ANDRE BEGIN

I wouldn’t consider myself a social media guru by any stretch of the imagination, but as a writer, blogger and screenwriter with a social media presence, I do try to read up on the topic in the hope of finding tips and tricks to fine-tune the way I do things.

A theme that seems to come up often in my research is that of consistency. But for someone whose many interests and projects might not orbit exclusively around the keyboard, how does one maintain a consistent posting schedule?

The answer is the scheduler function, which I use in WordPress, Medium and LinkedIn on a weekly basis.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of trying the scheduler yet, its purpose is to enable authors to set up an article as if it is ready to be published, but rather than sending it out immediately, the author selects a future time at which it will be released.

For example, on the weekend, I will set up three articles to be released on LinkedIn throughout the week.

Some time later in the week, I will take a new blog article from my “Completed” folder and set it up on Medium to release on Saturday around lunch time. Then I will do the same on WordPress, to have the new article released on Sunday at 7:30 a.m.

The best part is that I do not have to be at my desk at the appointed time to make this happen. The scheduler will release them to my audience at the times that I establish. As a result, the scheduler has helped me maintain my posting schedule, even when I was at an appointment, running errands or traveling.

It has also encouraged me to maintain a folder of completed articles and to remain several weeks ahead, which helps avoid last-minute posting panic. By having posts ready weeks in advance, I can manage my writing time and energy better, which also allows more time for other writing projects.

For my readers, this consistency creates certainty and predictability in knowing when my next story will come out. It’s no coincidence that in WordPress, statistically, my busiest time for page views is Sunday morning.

From what I have heard and read, consistency is one factor through which algorithms identify accounts that present fresh content on a regular basis.

Does this give the author some kind of edge? I can’t say for sure. But given the benefits for my readers and me, I am certainly happy to keep using the scheduler to maintain the consistency that seems to be valued in social media circles.

Did you enjoy this post? If you did, your likes and shares are most appreciated. If you haven’t already, please check out the rest of my blog at andrebegin.blog.

Sincere thanks for reading!

Have a great day,

André