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Facebook, General, Pinterest, Social Media Marketing, Social Networks, Twitter

The Gimmick-Free Guide to How Often to Post on Social Networks

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social media post frequency, how often to post on social media, posting on facebook, posting on twitter, posting on instagram

Krista Neher

Sep 14 2017

One of the most common questions we get is about social media post frequency. There are tons and tons and tons of studies on this. They typically rely on correlation analysis or something similar to show that you get more success when you post the right amount.

The big idea here is:

  • Post too often – annoy everyone
  • Don’t post enough – miss an opportunity and have less reach/engagement/whatever

The other big factor to consider is that most newsfeeds work off of an algorithm where good content gets the most visibility. In the early days of social media frequency mattered more because the more often you posted the more visibility you got. Now almost every social network uses an algorithm where the best content gets shown the most – this means that great content = more visibility.

If you stick to a schedule and post mediocre content you will reduce your overall visibility. Also, posting poor content reduces the visibility of your future content. So it is important that you post great stuff.

What is the right amount to post?

The correct answer is IT DEPENDS. That probably isn’t particularly helpful though.

The reality is that there are general guidelines for social media post frequency but you need to combine these with business/marketing sense to find the right answer for you.

 

Use the CAR Approach to Determine Your Posting Frequency

CAR = Content, Averages and Re-Evaluate.

CONTENT – The most important thing is that you have great content. If you don’t have enough great content reduce your frequency. Your posting frequency should be based on how often you have great, relevant content to share. For example a news site can post 10+ times a day, a restaurant can post a few times a day (different specials, etc.) but a B2B business may only have a few posts a week to share. Think about your business goals and objectives as well as the nature of your business and determine how often you really have good content to share.

AVERAGES – Each network is different in terms of posting frequency expectations. It is good to take into account the “average” or recommendation for each network. For example Twitter tends to typically have multiple posts per day however on Facebook even a few posts a week is sufficient. Look at what businesses similar to yours are doing to establish not just the average but also the average in your industry.

REEVALUATE – Whatever you decide, re-evaluate. Test and learn to see what works. Each audience is different. Each brand is different. Set up tests and evaluate what works for you. This is the only way that you will really know what works.

 

Buffer offers this guide (based on average data) on social media post frequency

Twitter – 3 times per day, or more

Engagement decreases slightly after the third tweet.

Facebook – 2 times per day, at most

2x per day is the level before likes & comments begin to drop off dramatically.

LinkedIn – 1 time per day

20 posts per month (1x per weekday) allows you to reach 60 percent of your audience

Google+ – 3 times per day, at most

The more often you post, the more activity you’ll get. Users have found a positive correlation between frequency and engagement. When posting frequency wanes, some have experienced drops in traffic up to 50%.

Pinterest – 5x per day, or more

The top brands on Pinterest have experienced steady growth – and in some cases rapid or sensational growth! – by adopting a multiple-times-per-day posting strategy.

Instagram – 1.5 times per day, or more

Major brands post an average of 1.5 times per day to Instagram. There’s no drop-off in engagement for posting more, provided you can keep up the rate of posting.

Blog – 2x per week

Companies that increase blogging from 3-5X/month to 6-8X/month almost double their leads.

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