This blog is all about time-savings and efficiencies! They are easy to achieve when you know how to schedule a post to Facebook and Instagram at the same time.
You may have wondered ‘can Facebook posts be scheduled?’, and ‘can Facebook posts be shared to Instagram?’ Or you may already know that you can do this, but not realise just how user friendly this solution is.
In Facebook you can schedule posts for the two platforms at the same time, but did you know that you can customise your posts and keep an eye on your analytics too?
There are three ways on Facebook (or “Meta” as it’s now called) that you can schedule Facebook posts and schedule Instagram posts simultaneously – and they’re all free! I’ll share them with you here so you can choose your favourite method. Personally, I like the third one as it’s got some pretty neat features that makes my life so much easier!
It’s handy to know how to schedule social media posts for when you’re off on your holidays but want to keep your social media momentum going, or simply want to get more organised.
To make use of this scheduling social media content feature make sure that your Facebook and Instagram accounts are linked.
Here I summarise the three Facebook scheduling options, you can also watch me demonstrate these methods on my YouTube channel How To Schedule a Post to Facebook and Instagram 2022.
Method #1 Facebook and Instagram scheduling
Head over to your business’ Facebook page. You may find it easier to use your PC or laptop for this.
I’ve not transferred to the new version of Facebook, so my settings appear on the left-hand side of the screen (If you are on the new Facebook business page experience, you’ll find yours over on the right underneath your Facebook banner, there’s a little spanner icon to manage your page).
- Click on Publishing Tools to get started!
- From here click on Facebook Creator Studio as highlighted in the image below.
- Once you’ve clicked into Creator Studio, click on the Instagram icon at the top of the page.
- Click “Create Post” and select Instagram feed. You will find this on the left.
- If you manage more than one Instagram account, select the account you want to post to.
- When prompted type in your post.
- Click on the blue ‘Add Content’ link to add your accompanying image.
- To make sure you’re posting to both platforms, select ‘Post to Facebook’.
- Click ‘Schedule’.
- Select the date and time that you want the post to be published to Facebook.
- Don’t forget to schedule it for Instagram too!
- Head to the blue ‘Publish’ button at the bottom right and choose schedule to select the time you want your Instagram post to be published.
- To finish click on the blue ‘Schedule’ button bottom right. This will schedule the post on to your chose times on both Facebook and Instagram.
Method #2 Facebook and Instagram scheduling
You might find this method a bit quicker!
Once again, head to your Facebook account.
- Click on Publishing Tools as in method 1.
- But this time click on the blue ‘Create post’
- Here you can select both of your accounts as seen below.
- If you want the post schedule to a Facebook Group, you can do that too from this page.
- Pop in your text.
- Add your photo or video.
- You can even add tag in a person, page or a product from your Facebook/Instagram shop.
- On the middle panel of this page, you’ll see where you can customise your post, so if you want the posts to read slightly different on Facebook or want to add more hashtags on Instagram, this is where you can do that.
- Below the customise box, you can add a call to action if relevant.
- Once you’re happy with your post you can either click on ‘Optimal Times’ or click the arrow to the right of the Publish button to schedule the posts You’ll see these action buttons at the bottom right.
- To finish, click the blue ‘Schedule Posts’
Method #3 Facebook and Instagram scheduling
This time we’re going to head to Business Suite. To do this type the following URL into your browser (make sure you’re logged into Facebook):
https://business.facebook.com/latest
You’ll see a page showing both your Facebook and Instagram profile pics – great if you want to double-check that you’re posting to the right pages!
- Click on the home icon to the left of the page
- Click Create post
- Select both your Facebook and Instagram accounts from the drop-down menu.
- Add your media
- Type in your post.
- You also have the option to customise, edit and tag.
- But look, you get to see a preview. AND you can switch between desktop and mobile view too.
- Once you’re happy, click ‘Schedule’ at the bottom of the screen
- If you decide to choose the Optimum Times option, Business Suite will show you the best times to engage with your customers. Simply select the one you think will work the best for you.
- And again, to finish off, click ‘Schedule’.
Why I love method #3 for scheduling to Facebook and Instagram
This is one of the best changes that Facebook have made. There’s so much more you can do from the Business Suite to really help you gain insight into the performance of your posts.
For example to discover more, select Planner on the left.
Here you can see the posts that you have just scheduled in.
My favourite feature is the ability to click and drag a post onto another day and time to really mix the content up with very little effort!
And once the posts have gone live, you can see how they performed too! At a glance, you can see which post attracted the most likes comments and shares.
Go on, give it a try and let me know how you get on. But if you have any questions drop me a line, I’d be happy to help.
What’s coming up: Facebook Page Workshop
I’m running a Facebook Page Workshop. It starts on 24 January 2023 and runs for four days over zoom.
Every day for an hour you’ll learn how to make the most out of this essential marketing tool to attract new customers and maintain your loyal ones. The itinerary is a full one – you can learn more about it on my website.
To see the other social media workshops that are coming up check out my Workshop page.
Bye for now,
Becs
