When To Post
Looking for that magical post time when everyone will see your post?
You already know the answer.
There is no magical time of day. But if you know who you are talking to and what you want to say you can narrow it down to a reasonable degree. Then it’s up to getting the content out and listening to the feedback.
Start with.
“What are you saying and who are you saying it to.”
I’m putting in my twenty-two cents here. (Inflation, Ouch!)
In January I decided to write a business newsletter about my expertise in online marketing.
So when do I post it?
Monday morning 8ish AM.
Reasoning.
The BWCI newsletter is to address problems business owners have when handling their online marketing, advertising, and presence.
Every week I give tips, examples, and hopefully, inspiration for businesses to move forward with their online presence. No better time than the beginning of the week.
Could I have waited till Monday afternoon when the weekend’s last glimmers of light have faded? Yes, but I chose first thing in the morning because I wanted to bring light and inspiration to the week’s marketing needs. My goal is to quell fears, give structure, and inspiration to the marketing workweek ahead. It’s a busy hour in the online world so I’m up against stiff competition but the reasoning holds and I chose 8ish Monday morning. I do like to add some minutes so that I’m a little off of the mainstream that prefers even numbers like 8:03, 8:12, 7:27. 9ish on holidays. I like to mix it up.
Tip #1 Customer Journey Awareness
When getting ready to post you need to think long and hard about who will benefit. Think about what they are going through or the journey you want to lead them on. When will your post have the best effect on their action, psyche, or motivation? What will the end process be? Will they need to get out a credit card? - if so schedule for Noon, 4 PM, or later for purchases. Are you inspiring them now? You can post later in the day/week to activate the purchase, booking, or action.
See where I’m going?
Tip#2 Make a Plan
Stop wasting time and energy. Putting in some time and effort to draw up a plan will save you loads in the long run. With a plan, it tends to get done without all the anxiety of “should I do it now?’. Doubt is a post killer and the #1 reason a post doesn’t get posted. Last week's FOSMI article (Fear Of Social Media Interaction) talked about having strong guidelines in place before you even open the platform and is a good place to start.
What kind of plan?
If you:
Just want to touch your people? Keep your business at the forefront of their minds? Then the easiest way is Themes. Monday Madness, Too Much Tuesdays, Wednesdays Workables….. You get the picture. Scatter them over the hours of the days/week for the maximum coverage across social.
Have a weekend warrior business? Touch your people on Wed evening to get them motivated and then post again Thursday or even Friday at noon or 4 pm to get the booking. Or earlier in the week if you are booked up by Friday. And by all means, let people know this! I once filled a resort in 10 days just by letting people know how to properly book and stay safe with COVID protocols. In a tourist area, simple and clear instructions win. Think about when you travel, your goal is to have fun in a new place, not worry about what you didn’t know before you booked.
Have a big sale coming? Start one to two weeks prior (depends on your price points). Post value, inventory, how-to’s to get people primed. A few days before the sale begin posting with specific, clear Sale Information and FOMOs.
In all your posts, be clear, be specific. Don't try to cover too much ground. Post more if you have something more to say. It's ok if they miss it and the post lives on. It will show that they might want to subscribe or check back next time. FOMO is a real motivator.
#3 Schedule
There are tons of tools for every social platform. It is so much easier staying in message and keeping your people on the path to your door when the posts are created in one sitting and scheduled out for the week, month or season. Find the scheduling tool that works for you.
Yes, there are some post applications that are difficult to schedule in advance. Like stories and reels on Meta. I end up not using them for my clients due to the temporary nature and plus they are tools made for organic feeds.
After 20 years of social media content creation, I have strong opinions on business and organic feeds. It takes a special kind of owner to play that game. Try reading the LinkedIn Organic vs. Paid article I wrote if you're not sure about the difference.
I hope I gave you some insights into timing your posts with a dose of inspiration to get your message out there to be seen and heard. Connecting your business to the people who want and need your services.
So get your message together, build a plan, and begin posting to set a clear path to your door. You will be amazed at how easy it is to break to the surface when your content is consistently posted with purpose and a clear path.
Don’t have the time or energy?
We do.
Any questions? Please comment below.
or
Reach out tgold@bigwaterci.com
I will not spam you. I don’t have the time or belief it makes for good clients or community.
Nothing beats a good brainstorming session tossing in new ideas, opening up to new concepts, with a shot of energetic conversation.
Trina Gold
Master Creator BWCI