You’ve probably heard numerous times that making the necessary investments in quality content is critical to getting successful results from using social media. And while that statement is completely true, it’s important to understand that quality content is just one factor in a larger equation. In order to maximize results, it’s also important to take factors like social media posting times into consideration. Since when you post can have a major impact on how well content performs, let’s take a look at some social media publishing guidelines:

How Often Should You Post?

In order to optimize your social media posting efforts, the first question you need to answer is how often you should post. As with all the topics we’re going to cover in this post, the answer depends on the specific social network. For Facebook and Google Plus, aim for 3 to 10 posts per week. On Twitter, you should publish at least one update a day. The ideal frequency for LinkedIn is 2 to 5 weekly posts, while Pinterest can be as high as 5 to 10 posts per day.

Just as your business isn’t exactly the same as others, not every social media audience has identical preferences. So while the above guidelines and all the others we’re going to cover are very good starting points, be sure to analyze how well the content is performing and adjust your efforts accordingly.

What Kind of Content Should You Post?

One thing to keep in mind about social media sharing is you don’t want to duplicate the exact same content across every account. So if you’re trying to decide which content to post on each, here are some ideas to help you choose the right social media publishing options:

• Facebook: Quotes, fill in the blank, and true or false questions
• Twitter: Industry news, blog posts, and YouTube videos
• LinkedIn: Product updates, recruitment videos, and job postings
• Pinterest: Product photos, infographics, and tip images
• Google+: Videos, blog posts, and industry news

When Should You Post?

The last element in creating a successful strategy is knowing the best time of posting on social media. For Twitter, 12 PM and 6 PM are the peak times for getting people to click a link you share, while 5 PM has the highest number of retweets. On Facebook, 1 PM is the best hour for shares, while 3 PM is when you can generate the highest number of clicks.

In addition to the major social media platforms, email can play a big part in your online marketing. When it comes to using social media for lead generation, getting users to submit their email addresses can work very well. Once you’re ready to send a promotional email to the people on your list, 6 AM to 10 AM and then 7 PM to 10 PM are the two best times of the day to reach out.

Although this may seem like a lot to remember and implement, if you want a simple way to optimize all of your postings, you can use our social media publishing tool to manage all of your activities. If you’re looking for the simplest way to stay on top of your company’s social media efforts, be sure to take a look at the Send Social Media Dashboard 7-day trial!