Finding the Publishing Sweet Spot

Shoutlet, Inc. 2012 • v12.012 shoutlet.com • facebook.com/shoutlet • twitter.com/shoutlet
THE PUBLISHING SWEET SPOT
BALANCING SCHEDULED AND REAL-TIME CONTENT POSTING
As companies’ social media footprints have expanded, publishing content to global social media
accounts has grown from a relatively simple process to a bona ﬁde discipline that requires
detailed planning to succeed.
A huge component of this is balance. Not only balance in the content and messaging you’re posting,
but also in the balance of mechanisms and tools you’re enlisting to post the right content to the
right audiences on the right social networks. It’s finding the perfect mix of time-saving and
productivity tools like social media automation and real-time posting.
We call it the “publishing sweet spot” – the place where your company is using the latest cutting-
edge tools to maximize the effort your team is putting into social media while also maintaining a
responsive, lively dialog with your community.
In this paper we’ll tackle what it means to find the sweet spot, including:
• The pros and cons of pre-scheduling content and using automation tools
• How modern technology can boost the impact of that content
• An example of how one company balances scheduled content and real-time interaction
• Tips for mastering the art of sophisticated social media publishing
SCHEDULED/
AUTOMATED
POSTS
REAL-TIME
POSTS
BALANCING

THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA PUBLISHING
Publishing to social media sites for businesses has evolved. It’s moved from simple posting to a
practice that involves aspects of timing, optimization, and tools. (So many that an entire industry
– the social media management software market – has emerged to meet demand.)
HOW HAS PUBLISHING CHANGED? LET’S TAKE A LOOK:
Companies manually log
into individual social media
accounts to post as part of
their daily routine.
Optimization is in full force.
More content in social media
competes for audience
attention. To focus on
generating engagement
and conversations,
companies begin to pay
more attention to tailoring
the message to entice
users to respond to posts
and take action.
Tools emerge to automate
cross-posting to other
social networks. With a
slew of tools, autofeeding
content from blogs and
sites to Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, LinkedIn and
others becomes available.
Feature sets of tools expand. Enterprise social media management
systems give companies tools to not only schedule and build status
updates, but also manage and pre-schedule other content, such as
Facebook tabs.
Scheduling content emerges.
Social media management
tools are introduced to help
alleviate the hassle of logging
into multiple accounts and
allow companies to build
and schedule status updates,
tweets, Facebook tabs, and
other content and publish it
at a specific date and time.
Next generation tools begin to develop that allow consumers and
brands to publish content, but go beyond real-time posting and
pre-scheduling based on date and time. Instead, they base content
on other triggers. For instance, consumer tools on the mark such
as ifttt.com (“If This, Then That”) allow for publishing based on
content publishing rules you create. As social media marketing
evolves, the tools and techniques for syndicating that content
has grown with it. Brands and agencies have a multitude of tools
at their disposal now, including those new products that allow
for both scheduling and automation.
Enterprise-level tool Shoutlet
offers companies the first
trigger-based publishing tool
to base content distribution on
the actions on your social media
followers, allowing companies
to pre-plan full campaigns
and let triggers ranging from
hitting certain levels of Face-
book fans, Twitter followers,
comments, likes, contest entries
and others be the trigger that
sets off a specially crafted
piece of content.

