According to Jason Squires, entrepreneur and author of What to Say on Social Media: The Small Business Guide to Being Social, on Social Media, businesses with a social media presence struggle to reel some of the 176 million individuals shopping online. This is because 90% of these don’t have a social media strategy. As a result, they either post many spam messages (14.5 billion posts daily) or simply create boring updates to post irregularly. However, the key to a successful social media campaign is balancing quantity with quality. Now quantity is the trickier aspect here; many marketers still don’t know how often they should post new content on social media. If you feel a little unsure about it yourself, then this guide to scheduling social media posts is for you.

Social media marketer and education developer Azure Collier has come up with a cheat sheet that allows new marketers to post just enough to keep users interested. The summary of her findings are:

For Facebook

Facebook is the top social media network for businesses and marketers alike, especially now that Facebook Ads have proven to be very effective in converting visitors to buyers. To make your posts count, you need to remember that this platform demands quality over quantity. So, you need to make your posts count by offering interesting information or something of value. The minimum you should go for is three posts per week while the maximum shouldn’t exceed 10 per week.

For Twitter

Twitter is as important for marketers as Facebook. According to @TwitterSmallBiz,47% of brand followers end up visiting its company’s website while 72% purchase a product from that brand. However, to survive the cutthroat competition on this social network, you need to post more often. The least number of posts you should create or curate via other sources is five daily and there’s no maximum. Just make sure that you post interactive and interesting information to make Twitter work its magic for you.

For LinkedIn

LinkedIn has expanded beyond its original purpose as an online resume and is now a profitable marketing tool, especially for B2B users. In fact, LinkedIn consultant Wayne Breitbarth reports that the percentage of LinkedIn company pages that appear within the first twenty results of Google searches has risen from 24% to 57% between 2013 and 2014 To make the most of this platform, you need to focus on quality rather than volume. Ideally, you should post at least twice a week and no more than five times per week. However, make your contribution count by posting formal and technical content that is relevant to your company or industry.

For Google+

If you don’t have a Google Plus, you’re making a big mistake. Jeff Bullas, one of Forbes’ Top 40 Social Marketing Talents, emphasizes the need to create Google+ accounts, since they’re directly linked with Google search results. In addition, using circles allows you to target your content according to specific audiences. Google is just like Facebook and LinkedIn, i.e., it requires high value and low volume. So, the minimum you should go for is three posts per week while the maximum is 10 per week. Don’t forget to use keywords to boost your posts’ rankings in search results.

For Pinterest

Pinterest has its fair share of followers. In fact, some businesses may benefit more from Pinterest than any other social media platform. For instance, Venture Beats reported that Sephora’s Pinterest followers were 15 times more involved than its Facebook fans. Rich Relevance further proves this point, stating that Pinterest shoppers spend $140-$180 per orders whereas Facebook and Twitter users spend $80 and $60 respectively. For Pinterest, a high volume-high value network, you should post a minimum of five times per day and a maximum of ten per day.However, use interesting quality images along with the right keywords and backlinks to your site.

Developing a Posting Strategy

If you’re using any other social network or would like a more customized social media posting strategy, use the following questions to develop one:

• Should I Post New Content Daily? Daily content is perfect for websites or companies that deal with news, sports or lifestyle. You may have to post multiple times daily to ensure that your content remains fresh. On the other hand, a blog or social media profile on education or travel may not require more than a few updates every week. That way, you can plan your new content while promoting older posts in between.
• What’s My Competitor’s Strategy? Take a look at what the competition is up to, especially if the number of their followers or readership is higher. Notice how often your competitors post and what type of posts they usually publish.
• Will My SEO Strategy Improve? Posting regularly does have some SEO benefits. Not only do search engines get to index your site, but you gain more exposure in the process, ensuring the loyalty of your readers while adding more links naturally to promote your website.
• Are You Giving Your Readers Time to Respond? Assuming that you post between 1pm – 4pm, which is the best time on Facebook according to SurePayroll and Ghergich, you need to allow your followers a little extra time to find your post, read it and then respond to your message. What marketers seem to forget is the importance of interacting with potential and existing clients. So give them time to reply to your posts.
• Are Your Users Generating Content As Well? If your followers/readers/fans are generating content in the form of comments, answers or reviews, you don’t have to post so often. By responding to their comments, your profile will appear active and your potential and existing clients will feel important.
• What Do Analytics Indicate? Every social media platform has its own analytics tools, which you should use to assess users’ response after a certain amount of tweets or posts. For example, by observing how many tweets it takes before user interaction decreases, you can determine the best time for your posts and how many you can afford to publish before followers lose interest.

Finally, one last bit of advice before you return to your daily schedule is: be open to experimenting. There’s no strict formula for posting on social media, so continue testing, iterating and improving until you find a strategy that works for you.