How often should SMEs post on Instagram?
You have probably heard that regular posting on Instagram can help your account to stay relevant and increase engagement. It is thus cited as a key factor in success on the platform. But how often should you post on Instagram as a small business owner? We take a look at why posting frequency matters and what to consider when deciding how often to post. You may be surprised to learn that we don’t always recommend posting every day.
Quality content and interaction
Quality content should come first when deciding how often to post on Instagram, taking into account your target audience, type of content, and time of day.
Interacting regularly with your audience helps you to become more visible and establish a solid online presence. But that doesn’t necessarily mean posting every day.
Factors to consider when deciding how often SMEs should post on Instagram
When deciding how often to post on Instagram, you need to take the following factors into account:
- Your brand’s goals and objectives
- Your target audience’s behaviour and preferences
- Your available time and resources
Small business owners should try out various posting schedules and evaluate the results to find the one that works best for their company. It is preferable to post less frequently but consistently, rather than post irregularly. Small business owners can ensure their Instagram presence stays active and interesting by creating a content calendar.
We often chat to people who have been told they need to post every day on Instagram. That’s fine if it works for you, but it has a tendency to become a little bit overwhelming.
How content scheduling can help decide how often SMEs should post on Instagram
We advise planning and creating your content a month at a time. It might take a couple of hours, but using Meta Business Suite to schedule your posts means you can forget about it and focus on engaging on the platform.
Whilst you could schedule one post per day, or even one post per week day, that is a lot to think of in one go. Instead, try posting three times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday work for us. But we have a lovely client who sells alcohol-free drinks in Switzerland. She finds that Thursday is a popular day for posting cocktails, so that is always included in her schedule.
Best practice
Consistency is key when it comes to posting on any social media platform. That’s not just due to the dreaded algorithm. Your followers and customers want to know when to look out for you. We’re going to assume you’re creating pretty amazing content that is both informative and visually appealing. And people are following you because they want to see it!
It’s worthwhile testing and analysing different posting schedules. Use Instagram insights to track engagement and reach and see which works best for you. Then, stick to it.
Why engagement matters on Instagram
Schedule your content in advance, and by all means forget about it for the month. But make sure you pop on every now and then to engage with your followers. Like some of their posts, leave a comment on things that are relevant. Does this feel like a chore? It’s time to make sure that you are following accounts you love.
If you’re doing it right, engaging on social media should be one of the most enjoyable parts of your job. And considering it as part of your job is another tip that will help you to make sure you do it regularly. Schedule regular time in the diary to pop onto Insta and engage, as well as the time you spend scheduling each month.
Help with online marketing
If social media feels like a chore, or you just don’t know what you’re doing on there, get in touch. As well as helping to run your account, we can teach you how to promote your business online. As a small business owner, it’s a key tool for promoting your products or services. Better still, it doesn’t have to be costly or time consuming.
