Timing, Type and Frequency On Social Media

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There are plenty of good reasons to pocket a social media cheat sheet. Post content. Post frequency. Post type. Post timing. There’s a lot to consider when building a social media strategy. Of course, everyone wants the silver bullet – the one weapon to kill the werewolf (or in this case, build a social media following). The problem? There is none.

Every brand on the web has a unique audience and niche. There’s no one magic post type, frequency, timing and content to build a social media following across the board. What’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander. The simple answer you’re searching for is probably the one you hate the most – “it depends”.

A lot of social media is trial and error. First you plan, and then you execute. You analyze, test, and iterate to find the perfect balance of content, type, timing and frequency. But you can forget all that – because we conducted our own trial and error to kick start your social media strategy.

What to Post

Knowing what to post is half the battle. Our social media cheat sheet begins with the 4:1 Strategy. It’s a great starting point to find the perfect content for your unique audience.

Start with the five basic types of updates: links, images, quotes, reshares, and plain-text updates.
Choose one signature update to make up the majority of your shares.
Share content in a 4:1 ratio. For every four signature updates, share one different type.

Tip: Visual content is ideal. Consider making digital marketing images your signature social media update. Size matters in social media – so be sure to check out the 2015 social media sizing cheat sheet. Experiment with different signature updates to find the best content type for your audience.

How Often to Post

Again, social media posting frequency varies based on industry, reach, resources, and quality. But focus on sharing amazing content and your social media following will tolerate more frequent updates. Start with our social media cheat sheet for post frequency.

Facebook: 5 to 10 times per week
Twitter: 5 or more times per day
LinkedIn: Once a day
Google +: Up to 5 times per day
Pinterest: 5 posts per day
Instagram: 1.5 times per day (or more)

When to Post

There are plenty of tools to help you determine the best time a post on social media. Brands just starting out can refer to our social media cheat sheet for post timing.