SOCIAL MEDIA AUTOMATION:
TWO SIDES OF THE COIN
AUTOMATION. The very word evokes shudders among its strongest opponents. But when
managing a large-scale social media program, incorporating these tools is critical for efficiency
(when used wisely).
Social media automation doesn’t have the best reputation, and based on many cases of its use by
companies, it’s well-deserved. It can lead to updates that are spammy and overly promotional. It’s
been the darling of businesses with updates so sales-driven they read like Sunday circulars more
than social media accounts.
But one of the most poignant points is that, critics say, it goes against what social media stands
for – true connection. It turns social media channels into just another channel for pitches and
promos, which is exactly the reason why users have turned toward social media and away from
such channels. They’ve embraced the media that involve two-way communication, versus the
traditional one-way broadcast channels.
When misused, all of these criticisms are true. Automating too much – especially when the
wrong content is used – can do more damage than good.
But with social teams trying to manage hundreds of social accounts (an average of 178 according
to the Altimeter Group [1]
) there is a strong need for scheduling content to publish and other
tools that automate the process of posting.
So, what are the upsides? When executed well and as part of a thoughtful strategy, this technology
can be helpful internally and give users a better experience overall.
SOME OF THE BENEFITS
Efficient use of time and resources
As social media has expanded, the demand on companies and their social media teams has been
intense. Pre-planning updates can help overextended teams reach their customers at optimal
times across the globe. As Forrester’s Melissa Parrish advises, scheduling content in advance
frees up resources to respond to customers in real time. [2]
Plan and visualize campaigns in advance
Planning campaigns in advance can help your team see the flow of posts across social media
accounts and networks. Building the end-to-end map of each campaign helps you visualize the
full user experience before the campaign is launched.
Ensures that all content is the best it can be before publishing
Pre-planning and scheduling gives each piece of content the time it needs to be fully developed.
Being able to pre-plan posts and campaigns allows you to put more resources toward developing
and optimizing them ahead of time, have them approved by legal, etc., rather than attempting to
build content as you go.
[1] Altimeter Group, January 2012. “A Strategy for Managing Social Media Proliferation” by Jeremiah Owyang
[2] Forrester Research, September 2011. “Becoming Responsive Through Push and Pull Social Media Marketing
Strategies” by Melissa Parrish

Smart automation makes content relevant to your audience
Traditional marketing automation tools have been doing this for some time by sending primarily
email to users based on their preferences and activities. New classes of social media software let
brands determine which content will be posted when certain milestones are met, freeing up time
to converse with users.
These milestones or triggers automate the publishing of content that’s tailored to be relevant
to the trigger its publishing is based on. For instance, if a company wanted to send a new post
or launch a new promotion each time it acquired 10,000 new fans, that can be scheduled in
advance. This timeliness, coupled with the right messaging, makes content like this more
relevant to audiences.
MAKE AUTOMATION A PART OF THE PROCESS,
NOT THE PROCESS ITSELF
Automation is a valuable part of the publishing toolset.
As one tool in a larger arsenal, it has a place. Relying
totally on automation will have disastrous effects, but
using it as a secret weapon in the everyday engagement
of your social media program is how large, organized
brands make social media work for them.
Like the crack of a home run off the “sweet spot” of
a baseball bat, pinpointing the publishing sweet spot
that’s unique to every company is an achievement. It
means a well-balanced mix of great content sent at
optimum times, real-time dialog, and the use of
scheduling and automation tools.
WHAT THE SWEET SPOT
LOOKS LIKE
So what could the “sweet spot” look like for a brand? Let’s use the fictional outdoor
brand Summit Active as an example. The past several months the outdoor gear brand has
been working on plans to incorporate a more strategic use of scheduling and automation
in its social media plan. By creating more content in advance, Summit has generated
more free minutes every day that it can devote to interacting with outdoor enthusiasts
on Facebook and Twitter, plus tackling important tasks, such as monitoring, planning
future content, and producing video.
THREE KEY COMPONENTS OF ITS PUBLISHING TOOLBOX:
Everyday Interaction
At the heart of Summit Active’s social program is a consistent, daily effort to respond and
conversing with customers in social media.
Real-time content
publishing/community
management
Scheduled content
publishing, based
on date/time
Trigger-based
content publishing,
based on interaction
levels of community
THE PUBLISHING SWEET SPOT

