Social media has forever changed the way businesses interact with their consumers. Social networks allow customers to express their opinions about a product or service in real time and broadcast it to their online network. Tweets and posts are shared around the world in a matter of seconds, putting your company’s name in front of an even bigger audience. Customers demand one-on-one interaction with brands, large and small, through social networks. A well organized social media marketing campaign can create huge opportunities for companies to connect with their target audience on a personal level and keep them engaged with the brand, turning them into loyalists and ambassadors. But before any of that can happen, you have to connect…and connections require timing!
In order to make the most out of your social media marketing campaign, you have to Tweet/post/upload and promote your messages when your audience is most receptive. But not every audience uses social media from 9-5, like the marketing manager behind your campaign is doing.
Here are a few social media timing factors to consider when implementing your campaign
Time of Day
Your marketing team might be churning out updates to your Facebook page every hour on the hour from 9-5, but when is your audience actually bothering to check in? Depending on your industry, it’s possible that your target audience only signs in to Facebook when they get home at night. Your updates from 10 AM have completely disappeared and chances are they aren’t going to scroll all the way back to find them.
You have to figure out when your audience is using their social media profiles in order to better structure your messaging. Does your audience check their social profiles on their lunch break? Then maybe you should focus on the 12-2 time frame. Do they login when they first sit down at their desk? Then a few early morning updates should be waiting for them at 9.
Seasonality
If your company sells skiing gear, you probably don’t do a lot of heavy marketing April – September. Who is thinking about going on ski trips as they head to the beach? While you still need to be active in your “off” months, you have to remember that your message will probably go unheard. Important news like new product launches won’t get much attention from your target audience. They just aren’t that interested in what you have to say. However, once the weather starts to cool off, it’s a good time to ramp up your social media marketing. People start getting prepared for the winter season well before the first snow falls. You want to make sure you get your brand out in front of your audience when they are most receptive.
Location
Time zones! What is lunch break on the East Coast is the start of the day on the West. If your company targets audiences across time zones (and even into other countries) you might have to maintain an active presence all day. This means scheduling out updates so new content is constantly being promoted.
