How often you should be posting on social media?

If you’re new to business social media or restructuring a campaign, you may wonder how many times a day you should actually post on your various sites. Do you blast Twitter all day long and only lightly touch on Facebook? Should you throw pin things on Pinterest like a maniac and maybe Tweet a little? Is there a magic formula to all this?

While there’s not really any sort of formula to social media, there are ways to determine how much you should post. Like most things in business, it’s all about learning the ropes and listening to feedback.

Your “Power Site”

Not every business is going to find an audience on every single social media site. In fact, most businesses only find great success on one service, be it Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Pinterest. Sometimes there’s crossover, but that’s not always the case.

The reason is because each social media service has a core audience as well as a different “focus” from the others. For instance, Twitter is generally reserved for B2B conversations more than anything else. Sure, customers and businesses interact there, but not nearly as much as you’d think. On the other hand, companies don’t really talk to each other on Facebook, since that’s such a “friend”-oriented network.

Your job to determine how much you should post each day largely depends on what your “power site” is. Are you more quirky and artsy? Pinterest might be where you find your mark. More business oriented? Give LinkedIn a shot.

After you determine what your power site is, check out the site’s most successful users in your field before ever posting your first word. How much are they posting each day? WHAT are they posting each day? How many times has it been shared/retweeted/reposted?

Feedback

Of course if you’re really worried about annoying your customers, don’t worry, they’ll let you know! That’s the beautiful thing about the Internet – no more wondering how you’re doing in the hearts and minds of the general public. Either ask (or make one tiny mistake) and everyone will gladly hand over their opinions.

This definitely counts for posting on social media sites, too. After you do the research and start your postings, try stretching the limits a little. For instance, on Twitter a good average for a company is around 6-8 postings a day, but try to stretch it to 15 and see what happens. If nothing, you may be able to get away with a little more. However, if you start to lose followers or users complain, back off a bit.

Quantity is a big part of getting heard on social media, especially considering the amount of “noise” you have to make your way through. However, keep in mind that one or two quality postings are worth 15 terrible ones. Original content will go much further than simply retweeting or sharing others’ postings all day long.

How often do you post on social media? How did you decide on your social media strategy?