Day-to-Day Social Content
In a typical week, the balance between scheduled and automated content and live, real-time
interaction is fluid. Social media moves fast, and Summit is ready to pivot at any moment. At the
foundation is content it has planned as part of its editorial calendar. These posts are scheduled
to post at the times throughout the day Summit has identified as the best times for audience
feedback. Based on research and testing it has conducted, these times, the types of content, and
the messaging have been selected based on what has sparked engagement from fans in the past.
Social Media Campaigns
To supplement the real-time interaction and day-to-day messaging from the brand, Summit
Active launches regular promotions throughout the year. This quarter it is launching a new line
of its Peak brand backpacks. It’s planning a full social media campaign around the unveiling of
the new product and wants to build awareness for the new line, increase engagement, and
build its database of social customers.
It plans and builds its full campaign in advance, from Facebook status updates to stages of a
contest. By planning the flow of the promotion, it can take advantage of the best of scheduling,
while still ensuring that the campaign gives its community an authentic experience with
real-time interaction.
Here’s how the campaign might look:
1. PRE-LAUNCH
To tease the announcement of its new line of
backpacks, Summit Active posts a sign-up
web app on its Facebook wall that asks fans to
enter email to get an exclusive sneak peek at an
upcoming announcement. The day before the
official launch, the company emails contacts
in its existing database, which now include the
sign-ups gathered from this Facebook post, to
generate conversations and give their existing
customer a special look into its new line.
Publishing type: Scheduled

2. PRODUCT LAUNCH
Summit Active’s product release goes live.
It releases a web page with embedded YouTube
video player that announces new backpacks.
This page is also published as a Facebook tab.
3. CONTEST LAUNCHES
As part of the launch, Summit Active is holding
a sweepstakes to generate interaction and help
promote the release of its new line.
When the YouTube video mentioning the
announcement hits 2,000 views, the contest
automatically launches on its website and
Facebook. Summit has chosen for this contest on
Facebook to be app-gated, allowing users to opt-in
to the app. Facebook posts and tweets that have
been pre-built are published simultaneously.
Publishing type: Automated campaign trigger
4. COUPON CODE
While the sweepstakes is running, Summit Active plans
to release a short-term promo code to encourage the
first purchases of its new backpacks. To add an element
of user participation to this piece of the campaign, the
release of this code will be determined by the community;
it will automatically trigger when a certain level of
community interaction is reached.
It builds a Facebook post and tweet announcing an
upcoming short-term sale is imminent, and that only fans
can unlock it by liking a status update. When the status
update reached 300 Likes, a web app showcasing posts
to its Facebook wall and website.
Publishing type: Automated campaign trigger

5. CONTEST ENDS
After 3 weeks, the sweepstakes ends. This
triggers new content that transitions Summit
Active into the next phase of its social media
plans for the year.
Throughout the duration of this campaign,
the social media team is engaging with users
throughout, answering daily questions and
responding to comments about the campaign
or otherwise. It’s also posting regular updates
not related to the campaign specifically. It’s
poised and ready to adjust course if necessary
based on the reaction of its audience and the
cadence with which the audience-based
triggers progress.
By mixing real-time, scheduled, and trigger-
based content, Summit Active has been able
to create an engaging experience for users.
TAKEAWAYS
USING SOCIAL MEDIA SCHEDULING AND AUTOMATION TO MAKE
YOUR SOCIAL PROGRAM EASIER FOR YOU – AND YOUR COMMUNITY
So what are some ways your company can take advantage of scheduling and automation tools,
while still offering prompt, reliable social media interaction to your community?
1. DON’T SCHEDULE AND RUN.
A surefire way to illustrate you’re not available to your community is to publish, get feedback
(or worse, backlash), and not know about it. Scheduling posts can help save time, but have plans
in place to monitor and respond. Save time by building posts in advance, but remember there’s
no shortcut for building relationships with your community.
2. TAILOR THE MESSAGE TO THE PLATFORM.
The reasons that certain segments of your customer base follow your brand on different social
networks vary. Each social network also has its own rules and styles. Not taking these factors into
account could alienate some of your followers, especially if you’re posting the same message
verbatim across networks. For example, a Facebook fan could be confused by a #hashtag posted
on your wall. Sharing content on multiple platforms simultaneously is a great strategy, but make
sure you’re tailoring the message to resonate with each platform’s unique set of followers.

