digitalsocial media
Save Time Posting on Social Media
10 Tips to Save Time Without Sacrificing Results
If you’re struggling with spending too much time creating social media posts, you are in the right place.
Here’s what you need to do to post in ½ the time for 2x the results.
First:
Set a Benchmark to Measure Progress
Today I’m spending:
About ___ hours per week on creating ___ posts per week
I’m getting ___ (engagements, clicks, followers) ___ per week.
Measure again at end of month 1, 2 and 3 to chart your progress.
Second: Follow These 10 Tips
#1 - Don’t get stuck on any one post for too long
Start shaving time with better mechanics: going from caption to image to hashtags to scheduler in a timely fashion.
If any part of the process takes too long, ditch this post and move on to another.
Any one post is usually not the end all and be all. Exceptions are usually one-of-a-kind posts about announcements, events, news, etc.
Imagine there’s a game clock on your desk. Always keep an eye on time while posting.
#2 - Get better at generating posting topics
Create a social media plan with 3 main messages and content pillars ahead of time.
Keep them handy on a spreadsheet or elsewhere and generally track them.
Identify 3 main messages
Without a social media plan to give focus, it’s easy to spend a lot of time posting but never get anywhere with results.
Start a plan by identifying your brand messages. Use pillars (broad topics) to create posts to support your messages.
As you post over time, you will notice certain topics support your 3 brand messages AND get the best results from your audience.
If you also enjoy posting about these topics and can add value with your content about them, you have found your pillars.
#3 - Create more than one post at a time
It’s good to do several posts at one time in order to get in a posting rhythm.
It’s even better to do at least 4-12 posts at a time, known as batching.
#4 - Choose the right time of day and week for “you” to create
Learn the peaks and valleys of your creativity and begin to use them to your advantage.
#5 - Do 2 passes at posting - first create, then perfect
This is a best practice for capturing creativity. Above all, get your spark of an idea or your concept jotted down or saved immediately so that you don’t forget it.
#6 - Don’t post right at deadline
This saps your creativity and increases your frustration.
Remember Tip #1!
#7 - Get organized
Gathering all your quality business photos and placing them in one place will save you lots of time versus searching for them on your computer and phone when you need them.
Create a place to store caption ideas and hashtags that is easy to access.
#8 - Determine how you will efficiently find enough images for a good feed
Start taking photos regularly or ask a team member to do so.
Use a free stock photo when you don’t have a photo handy.
Instead of photos, ocassionally use graphic images. Creating a few simple graphics templates to update with new content again and again will save lots of time.
#9 - Use a post scheduler
This is a top social media best practice to save time while posting.
Ideally, you design posts when is is convenient “for you”, then schedule them to post automatically at a time that is convenient “for your target audience.”
#10 - Use a software designed for “small” companies
Most scheduler software is designed for large businesses.
If you are a corporation with a marketing department, you may need all the bells and whistles offered in such a schedule. If not, you may find the excess features overwhelming. You are not trying to win awards and you won’t be presenting social media analytics to management. You just need to get your business messages out to your target audience.
Find a streamlined scheduling software designed for small entities. You will get up and running quickly and painlessly, but still get the job done.
Now Add Better Results to Saving Time
Don’t ever sacrifice quality for efficiency. Quality posting is a reflection on the quality offered by your brand.
Notice that if you still are spending a lot of time brainstorming topics, you are probably still not posting with a strategy. Save time AND get better results by leaning into your messaging strategy when crafting topics.
Finding your most creative time, securing sparks of ideas for captions, corralling the best photos, keeping track of ideal hashtags – all help ignite results in addition to saving time.
Early Indicators that Better Results are Coming (End of Month 1 and 2)
Look Test
Are your posts and platforms looking better to you?
Feel Test
Are you feeling proud of your posts and platforms to the point where you want to share them with friends and associates?
Positive Word of Mouth
Your brand messages are visible even to a casual observer. This often changes even before your metrics begin to change. Listen for and even solicit this type of feedback from friends and associates.
Later Indicators that Better Results are Arriving (End of Month 3)
Check your early benchmarks (see above) to gauge progress on:
Reducing time spent posting
Month Over Month Increases in Your Top Social Metrics
(engagement, clicks, or followers)
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaway
#1:
Keep posting efficiency top of mind
Key Takeaway
#2:
Refer to the efficiency tips often until they are habit
Key Takeaway
#3:
Efficiency can actually help with results
Key Takeaway
#4:
Sign up for a simple social media scheduler
Small Biz Brands app is a simple social media scheduler designed for small companies and firms. Sign up for a one-month free trial at app.smallbizbrands.com and start saving time and getting results.