01/07/2021

Social media scheduler

Wimbledon is back this year and it got us thinking, is the ball in your court? Social media marketing can be a handful when you’re on several platforms. Keeping up with social media dates as well as trending topics and conversations is constant. Do you use a social media scheduler? 

Planning in advance is a great way to get on top. There are certain dates in the year that don’t change like Christmas and there are also social media calendar dates too like National Siblings Day. 

It’s great if you’re able to get ahead with creating assets or even what the caption for a post will be, but where can you put it to ensure you don’t forget when the time comes? 

That’s where social media schedulers step in. They’re there to make your life easier, help with planning and even execute the posting so if you’re busy elsewhere or don’t have the time on the day, the post is done for you. 

notebook and post-it notes for noting down social media scheduling plans

Why use one? 

  • Manage multiple accounts

Instead of logging in and out of different social media accounts, manage them in one place. Login once and see all your accounts from there. 

  • Save time

As well as logging into one place, if you’re doing the same post across all channels, many will allow you to select those accounts instead of individually posting.

  • Visually see your schedule

If you’ve been planning ahead and already put posts in your schedule, check and visually see all your posts on a calendar or similar format. You’ll be able to see if you already have posts going out that day or see how many are planned to go out that week or month. 

  • More than scheduling

A lot of the social media schedulers go beyond scheduling. To help with engagement or other parts of your digital marketing there can be other tools like a keyword researcher to help with SEO. 

  • Analyse results

Want to find ways to improve your digital marketing? You’ll be able to monitor and see results and after some time you can then see what might need to change or what is working. 

How to choose one? 

There are many social media scheduler platforms out there so you’re probably asking yourself “How do I choose one?”. 

They’re not all the same so there are some questions to ask yourself to help choose: 

  • What is your budget? 
  • Which social media platforms do you use the most?
  • How many people will need access to it? 

Most of the scheduling tools will have a USP and that might be that they specifically tailor more to one platform than another. 

22 group employees discussing social media scheduling

Downsides of schedulers? 

Although they sound great, like most things there are downsides:

  • Instagram 

A popular platform that is very app focused. There is restricted functionality outside of the app for scheduling posts on the grid, IGTVs and Instagram stories. 

Stories have become increasingly popular with many saying they prefer to watch stories than scroll their home feed. Do thoroughly check when a scheduling tool mentions you can schedule Instagram stories because there might be an asterisk mentioning it doesn’t publish it but reminds you to do so. 

  • Number of users

When looking at the pricing plans for different social media scheduling platforms, you most likely just look at their price per month. If you have a few people that need to use the platform, check the number of users allowed. On a lot of plans, they just allow 1 user on the platform at a time and anymore incurs extra charges. 

  • Full functionality

Social media platforms are advanced and constantly changing making them complex. Unfortunately, the scheduling tools might not be able to do absolutely everything you’re looking for. Whether that be posting videos on some platforms or creating Facebook carousel posts.

Most of the scheduling tools offer free trials or demos, we highly recommend making use of these so you can see what it’s like using the platform. 

  • Limitation with the free option

You may be a small business owner or just need a little help. A few of the scheduling tools offer a free option however, it is very limited in what you can do. This could simply be the number of social media accounts you can have on the platform or how many posts you can schedule. 

diary and pencil for writing down social media plan

What can 22Group help with?

If you are struggling with your social media marketing, whether that be keeping on top of it, generating content or creating visuals, we can help!

Our talented and experienced marketing team are passionate and proactive when it comes to social media marketing.

Ready to get started or want to learn more? Get in touch.

28/05/2021

Facebook Ads vs. Boost

Trying to reach more people or promote your Facebook posts? Heard about Facebook Ads and using the boost feature but not sure what the difference is? Or how to choose which one?

Both boosting and creating a Facebook Ad are advertisements since they both require a budget to reach a wider audience.

Let’s bring it back to basics and break them down. We're going to explore the difference, benefits and learn when best to use which one. 

iphone with the facebook app showing 2 notifications

What does it mean to boost? 

To boost on Facebook is putting money behind an organic post. This is the easiest and fastest way to advertise on Facebook. Choose the target audience, the amount of money to put behind the ad and how long you want it to run. 

When you have boosted a post it appears on your audience’s newsfeed as an advert mentioning ‘Sponsored’. Additionally, you can choose to advertise that post on Instagram. 

What is a Facebook Ad? 

A Facebook Ad is created through Ads Manager and has advanced customised options for a user to choose from. 

