How Much, How Often? Best Practice for Posting on Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their audience, build brand awareness, and boost conversions. According to Smart Insights, 77% of internet users rely on social media for researching products and brands – so it’s important to get your presence up to par. We’ve given a step-by-step guide to social media for beginners before, so now it’s time to get more specific. How often should you post? When is the best time to share your content? Let’s unpack the essentials to ensure your social media strategy hits the mark every time.

The Art of Posting Frequency

Finding the right posting frequency on social media requires some experimentation. Too much, and you risk overwhelming your audience. Too little, and you fade into the depths of their feed. So, what’s the sweet spot? We usually recommend an average of 2-3 posts per week for small to medium businesses and a maximum of 5 for businesses that have a large following and plenty of content to share. Brayden Cohen, Social Marketing Manager at Hootsuite, says, “Daily posting will grow followers 4x faster.” However, the key is to make sure you have high-quality, engaging content to post frequently – which leads us to our next tip.

Quality Over Quantity

We’ll shout this from the rooftops until we’re blue in the face: focus on quality content that resonates with your audience. It’s better to post less frequently but deliver valuable, engaging posts than to bombard your followers with mediocre material. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes – you want to see content that’s useful, informative, and engaging, right? Posts should strive to bring value to your audience and align with your brand’s voice and purpose. This could be content such as your own blogs, videos, ‘meet the team’ posts, testimonials and reshared content from employees or stakeholders. 

Consistency is Key

Consistency builds trust and keeps your brand top of mind. Aim for a regular posting schedule that you can realistically maintain. Whether it’s three times a week or once a day, stick to it! Consistency helps your followers anticipate and look forward to your content. We recommend brainstorming and drafting a batch of high-quality content, then scheduling it so you know it’s being published consistently. Set it, schedule it, and let the social media magic happen.

Monitor and Adapt

Keep a keen eye on your social media analytics. It’s important to set goals and monitor the engagement, reach, and response to your posts. You can do this in your Meta Business Suite dashboard or with scheduling tools such as Semrush, Hootsuite, SproutSocial, CoSchedule and more. It’s always worth experimenting with different posting frequencies and evaluating the impact on your audience. Data-driven insights will guide you towards the optimal posting frequency for your business. With a bit of trial and error, you’ll find the sweet spot that keeps your audience engaged!

Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience’s behaviours and preferences is crucial. Are they early risers, night owls, or lunchtime scrollers? Research your audience demographics and use social media analytics to determine when they are most active online and available to engage with your content. Posting tools will generally guide you on optimal times based on your followers’ behaviours. Then, create the kind of content they want to engage with and share it when they want to see it.

Analyse Your Competitors

Keep an eye on your competitors to see when they post and how their audience responds. Look not just at when they post, but also what they post, how their audience interacts, and what content generates the most engagement. You can track your competitors through social media scheduling tools to benchmark your business. By analysing your competitors, you can refine your posting strategy to better meet your audience’s needs.

Decoding the Best Posting Times

Different social media platforms have different peak times. For instance, Instagram engagement tends to be higher on weekdays, with Monday and Wednesday being particularly strong. LinkedIn sees higher engagement during business hours. With its 2.91 billion monthly active users, Facebook posts see the best results when posted on weekdays between midday and early afternoon. However, ideal posting times can vary depending on your target audience, platform, and industry. Set your goals, gather the data, and tailor your posting schedule to match these trends.

Test, Tweak, and Triumph

The average person spends approximately 145 minutes on social media every day, according to Forbes, but everyone has different habits. Experiment with posting at different times and track the response. Social media management tools can help you schedule posts and provide analytics on engagement. Continually monitor and adjust your posting times, content and frequency based on the performance metrics to find your golden hour. 

Bonus Tip: Engage and Interact

Posting is only half the battle. Engaging with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions is essential. It nurtures relationships, builds trust, and boosts the visibility of your posts. So, be proactive, jump into conversations, and leave a strong, lasting impression.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to social media posting frequency and timing. It’s all about finding the combination that works best for your business and audience. Remember to prioritise quality content, maintain consistency, and stay flexible to adapt as you gain insights. 

May your posts be engaging, your timing impeccable, and your social media presence stand out from the crowd!

Looking to take your social media to the next level, but don’t know where to start? Take your business to new heights with a fresh, curated and targeted social media strategy with 80/20 Digital. Get in touch with us today on 03 9042 0714.