When to Post to Facebook or Twitter

Social Media Marketing is no longer an option for the vast majority of businesses.  Social media channels are a good way to increase a company’s trustworthiness and goodwill. They are also a primary way to obtain leads, engage with customers and get access to customer’s feedback.  In terms of search marketing campaigns, study after study reveals that social media have proven to generate traffic back to the Company’s website.

With the importance of social media and the time it takes to manage a successful campaign, it makes sense for most businesses to hire a social media consultant.  Running a social media campaign takes a lot of time and energy.  A social media company helps find ways of representing businesses through social media in a positive and authentic way. If you do decide to manage your own social media campaign, here are some tips on when you should post your tweets, links, etc.

Research has recently been completed about when to post branded updates to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Interestingly, all social media cannot be treated the same.  As the researchers wrote, “It’s easy to see that just like your neighborhood restaurants; each social network has its own culture and behavior patterns. By understanding the simple characteristics of each social network, you can publish your content at exactly the right time for it to reach the maximum number of people.”

The study found, for example, that on Twitter, the best window is 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The best window for Facebook is 1 to 4 p.m. While other social media sites, such as Tumblr are later in the night. Specifically, for Tublr, a posts will do best after 7 p.m. The research found that Facebook usage peaks at 3 p.m. ET on weekdays, with Wednesdays being the busiest day of all. Of course, these are national studies. The 3 PM time slot takes into account both Eastern and Western time zones.  As for weekends, Sundays can be slow. Interestingly, for Twitter, consumer engagement with brands appears to increase on the weekends, particularly for certain brands. Sports brands, for example, are typically up to 52% higher than average on weekends, while apparel companies can see increases of more than 30%.  As for the best time to Tweet, there is a larger window of opportunity. Marketers should target the peak usage hours of 8 AM and 7 PM. The study suggested that marketers will get about 30% more interest than they would by posting at any other time. Link postings, however, one should aim for sometimes between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, as this is the time frame in which they’re likely to get the most clicks. Sending a tweet with a link after 8:00 p.m. should be avoided — as should posting links after 3:00 p.m. on Fridays. The researchers also recommend not posting the links you want to go viral during the weekend.

These are but a few of the nuances one needs to know to run a successful social media campaign.  Companies such as Sacramento’s Top Web Rank can run your entire social media campaign from scheduling your Facebook updates to sending Tweets to running a contest promotion and sending printable coupons to your fans. Top Web Rank can also send run fun polls and promotions for your business!

By: Sacramento Search Marketing Firm | Sacramento Internet Marketing