Do Social Media Managers Use Automatic Posting?

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If you have read any blog posts from The Social Lab, we aren't huge fans of APIs and automatic bots. Machines cloud and murky up the social media world. Instead of being about interacting with real people, we are flooded with automated messages and mentions that force us to question whether any message we receive is worth anything. 

Of course, not all automatic services are created equal. Programs that like other people's content aggressively follow them or auto-message them are watering down social media. On the other hand, programs about organization and scheduling out posts are entirely different. Most social media managers or gurus know that content calendars can be essential for creating a cohesive voice and managing client expectations. When using programs like Hootsuite, Co-Schedule, and Falcon, the key is to ensure that the copy you are scheduling is just as organic and natural as if you were posting it natively. 

Posting aims to create engagement, but if viewers know the content is robotic, they are less likely to engage with the post. So, if you utilize programs that will post for you, keep it natural. Furthermore, if you are recycling content, ensure that you only recycle posts that already have a high success rate. If a post falls flat three posts in a row, then the fourth more than likely isn't going to be the magic number. Recycling content is also less beneficial on specific platforms. Naturally, most people post less on Facebook than on Twitter, so if you are constantly sharing the top content on Facebook, you are watering down your overall strategy with mostly recycled posts. We don't recycle top posts on Facebook and keep that platform completely original. The same applies to Instagram since it is imagery-based. No one wants to see the same photo more than once. 

Regarding automatic posting, different social media platforms are better than others. Twitter is great with APIs in general, so scheduling out posts on a program like Hootsuite or Falcon is no issue. On Facebook, you can easily schedule posts on the platform itself. On other programs, you must ensure they offer what Facebook native offers. This would include geo-targeting, "feelings," and CTA buttons. Instagram, notoriously salty towards APIs, makes it much more challenging to schedule posts. There are 3rd party programs that will post through an overlay, but if we have learned anything from the past, robots and Instagram don't mix.

So, what can you do on Instagram? Many programs, like Falcon, will text you when you have a scheduled post ready to go out on Instagram. They will even make it easy for you and give you the copy you came up with and the image. While it isn't truly automatic, it will still remind you that you need to post, giving you the chance to change anything about the post you feel is necessary. If you must schedule content on Instagram, then Onlypult is another option. While it doesn't have every feature you would find on Instagram native, it has almost everything you will need. We believe that Instagram will begin working with APIs again, only appropriate ones. Within three months, we would be okay if Falcon allowed you to post to Instagram. However, the sketchy services that programs like Instagress provided (automatic liking and following) will return soon. 

So, while we aren't huge on doing anything automatically, we understand the need for automatic posting that aligns with your content calendars. Just remember, the point of social media is to create engagement, so make sure those posts get the level of interaction you are hoping for. There may be situations where you want to post natively, but the company you work for or represent needs a content calendar. While you could make one with all the platforms on it, we understand creating a mashup of Co-Schedule, Onlypult, and Hootsuite. Remember, every single time you create a post on these programs, act as if you are posting directly to the platform. 

Do you use programs that automatically post for you? Which programs are your favorite? Let us know by commenting below or sending us an email.