How often should I post on social media?
“How often should I post on social media?” is probably one of the most common questions I get asked.
My answer is usually “it depends”!
Why do I say that when there’s stacks and stacks of studies out there telling you that if you post once per day, you’ll have better engagement? Or that, as a minimum, you should post at least 3 times per week. Or, that you need to be posting 5-10 times per week!
I think there’s a reason all these studies end up with different results. It’s because people are different. And businesses are different. Target markets are different. And what works for one business may not work for another business.
So, in reality, there’s no magic formula to how often we all should post on social media.
But…
You can work out what works for your you and your business.
Before you decide on how many posts to do, it’s really important to have your foundations in place.
That means:
- understanding why you're on social media and what your social media goals are
- understanding who your ideal client, your target market is
- knowing where your target market is playing on social media
- the different types of posts that are going to connect and engage with your target market and help you make sales
- And how to craft your content, what type of content you might put in those different types of posts
Having all that knowledge is going to make your planning how often to post much, much easier and simpler.
It means you'll be able to sit down and work out your content, rather than creating content on the fly, not having a strategic approach, and worrying about what to post and when.
And it will help you work out how many times you need to post – your magic number.
Your magic number!!!
The magic number is the number that works for you!
And what works for you will be different to what works for someone else.
So, the key thing to remember when working out your magic number (how many posts you should be doing) is to remember that quality is better than quantity.
You want your posts to be quality posts that are going to reach, connect, and engage your audience.
That doesn’t mean just randomly posting something without a plan. Showing up regularly on the socials is still important.
So, that means if you only have enough content of any type of post to do once a week, that's okay.
Quality is better than quantity.
One quality post a week that’s going to connect and engage your target market is better than a bunch of irrelevant posts that are just appearing for the sake of posting every day.
Remember quality is better than quantity.
Yes, I know I’ve said quality over quantity a few times now, but it’s incredibly important when it comes to organic posts on social media.
If you post poor quality content, chances are you’ll actually lose your followers. And you definitely won’t be attracting your target market.
The Magic E's
When it comes to posts and post content there are the magic E’s. Now, the magic E’s I agree with.
These are the formula that all organic posts should be aligning with.
What are the magic E’s?
The are three areas that quality organic posts fall under:
- Engage
- Educate
- Entertain
Within the three magic E’s are the different types of posts that help you craft your content. More on that here.
Think about the information you have about your business. The happenings, your people (team, customers, stakeholders, aligned businesses), your local area, etc etc. How much information is there that is of value, that ticks one of the magic E boxes, that you could turn into a post.
And from that, work out how many posts per week/month you can do that will be quality posts. Posts that Engage or Educate or Entertain your audience.
Map out what you can post and when. And that’s how many times you should start posting.
Mix it up
Get to know your insights intimately. Social media provides awesome data and insights.
Experiment with how often you post and the times that you post. Then look at (and keep a record) of the results. Do this until you find what works best for you and your audience and target market.
Trial and error might be a bit time consuming, but when it comes to social media, it’s the best way to find out how often to post and when to post.
Remember, while there are magic E’s, there is no set magic formula of how often to post on social media. Your magic number will depend on you and your business.
The key is to post relevant, quality content on a consistent basis. And keep an eye on your insights so you can identify the types of posts (and the times) that your target market engages with the most often.
Become a savvy social media player
We’ve launched the Savvy Social Media Planning program – a DIY online program where you learn the above AND MORE!!!
Enrol today and get rid of the social media overwhelm so you can take your social media from meh to marvellous.
It’s only $197 for lifetime access – you can revisit the program as often as you like.
If you wanted me to teach you this one-on-one you’re looking at over $1000 for one session!
That makes $197 for lifetime access is a bargain.
Find out more about the Savvy Social Media Planning program here.
Or enrol here.
