Social media scheduling tools for your business

Social media scheduling tools for your business

Having a consistent online presence on major social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TiKTok can be a time-consuming task. A social media scheduling tool can help you plan ahead and stay on top of your social media channels.

There are lots of social media schedulers on the market, so let's get started by looking at the three great options specifically for small businesses.

What is a social media scheduling tool?

Good quality content takes time and resources. A Vertical Response survey discovered that 43% of small businesses spend 6+ hours per week working on their social media accounts, and much of that time is dedicated to planning and preparation.

A social media scheduling tool makes posting online manageable and makes planning your social media content plan more efficient as they work over multiple social channels. They provide templates, track performance, and even suggest the best times to post to make the most of peak times.

These tools can help you develop a social content plan and save time as well as post consistently, which is key to growing a strong social following. If you're inconsistent in your approach, then you might not achieve the results you're hoping for.

What to consider when choosing a social media scheduler

• The monthly cost of the tool and how much you can afford to pay

• How many social media accounts you want to post on (we suggest focusing on doing one or two really well).

• How many users need access to the scheduler

Which software can help with social media?

• Later

Later has great content creation tools, a mobile app, and tells you the best time to post to get the most engagement. It's an affordable platform for beginners, with price increasing when you add more users and accounts.

Why we like it:

• Regular digital events for subscribers to network and learn

• Community platform to meet other business owners and ask questions

• AI-powered caption writing tool writes on-brand captions in seconds

• Hootsuite

Hootsuite's subscribers get detailed analytics and more complex features, so the plans are pricier. The 30-day free trial is a good way to get the full experience before you subscribe. Hootsuite is more fitting for a business with many social media accounts, with a larger social team.

Why we like it:

• Schedule your social posts in bulk

• Set up customisable tags to be notified about trends or topics that you're interested in, so you can post reactively

• They tell you the best time to publish

• Detailed analytics track your performance and engagement

• The Hootsuite Academy provides certification and free courses to help businesses build social media skills

• Buffer

Buffer is an easy-to-use social media management tool that's great for beginners. It's a budget-friendly, intuitive platform that can help build your audience organically (without paying for ads).

• The suggested hashtags tool helps you reach the right audience

• The basic plan is free (but it's very basic)

• See all comments on your posts in one place, so you can reply in real-time with ease

Once you've found the right scheduler for your needs, you'll find you spend less time on admin tasks, and more on the creative & planning. That's the goal, right?

Need more help with your socials? Get 1-2-1 support by speaking to one of our V-Hub Digital Advisors.

Want to learn more about the right social channel for your business? Read on here.