Dear Kristen,

I've read a lot of articles on scheduling social media posts. Some people say that it's okay to do it while others say that it's the worst thing that you can ever do. What do you think about scheduled posts?

Signed,

Confused in the Carolinas

Dear Confused,

Sometimes I think that reading is highly over-rated, don't you? You've got this person telling you this and that person telling you something opposite. By the time all is said and done, you wish you'd never clicked on that "read more" button, don't you? Your question is a very hot topic among social media professionals and there are as many opinions as there are gurus. And the answer (again) is very simple:

Everything in moderation. 

Like I mentioned last week when one lovely reader inquired about the timing of social media posts, you can't work 24/7, and even the most diehard staffer needs to take some time off. But you know what doesn't take time off—social media. So yes, there are times when you actually HAVE to schedule your posts. If I'm going on vacation or know that I've got meetings that will keep me out of the office for the majority of the day, I will schedule some posts to filter out during the day. It's a much better solution than going off the air for a day or two or even a week. However, that does not mean that I'm not checking in on these accounts throughout the day. What scheduling enables me to do is to keep an eye on things as opposed to being in the trenches when I have to be somewhere else.

While my iPhone and my iPad make it easier to stay on top of things, it isn't the optimal way to post. If I want to share a link from another site, it's just not as easy when I'm mobile. Same for optimizing Facebook posts—you can't @tag from a mobile device. Hopefully, that will change soon.

Now that I've said "yes" to scheduling, I have to say when it's NOT okay to schedule posts. If the only way that you're able to post is by scheduling your posts every single day, that's not good. Because now you're just broadcasting a message and you're not creating a community of engaged followers.  Sharing links on Twitter is good, but it shouldn't be the only thing that you do. Those who know will just assume that you're some kind of robot pushing messages out. Same for Facebook. On the occasion that you do have to schedule your posts, try to mix it up a bit ... quotes, links, tips, etc., and make sure that you spread your posts throughout the day and not all at the same time. Ideally, it should be seamless and appear that you are actually posting in real time. However, please, please make sure that you are responding to any comments, shares, or retweets.

So there you have it. Confused! I hope that I have helped clarify the situation for you!

Kristen

Do you have a social media or blogging question that you'd like answered? Post it in the comments or email it to me at kdaukas@atlanticwebworks.com!