As a small business owner, finding time to post on Twitter (now called X) consistently can be a major challenge. Between managing daily operations, handling customers, and running your business, sitting down to craft thoughtful tweets rarely makes the to-do list.
However maintaining an active social media presence is vital for attracting more followers, driving engagement, and ultimately increasing sales.
That’s why learning how to effectively schedule posts on Twitter is so valuable for entrepreneurs looking to grow their social media footprint. Scheduling tweets ahead of time allows you to create content in batches when you have pockets of time, without sacrificing consistency.
This guide will show you different ways to schedule posts across platforms:
- Tweets can be scheduled directly through Twitter’s native scheduler, but this option is only accessible via the desktop interface.
- For those looking to schedule through a mobile device, third-party tools like RecurPost offer this capability, along with additional features for both desktop and mobile scheduling.
Let’s explore how to schedule posts on Twitter effectively!
But first
Why do you want to Schedule Posts on Twitter?
Are you wondering why you should bother scheduling your tweets? Let’s break it down.
Firstly, it’s a massive time-saver. Imagine setting up a week’s worth of tweets in one go. That means more time for other important tasks.
Consistency is key in the Twitter world. Scheduling helps you stay regular with your posts, keeping your business visible to your audience.
And here’s the big one: better follower growth and engagement. When you tweet consistently at the right times, more people see and interact with your content. This means more followers and an active Twitter presence for your business.
How to Schedule Posts on Twitter Natively
Twitter does provide a built-in option to schedule right from your account. Twitter’s native scheduling has the benefit of not requiring an additional tool or log in.
Let’s walk through how to use Twitter’s native scheduler:
1. To access the scheduler, log into the Twitter site on your desktop or laptop browser.
2. Click on the “What is happening” box at the top or click on the “Post” button in the Left corner to begin a new tweet.
3. Compose your tweet. Write your tweet under 280 characters.
4. You’ll see a calendar icon in the bottom left. Click this to select a future date and time for your tweet to publish. Confirm it.
5. When you hit the blue Post button, your post will be queued to go out at the predetermined time. Twitter will notify you it’s a scheduled tweet.
Note: Managing multiple Twitter accounts can be challenging. For tips on how to streamline this process, check out our comprehensive guide on Managing Multiple Twitter Accounts: Strategies for Success.
One limitation is that Twitter’s scheduling is only available through the web interface – not on its mobile app. So the native tool works best for you when you have the time to sit down and compose multiple tweets for the week ahead from your laptop.
The simplicity of built-in scheduling makes it easy to start. But advanced users may want features like repeating schedules, bulk upload, analytics, etc.
Third-party apps provide those expanded capabilities which I’ll explore next. Still, I appreciate that Twitter offers a lightweight self-serve scheduling option so you can plan your content directly within your account.For more advanced options, check out this guide on how to automate tweets.
How to Schedule Posts on Twitter through Third-Party Tools
Twitter’s native scheduler is a great starting point, but what if you crave more features and flexibility? That’s where third-party tweet schedulers like RecurPost come in, offering an array of superpowers to make your Twitter life easier and more impactful.
Schedule Posts on Twitter via Desktop:
1. Log in and Connect: Head to the RecurPost website and create an account. Connect your Twitter account following the provided instructions.
2. Craft Your Tweet: Just like on Twitter, compose your tweet with text, images, and hashtags.
3. Schedule it: Choose the date and time for your tweet to go live and click Schedule.
Optional: Make this tweet repeat regularly by choosing a custom recurrence.
4. Review scheduled tweets on the Upcoming feed and Approve to finalize.
Schedule Posts on Twitter via Mobile:
Most third-party tools offer mobile apps, allowing you to schedule posts on Twitter even when you’re away from your desk. The process is similar to the desktop version, with minor adjustments based on the app’s design:
1. Download and open the RecurPost app (available for iOS and Android). Sign in to your RecurPost account or sign up for a new account.
2. Connect Twitter Profile: Connect your Twitter Profile to the RecurPost account.
3. Compose Your Tweet: Create your engaging tweet with text, images, and hashtags.
4. Schedule It Smartly: Tap the scheduling options and choose your desired date and time. Explore recurring schedules or other features offered by the app.
5. Review the tweet preview and select Schedule when ready. See your upcoming scheduled tweets in the app and cancel or edit if needed.
Take advantage of RecurPost’s versatile scheduling options by planning Twitter activity from both desktop for heavy scheduling sessions and mobile for on-the-go tweets.
Choosing the Right Tool
While Twitter provides basic native scheduling functions, dedicated third-party tools give small business owners more advanced capabilities for planning and queuing content. With so many options to consider selecting the right one for your needs is key.
