April 21, 2017

Social Media Planning to Save Time

As I've said before, Social Media is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, but it doesn't have to be a time suck. All you need is a routine to make your planning streamlined and your posting more efficient. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, but here's how I handle my social marketing to give you inspiration for your own process. You can also follow me to see my posting in action. If you have an approach that's different, I'd love to hear what works for you.


Step 1: Choose which platforms you want to use to promote your brand.
  • Facebook is the hub where I share most content, updates & tips.
  • Instagram, with it's visual focus, gets all of the photos & graphics.
  • Pinterest allows me to group images & links together by category.
  • LinkedIn is reserved for key business updates to maintain expertise.
  • Yelp is for hosting reviews & answering any potential client questions.


Step 2: Decide how often you plan to post and interact on each channel.
  • On Facebook & Instagram I aim for one post per day unless there are multiple events or deadlines to mention. At least 3 times per week for each of these channels is a good minimum.
  • Pinterest is more an outlet for discovery, so I check in weekly & Pin as I see applicable images.
  • I check in on LinkedIn & Yelp a couple times a month to make sure I don't miss anything.

Step 3: List out all of the dates in the given month. 1- 2- 3- 4- …
  • This helps me visualize how I'll distribute my post types & topics.
  • Some days may be blank based on how many times a week I plan to post.

 Step 4: Make note of any holidays or events you want to mention. 
  • Creatively tying content to popular holidays or news keeps you relevant.
  • Make sure to also highlight any events or shows you're participating in.
  • Plan to mention these events a couple times before to remind visitors.

Step 5: Add in any regular weekly posts you plan to use consistently.
  • On my Lookbook page for example, I feature a weekly Art Term on Tuesdays. 
  • You might consider a weekly product / project spotlight or share creative tips.

Step 6: Start peppering in a mix of other relevant postings for variety.
  • Variety is the spice of Social Media, so plan to use different types of content.
  • Consider: Quotes, Questions, Articles, Tips, Event Updates, Project Showcases, etc.
  • Varying your content helps make your posting look organic, not scripted.
  • I like to choose a monthly theme to help narrow down & coordinate my posts.

 Step 7: Determine which of your chosen platforms are right for each post.
  • It's ok to share the same posts on more than one channel, but don't copy / paste.
  • Your fans need a reason to follow you on each outlet, so have a focus for each.
  • You may need to create variations of the topic or content tailored by channel.



Step 8: Schedule the posts in advance to save time.
  • Facebook allows you to input your planned posts & time the release.
  • Tools like Hootsuite & Buffer make it possible to schedule for other channels. 
  • In some cases you can tie together more than one outlet, just don't overuse.

Step 9: Brainstorm post ideas for channels that you can't schedule.
  • You don't have to come up with the exact post a month in advance.
  • For Instagram, you can write out the images you want to shoot & share.
  • For Pinterest, you can have a weekly pinning theme to organize your efforts.


You're welcome to Friend & Follow me for examples!

Crafting Exposure

Annie's Artist Lookbook 
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,