Like everyone else, I follow a number of companies through my social networking accounts like LinkedIn. And, like everyone else, I’ve found that a number of the brands I follow seem to have a knack for getting the information that interests me on my newsfeed when I’m there to read it. It’s no sorcery on their part – there’s been a lot of research done on the topic of optimizing your social media marketing.
Social media marketing is about more than just setting up a profile page and posting the occasional update. Effective social media marketing is a lot more deliberate and calculated – the goal is to reach as many eyes as possible, to build engagement with an audience, and to spread your message widely through shares and reposts. Content is a big part of effective social media use (and one that I’ve spoken about at length in the past), but another factor to consider is the timing and frequency of your posting. This infographic from Start a Blog 123 is a handy guide to scheduling your social media updates in the best way to reach the people you want to reach.
Posting too much or too little can harm your social media presence, so timing your posts just right is crucial. While blog posts are best posted between 8am and 1pm Monday to Thursday, social media posts are better timed for the periods when your audience is bored or tired at work or school. Each platform has its own best practices:
Facebook:
- Studies have shown that 86% of Facebook posts are published on a weekday, and that engagement tends to peak from Thursday to mid-Friday. Many people spend the first half of the week catching up on emails and projects, so Wednesday to Friday are the best days to post your important updates.
- 3 is the ideal number of updates per day.
- Posting at 1pm will earn you the most shares, and posting at 3pm will earn you the most click-throughs. Try not to post after 8pm.
- Using fewer hashtags is best – 1 or 2 will get an average of 600 interactions per post, while 6 or more will drop the average down to 300.
Twitter:
- Followers are 119% more likely to use Twitter during work or school hours.
- 5 is the ideal number of updates per day.
- For B2B brands, posting during the work week leads to 14% higher engagement.
- Posting at 5pm will get you the most retweets, and posting between noon and 6pm will earn you the most click-throughs. Try not to post after 8pm.
- Tweets with hashtags get twice the engagement and 55% more retweets. 1-2 is optimal.
Google+:
- Like Facebook, 3 is the ideal number of updates per day.
- The best days to post are Monday to Thursday, and the best time of day is 9am to 11am.
Pinterest:
- 5 is the ideal number of updates per day.
- Saturday morning is the best time to post. If you’re posting during the week, aim for 8pm-11pm. Pinterest activity peaks at 9pm.
LinkedIn:
- 94% of B2B marketers rate LinkedIn the top B2B social media lead generation source.
- 1-2 is the ideal number of updates per day.
- Tuesday and Thursday are the best days to post, and 10am-6pm is the best time period.
Getting to know the ins and outs of these different platforms is a great way to escape a one-size-fits-all approach to social media marketing, and make the most of your audience. Does your business tend to stick to one account, or have you experimented with a few different platforms? Do you vary your strategy for each one? Let me know in the comments!
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