So, What’s wrong with social media scheduling and automation?

When it comes to social media scheduling and automation opinions are divided! Here’s why scheduling content and/or automating your social media activity (especially content that doesn’t belong to you) could be bad for your business!

1. You used suggested content on Klout, Sway, Buffer or Hootsuite, spout social etc

What’s wrong with this?

Er you probably didn’t read the content! It could say anything and this content could be detrimental to your business. Check out my blog post: Thank you for sharing (even though you didn’t read it!) this may shed some light on my views on sharing content you haven’t read!

2. You scheduled suggested content through one of the above at the time they suggested you post it!

What’s wrong with this?

Okay so this is so you get more engagement, right? They work out the time of day this post will get the most engagement and they do it for everyone! So you are just sharing the same content as your competitors at the same time! That's lazy and unoriginal! It's a BAD IDEA!

3. While on the subject of scheduling at a time when you could get high engagement, perhaps we should ask why you schedule at this time?

What’s wrong with this?

Why don’t you just post some original content at this time and be there to respond to people or ask questions without scheduling? – I mean, you know it’s a high engagement time so why would you schedule the post and risk not being there to engage with people? It’s social media isn’t it? Shouldn’t you be social?

4. You only schedule your promotional content

What’s wrong with this?

Firstly, and I will say it again, it’s social media not promotional media! If it’s a promotional post – yeah I get it! But you feel like it’s a good idea to think of 10 promotional things to say and then schedule them? Why? (It’s a bit LAAAZY!)

5. You schedule to save time

What’s wrong with this?

Nothing! It’s okay to do some scheduling, i’m not saying it’s an awful thing – You like to save time and cut corners! You’d rather waste your time scheduling a load of tweets than take the time to find and engage with your audience and share with them content they may be interested in? – It’s social media?….

6. It’s okay! I hire a social media manager to schedule them for me for £50 a week!

What’s wrong with this? - All of the above...

Here is my views on that! – Avoid the social media expert they may hurt your business

7. I scheduled my posts at the beginning of the week, it took one hour, I did 50 tweets! Saved a load of time and now I am free to engage!

What’s wrong with this?

Oh, only the fact that you made a load of spelling mistakes and sent out rubbish information and your fans / followers /groupies noticed! – Actually, you may at least find that this time you are actually getting more engagement! Because everyone is laughing at your mistakes!

That’s all the reasons I can think of at this moment! – Can you add to it? And can you add some reasons why you should automate or schedule social media posts? – Apart from saving time (because that’s very obvious!) - I want to hear from you!

I’m just off to schedule a load of tweets! Chao.:-)