When creating an ad there are many campaign objectives to choose from. The three main categories are awareness, consideration and conversion. Match your objective to your business goals and target specific audiences.

So, what’s the main difference?

Boosting a Facebook post allows you to improve page likes, comments, shares and overall brand awareness whereas a Facebook Ad allows you to do more, optimise website conversions, shop orders, video views and more.

Benefits of using the boost feature

  • It’s quick - the option to boost is prevalent and you can choose the options of your ad in a few clicks.
  • Easy to use - boosting a post only takes a few steps and all options are completed on one page.
  • Targeting - choose a specific audience or where you would like to target. Pick their interest, age and gender. 

Benefits of using Facebook Ads

  • Choose your ad placement - boosting gives you the option to advertise on Instagram but when creating a Facebook Ad, you can select from multiple different placements including Messenger ads, Instagram stories, Instant articles and more.
  • Specify ad objectives - by defining your ad objective early on you can align it to your business goals.
  • Creative control - when creating an ad there are more features than boosting, you can add specific descriptions and choose how you want your post to be shown.
  • Advanced targeting - with additional options like selecting Lookalike Audiences, you have more options and control over who will see your advertised post. 
facebook ads manager showing results and a graph of an advert

Which one should I use? 

Deciding on what you want to achieve with your advertisement is how you’ll decide which one to use. If you’re looking to maximise visibility and grow your audience then boosting a post is suited but if you’re wanting more control and advanced ad features creating a Facebook Ad is the way to go.

It’s always worth noting that Facebook regularly updates and changes the way they let people advertise on their platform, or even just the layout of creating ads. Keep an eye out!

How 22Group can help you 

Our team is filled with talented people who can help you take care of your Facebook Ads and look after your social media. From creating assets to reporting on how an ad performed, we’re here to help. 


Ready to get started or want to learn more? Get in touch.

15/04/2021

Top brands on social media

Social media doesn't just keep us connected with friends and family, but it also keeps us connected to all walks of businesses and brands. 

The top brands on social media have a powerful impact, authentic engagement from their followers and clearly showcase their brand identity.

Going onto a brand’s social media, whether that’s Instagram, Facebook or the other platforms, has become part of the shopping experience. People look for validation through pictures, posts, videos and even comments from other customers. 

With social media being a necessity for any business these days, getting some strategy inspiration from the brands that are doing it right is always a good place to start. 

Let’s take a look at the top brands on social media

screenshot of GoPro instagram
  • GoPro

Making the world’s most versatile cameras, GoPro not only showcases their products and how great their cameras are, but they also interact a lot with their followers. They use user-generated content to show the quality of their cameras, it acts as a review for potential customers.

screenshot of Nike's twitter
  • Nike 

Nike focuses a lot on people and athletes on their social media channels. They have attracted the audience’s attention by showing the people who make the brand rather than constantly plugging their products. Nike is also very good at jumping on current affairs and sharing their thoughts, from Black Lives Matter to recognising frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic.

Screenshot of Starbuck's Facebook account
  • Starbucks

Starbucks has managed to grab the attention of its audience by using engaging and colourful visual imagery. Another great brand for voicing and creating campaigns around current topics, they create a lot of relevant content and create products in line with trends.

Screenshot of Greggs twitter post with a girl running on a treadmill.
  • Greggs

Greggs is a well-established brand and often uses humour through its social media. Whether retweeting with a witty comment or using a punny one-liner, Greggs has managed to maintain their image and actively engage with their audience.

Screenshot of etsy instagram account
  • Etsy

Selling a variety of handmade and unique items, Etsy uses its social media to display the work by independent, creative designers. The pandemic increased the message to support small businesses and local independent shops, Etsy’s platform allows customers to do exactly this. The visuals and content posted shows off Etsy’s very warm, welcoming and authentic branding.

screenshot of Farrow & Ball Facebook post
  • Farrow & Ball

A brand inspiring people to use eco-friendly water based paint and handcrafted wallpaper, Farrow & Ball have become well-known. They create a lot of content that is useful, inspiring and gives their individual paint colours personality. 

Did having a look at these top brands help inspire some new and unique content for yourself?

Adding value is very important through social media, don’t just push products and promotions. Give them information that is useful and relevant - connect with your audience, relate to them and create relationships. You want to create a lasting impression.

Are you using your social media to showcase and build up your brand image? 

man on phone browsing through a business' instagram


22Group can help if you’re looking for branding, marketing or web design services. Make a splash! Get in touch, we’d love to help.

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