on the fly. A content plan helps you use your resources more efficiently by allowing you to plan, create, and schedule your content in advance.
According to an article on Social Media Today, not having a social media strategy can hurt your business in several ways. It can make your digital advertising campaigns more expensive, reduce access to your brand, decrease your SEO, and negatively impact customer retention.
Similarly, an article on Forbes highlights that a lack of social media strategy can lead to poor quality graphics, inconsistent design and content, a lack of connection with your community, and a failure to reach your target audience.
Lastly, Sprout Social warns of the risks of not prioritizing social media governance, which includes brand risk, compliance and regulatory risk, legal risk, human risk, internal risks, security risks, and third-party app risks.
Next Steps
In the world of small businesses, social media can be a powerful ally. By understanding the best times to post, the value of scheduling posts in advance, and the pros and cons of using a social media post scheduler versus hiring someone, you can make informed decisions that will help your business thrive. The tools listed above, especially Cloud Campaign (that’s what we use when we manage our client’s social media post scheduling), offer a range of features that can streamline your social media management and help you reach your target audience more effectively.
Remember, the key to successful social media management is consistency, strategy, and understanding your audience. With these elements in place, you can use social media not just as a marketing tool, but as a way to genuinely connect with your customers and build a community around your brand.
Whether you choose to hire a social media manager or use a post scheduler, the most important thing is that you’re taking steps to improve your social media presence. As we’ve seen, the benefits of doing so are significant, and the risks of not doing so are too great to ignore.
So why wait? Start exploring these tools today, and take your social media game to the next level.
Related Reading:
- Low Cost Social Media Packages for Small Businesses in Canada
- The True Cost of Social Media Marketing for Your Small Business
- 20 Social Media Tips To Save Time and Money For Small Business Owners
- Hootsuite vs Social Marketer Cloud Campaign
- 2023 Social Media Management Platforms for Small Businesses
- Social Media Marketing Services For Small Businesses
About the Author:
Brent Purves is a social media consultant and the director of Social Marketer, a leading provider of white label social media management services. With over 20 years of experience in the digital marketing industry, Brent has a passion for helping startups and agencies grow and thrive with the help of expert social media management.