3. SCHEDULE MORE THAN POSTS.
Tweets and Facebook posts aren’t the only content that can have a timed launch. Photos, videos,
contests, web apps, web pages, and other pieces of rich content can be scheduled to launch at a
set time or after a milestone is reached. Think broadly when planning this content.
4. WORK EARLY, SAVE TIME.
Planning campaigns in advance can help your team get a birds-eye view of what your customers
will see. Plus, it allows you to spend extra time building interesting content, creating more hours
to spend during the campaign monitoring its progress, getting feedback, interacting with users,
and tending to any unexpected circumstances that arise.
5. TEST, LEARN, AND TEST AGAIN.
There’s been an influx of research in recent months about timing posts on social network sites.
While these studies are interesting, the only true way to know what works for your brand is to
test what times certain content gets a reaction. This will help your team know when the best
times are to schedule posts and be available to post immediate responses to customer comments
at peak times.
Extracting engagement insights from previously published content can also help you understand
what types of calls to action work best for your fans and followers, which can help you select not
only the best times to publish these posts, but also any community-powered triggers for content.
For instance, does your community respond well to video? Factor this into your plans: Get
customers involved by promising a special announcement or exclusive content when views of a
video hit a certain threshold. Social media automation tools can support this effort, making the
release of “reward” content automatic and timely without your team having to manually watch
and publish content progress.
6. DON’T GO OVERBOARD WITH THE CUT AND PASTE.
Scheduling tweets to publish at different times over the course of a day, for instance, increases
their visibility to new customers. But be wary of sending the exact same post out multiple times.
Not only will you avoid the same people noticing the same tweet, but you could also be overlooking
how tweaking the messaging at different times can spark interaction. For example, a fashion
brand publishes a post about winter style tips from an in-house designer. Tweets in the morning
might focus on her work outfit tips, while weekend versions might focus on trends in holiday
party outfits.
7. DON’T FAKE REAL INTERACTIONS.
If a message gives the illusion that it’s a one-on-one conversation, steer clear of automating it.
Take auto-DMing on Twitter: Someone follows your brand and receives an instant direct message
that sounds like a genuine hello. Sadly, it’s not. Don’t take the chance of getting a new social
relationship off on the wrong foot.

CONCLUSION
Ultimately, each brand’s publishing “sweet spot” will look different depending on the brand voice
in social media, the content it’s creating, and the community it’s engaging with. Being able to
take advantage of social media scheduling and automation tools is a must for scaling your program
and working efficiently. Striking a balance between the utilization of these types of tools and
real-time interaction is imperative. Start with a solid foundation of community management and
the use these tools to enhance – not detract from – the engagement you’re creating with your
customers in social media.
ABOUT SHOUTLET
Shoutlet is leading enterprise social marketing software. It includes Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube management, Social CRM, a contest platform, HTML5 web app building, analytics, and
professional-level design tools, in addition to tools designed to aid global brands manage and
measure social media programs for hundreds of locations, franchises, branches, or agents.
In addition to these features, Shoutlet’s Social Switchboard™ tool allows brands and agencies to
build complete sophisticated social media marketing campaigns in advance and set a vast array
of pre-scheduled markers and milestones to trigger automatic changes to content across multiple
social networks. Social Switchboard is smart social media scheduling that distributes pre-created
content when your criteria is met.
CONNECT WITH SHOUTLET
Website: Shoutlet.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/Shoutlet
Twitter: Twitter.com/Shoutlet
Blog: Shoutlet.com/blog
Email: sales@shoutlet.com

Finding the Publishing Sweet Spot

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

Was ist angesagt? (20)

Andere mochten auch

Andere mochten auch (12)

Ähnlich wie Finding the Publishing Sweet Spot

Ähnlich wie Finding the Publishing Sweet Spot (20)

Mehr von Shoutlet, a Spredfast Company

Mehr von Shoutlet, a Spredfast Company (20)

Kürzlich hochgeladen

Kürzlich hochgeladen (20)

Finding the Publishing Sweet Spot