Once you’ve optimized your social media profile, it’s time to map out how often you’ll be posting, as well as what you’ll be posting.
Consider creating a social media calendar in which you map out what you will post each day during a given time period (week, month, year). This calendar will include what you’re going to post, as well as when you’ll post it. When creating your social media calendar, ask yourself the following questions:
How often will I post? Ideally, you should post at least once per day. This will keep your social media profile active and show your followers that you’re engaged on social media.
What sort of content will I post? Your organization will shape the types of content you share. When it comes to determining the types of content you’re going to post, think of what will add the most value to your audience.
What formats will I use? The most effective organizations utilize a variety of formats on social media. They use text, images, videos, polls, quizzes, and more. But remember too, the most basic of rules: “Say dog, see dog”. If you say it, make sure the image identifies with the text.
If you’re struggling to figure out what to post, you may want to use a tool like the Buffer or Hootsuite or any other social media posting tool, many of which are free starting out. This makes posting so easy and less time consuming, especially when posting to multiple social channels.
Two reasons why you should utilize a social media calendar:
First, it helps you be consistent with your posting. One of the biggest challenges that business owners face when using social media is being consistent.
Second, using a social media calendar “forces” you to be active on social media. In other words, you can’t use the excuse of not knowing what to post.
Pushing this just a smidge further, if you are lucky enough to have a volunteer base, engage a few people to take this on. Many hands make light the work.
Coming next week: Begin Posting On Social Media