Feature | Twitter Native Scheduler | RecurPost |
Free to use? | Yes | Offers 14-day free trial |
Scheduling options | One-time scheduling | One-time, Recurring schedules for evergreen content, Bulk scheduling |
Content optimization | Limited | Generates tweet variations, uses emojis, adds hashtags |
Analytics | Basic insights | In-depth analytics on engagement, reach, impressions |
Team Access | Not applicable | Multiple team members |
Social media platform support | Only Twitter | Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin, Pinterest, etc |
Schedule through the Mobile App | No | Yes |
Customization | Limited | Highly customizable scheduling and content |
Integrations | None | Integrations with other marketing tools |
Best suited for | For individual users, basic scheduling needs | Businesses, marketing teams, advanced scheduling, and analytics |
Best Practices for Scheduling Tweets
Mastering the art of scheduling is key. Here are some top practices:
- Content Planning and Batching: Plan your tweets in advance. Create batches of tweets for different days or events. This keeps your content varied and interesting.
- Know your Audience’s Peak Times: Different audiences are active at different times. Use analytics to find out when your followers are most engaged, and schedule accordingly.
- Run Contests and Promotions: Schedule Twitter campaigns and giveaways in advance, generating excitement and building anticipation.
- Variety is the spice of life: Mix up your content types with text, images, videos, polls, and GIFs to keep your audience engaged.
- Hashtags are your friends: Use relevant and trending hashtags to increase your tweet’s reach and discoverability.
- Analytics are your guide: Track the performance of your scheduled tweets and adjust your strategy based on what resonates most with your audience.
- Embrace the Holidays: Schedule tweets relevant to upcoming holidays and special events to tap into trending conversations and connect with your audience on a personal level.
These practices ensure your scheduled tweets hit the mark, keeping your feed fresh and your audience engaged.
Managing and Adjusting Scheduled Tweets
Keeping a close eye on your scheduled tweets is crucial, especially in light of the evolving Twitter Algorithm. Here’s how to manage and optimize them for success:
- Overview of Managing Scheduled Content: Regularly check your scheduled tweets. This helps you stay on top of what’s going on and when.
- Adjusting Based on Performance: Use analytics to see how your tweets perform. If a tweet isn’t doing well, tweak the content or timing. Analyzing performance helps you understand what works best for your audience.
Measure and Adapt: Based on your analytics, identify high-performing tweets and replicate their elements in future content. Conversely, analyze underperforming tweets and adjust their timing, format, or hashtags for improvement.
RecurPost stands out among scheduling tools for its “Best Time” posting feature. This smart functionality automatically determines the optimal times for your tweets to go live, ensuring maximum visibility and engagement. By analyzing your audience’s activity and engagement patterns, RecurPost schedules your content when it’s most likely to be seen by your followers, taking the guesswork out of timing your tweets.
Remember, the key is flexibility. Be ready to adjust your strategy based on what your analytics tell you.
Conclusion
After reading this guide, I hope you have a clearer picture of how scheduling tweets can transform your small business’s Twitter presence. Leveraging tools like RecurPost to plan content in advance unlocks huge time savings while nurturing consistent follower growth.
Compared to showing up randomly to post tweets whenever you have a spare moment between serving customers, scheduling promotes reliability. Your community can depend on a steady stream of content about your newest products, upcoming events, business milestones, and more.
Strategic scheduling also leads to higher engagement. Analyzing when your target audiences are most active lets you align tweets with when timelines are buzzing. Followers are more likely to retweet, click links, or start conversations based on scheduled tweets during peak hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule posts on the Twitter website by writing your tweet, clicking the calendar icon, choosing the date and time, and then hitting ‘Schedule’.
View scheduled tweets in the Drafts section by clicking the Post button on Twitter’s desktop site.
The native scheduling feature is available to all Twitter users with a personal or business account.
Any Twitter user can access and use the built-in scheduling tool to queue tweets. To know in detail, please visit our blog on Can you schedule tweets
Twitter itself only allows scheduling one tweet at a time. For bulk scheduling, third-party social media management platforms like RecurPost enable queuing multiple tweets.
Unfortunately, scheduled tweets don’t generate a shareable link until they are published.
Currently, Twitter’s native scheduling feature is not available on the mobile app. You can only schedule posts from the Twitter website. Some third-party tools offer mobile apps with scheduling functionality.
The best time to tweet depends on your specific audience and their demographics. However, research suggests that weekdays between 8 AM and 4 PM (local time) tend to increase engagement for most businesses. Analyzing your analytics can help you pinpoint the optimal times for your audience.
Saurabh Chaturvedi is a content writer at RecurPost. Specializing in social media management and marketing, Saurabh is dedicated to crafting engaging and informative articles. His passion for clear, exciting content keeps readers eager for more.