Scheduling social media posts

Adjust the number and timing of posts to social media trends and plan them to reach the widest audience possible. For example, consider a health food online store that devised a weekly plan for Facebook. They posted five or six Facebook posts every day. The posts were prepared twice a month, taking a total of 30 hours. It turned out that the following times generally yielded the best results:

• between 7 and 9 am,
• between 9 am and 12 pm,
• between 12 pm and 3 pm,
• between 7 pm and 9 pm, and
• between 9 pm and 11 pm.

Posts shouldn't only be sales-oriented; also include giveaways, free e-books, jokes, riddles, positive and motivational thoughts, personal photos of nature or the workplace, seasonal pictures, calls to comment on posts and express opinions, select the product of the week, and more. Sales posts include daily, weekly, and monthly promotions, highlighting packages, and items from the online store. Prioritize well-selling items. Be careful not to focus on direct selling; instead, lean towards being informative.

CAUTION! Encourage customers to communicate or give them clear instructions on what to do using specific keywords or phrases. For example:

• click here for more information,
• like, comment, share the photo,
• comment which option you would choose,
• comment your favorite (e.g., spice),
• like the photo if you agree,
• like the photo if you love (e.g., roasted chestnuts),
• share the photo and participate in the giveaway, or
• share the photo and inform your friends about this great promotion.

Example of a good Facebook post (1)

Here is an example of a Facebook post with a photo that aimed to gather as many likes without additional advertising. The post was published on a Sunday at 2 pm when the Facebook page had approximately 48,000 followers.

Three facts that made the response to this Facebook post so good:

1. Photo: attention-grabbing, without text, and the right size (max. 500 x 500 pixels).

2. Timing: the best time to post desserts is after lunch, between 1 pm and 3 pm. The post was published on a Sunday at 2 pm – when the weather was nice. Generally, there is a better response in bad weather when people stay at home and browse social networks.

3. Text: short and with clear instructions. "Quickly like the photo if you want the recipe for raw chocolate tart." If they liked it, they received something in return. This simple approach usually works for most people.

Certainly, the number of likes a page has is crucial for a good and viral free Facebook post.

Example of a good Facebook post (2)

Here is an example of a Facebook post with a photo and a recipe that aimed to gather as many likes, comments, and shares as possible. The post was published on a Sunday at 1 pm when the Facebook page had approximately 48,000 followers.

Three facts that made the response to this Facebook post so good:

1. Photo: a photo without text and the right size (max. 500 x 500 pixels), relevant to the season - it was posted during the zucchini season. In winter, we don't post a zucchini recipe since they are considered a summer seasonal vegetable. The same applies to clothes, tires, ski arrangements, and similar. From experience, posts with unprofessional photos get a better response than those with professional photos.

2. Timing: the best time to post a lunch recipe is, of course, before lunch – between 11 am and 1 pm. This was published on a Sunday at 1 pm.

3. Text: recipes always have a very good response. However, they shouldn't be too complicated and long, as this discourages people from reading. Instead of a recipe, you can also post tips related to your field of activity. The advice should be something that people can use in their everyday lives.