By now, you've probably realized that social media for business is a whole 'nother ballgame. In order to connect with your audience and grow your following, you need to think about what you post, and you need to plan ahead-- otherwise you end up going days or weeks without posting. The to-do list just grows and social media gets pushed to the bottom.
I know because I've been there, and the only thing that saves me is having reliable tools in place for planning and scheduling my posts to Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Before, I would scramble, but now I sit down just once a week to plan out my posts (and--shhh-- sometimes I even do it on the couch while catching up on bad reality TV).
Here's how I'm able to do it:
Buffer
Social networks it supports: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest
Description: With Buffer, you can schedule posts across all your platforms, for any time in the future. You can customize your posting schedule and use Buffer's Optimal Timing Tool to show you what times of day are the most effective for you to post.
The Awesome plan also offers analytics going back 30 days, and you can view most popular posts based on a few different metrics. You can easily "Re-Buffer" any popular posts in order to share them again.
Cost: Buffer offers a few plans (including a free option!). I subscribe to the Awesome plan for $10 per month. This allows me to schedule up to 100 posts at a time and link up to 10 profiles (this is great if you have more than one business or manage multiple pages).
Why I love it: It's super easy to use, especially with the extension installed in your browser that lets you easily Buffer any content you're reading. I use Buffer mainly for Twitter and LinkedIn, and like it much better than the other tools I've tried.
(Update: I just started using SmarterQueue instead of Buffer, and I LOVE it. It's too early for me to recommend it, but I'll be back with an update if the infatuation turns into the real deal.)
BoardBooster
Social networks it supports: Pinterest
Description: BoardBooster is a Pinterest powerhouse that lets you schedule pins, set up campaigns and loop your existing pins. It's complex, but perfect for anyone who is serious about generating traffic-- and business-- from Pinterest.
Cost: Your first 100 pins are free, which provides a great chance to try out BoardBooster before making a commitment. After your free pins, you'll pay between $5 and $50 per month depending on how many pins you plan on pinning.
Why I love it: BoardBooster helps me be more efficient with the time I spend pinning-- a must for any busy mompreneur. Campaigns make it easy for me to stay active in group boards, and the Looping tool helps me ensure my pins are being seen. I've been using BoardBooster for about six months and have been constantly adjusting my approach, but I've seen steady follower growth over time.
Later
Social networks it supports: Instagram (and Twitter- but I'm just going to focus on Instagram here)
Description: With Later, you can plan and schedule your Instagram posts in a visual way-- which is perfect for the platform. You can upload photos to your library and keep them there until you're ready to add a caption and schedule. You can also view your scheduled posts in a clean calendar interface.
Cost: There's a free plan for up to 30 posts per month. Beyond that, you can pay $9 per month for up to 100 posts or $19 per month for up to 250 posts. If you post on Instagram more than that, there are higher levels that allow for unlimited posts and multiple accounts.
Why I love it: I like to plan my Instagram posts visually and I like to upload photos to post later, so Later works best for me. As with every Instagram scheduler, it's not completely hands off-- you'll get a notification on your phone to push the schedule post to Instagram. This sometimes leads to me forgetting to post but that's not Later's fault, it's the nature of the push required by Instagram (oh, and it's also my fault- I have a horrible memory these days. Let's blame sleep deprivation).
Check these tools out for yourself and see what works for you. Having some type of social media scheduler in place is a must for avoiding the insanity that comes with running a business and raising kids, and you'll wonder how you lived without these tools for so long.
Let's stay social together! Come visit me on Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest.
*These are not affiliate links, I just really like these tools and honestly hope they'll help you, momma!