Scheduling content on LinkedIn has become a popular way to save time and maximize engagement. With the right scheduling strategy, you can expand your reach without constantly manually posting. If you’re wondering how to schedule posts on LinkedIn for free, there are a few solid options.
Introduction
Scheduling your LinkedIn posts allows you to plan and organize content in advance easily. This can provide benefits like:
- Saving time on social media management
- Optimizing timing by posting when engagement is highest
- Maintaining consistent activity and reaching your audience repeatedly
While LinkedIn now offers some built-in scheduling features, the free individual profile options still need to be improved. However, third-party apps provide increased functionality to schedule content at no cost.
Scheduling Options on LinkedIn
Here are the current ways to schedule posts natively through LinkedIn:
LinkedIn Mobile App
The LinkedIn mobile app allows free users to schedule a single post at a time up to 30 days in advance. Draft your post, access the scheduler, and pick your date and time. This can be helpful for sporadic scheduling but needs more bulk options.
LinkedIn Website (Company Pages)
LinkedIn Company Pages have more scheduling capabilities than individual profiles, allowing bulk uploads and queuing. However, Company Pages require a premium subscription, putting this out of reach of most individual users’ budgets.
Free Third-Party Scheduling Tools
Third-party social media management platforms are the best option to access more robust scheduling features at no cost. Here are some top free choices:
Buffer
Buffer provides an intuitive interface to schedule multiple posts in bulk. You can spread posts out over time and analyze performance.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite’s free plan allows you to schedule content for multiple social networks. However, you are limited to scheduling 30 posts per month.
SmarterQueue
SmarterQueue offers free LinkedIn scheduling for up to 10 posts per month. It also provides analytics to refine your approach.
MeetEdgar
MeetEdgar has a forever free plan allowing you to schedule 10 monthly posts to LinkedIn and other social platforms.
Tips for Scheduling Success
To maximize the impact of your scheduled LinkedIn posts, keep these tips in mind:
Consistent posting
Space out scheduled posts evenly to maintain regular visibility in your audience’s feeds.
Optimal timing
Identify peak engagement times and schedule most content during those high-traffic hours.
Content Variety
Share different media types like articles, images, videos, and polls.
Analyze and improve
Use post analytics to determine the best content and fine-tune your approach over time.
Common Scheduling Mistakes to Avoid
When getting started with LinkedIn scheduling, watch out for these missteps:
- Scheduling too infrequently causes you to disappear from feeds.
- Failing to tailor content specifically to your followers’ interests.
- Not studying analytics to identify the best posting times and content types.
- Scheduling too many posts per day causes overload.
- It would help if you had more variety in your organized post formats.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn’s native scheduling options for free users remain limited, tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, and SmarterQueue make scheduling to LinkedIn simple and accessible. Use these platforms to save time, organize your content, and engage your professional audience. Just be careful to avoid common scheduling pitfalls like inconsistent posting or information overload. With the right strategy, scheduling can take your LinkedIn impact to the next level.
FAQs
Does the accessible version of LinkedIn allow you to schedule posts?
The free LinkedIn account has minimal scheduling ability – you can only schedule single posts through the mobile app. For robust scheduling features, you need to use third-party apps.
What’s the best free third-party tool for scheduling LinkedIn posts?
Buffer, Hootsuite, and SmarterQueue are among the top free options. Each provides user-friendly interfaces, bulk scheduling, and analytics.
How many times per week should I schedule posts on LinkedIn?
1-2 scheduled weekly posts are a good starting point for most profiles. Avoid saturating follower feeds by posting too frequently.
Can I schedule multimedia content like videos and images?
Yes, most third-party scheduling tools allow you to schedule image posts, videos, polls, and other multimedia formats – not just text updates.
If I use scheduling tools, do I still need to manually engage with LinkedIn regularly?
A: Absolutely. You should still actively use LinkedIn to comment, like posts, send messages, and make connections outside your scheduled content.