Five scheduling tools for social media

05/04/2019

Many people who look after their church’s social media accounts are volunteers, managing these channels alongside work, studies or family life. Finding ways to manage their time and plan ahead is crucial to enabling the church to run accounts that are building their community – without becoming a burden to those running them.

This week’s blog features five tools for planning, scheduling and monitoring social media accounts.

If you are working with a team a social media scheduling tool is useful to keep everyone informed of planned posts and prevent duplication or over communication.

All these have a free subscription, but if you can spend a little more per month some offer additional features at a low cost, and some offer a not-for-profit discount. It’s worth considering if your church is running multiple busy accounts!

1. Facebook Publishing tool

Facebook’s own publishing tools can be accessed through your church’s Facebook page by clicking on your page then the ‘publishing tools’ tab. From here you can plan, draft and schedule future posts, including images and videos.

Download the Facebook Page manager app and you will be able to see and edit your scheduled posts on your phone.

It’s for Facebook only and it’s free.

Download Facebook Pages Manager for Apple here

Download Facebook Pages Manager for Android here

2. Buffer

Buffer is a scheduling tool that allows you to plan, schedule and publish content to your social media channels. The user interface is easy to navigate, and the free app helps you to keep track of your posts and edit while away from your desk.

A free account allows you to connect to three of your accounts, however, there is also a not-for-profit discount which gives you 50 percent off the subscription cost. Find out more here.

Use Buffer to post to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Learn more about Buffer here.

3. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is another scheduling tool allowing you to post and schedule to multiple platforms from one dashboard, and it also comes with an app for your phone. While the user interface isn’t as easy to navigate as Buffer, the handy dashboard enables you to view all your feeds on one page, keeping you on top of your posts and notifications.

There is a free subscription allowing you to connect three accounts, however, just like Buffer, there is a not-for-profit discount of 50 percent on their paid plans. Find out more here.

Use Hootsuite to post to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Learn more about Hootsuite here.

4. Planoly ⭐

If you are interested in creating and maintaining a visual style for Instagram, Planoly is the tool for you. Upload your images, create captions and schedule posts to your Instagram grid and Stories feed. The handy visual planner allows you to see what your feed will look like with your planned posts, enabling you to keep a consistent style. It’s easy to use and a timesaver for those who have been posting straight to Instagram. This is ideal for teams who are managing an Instagram account.

Download the app for android or apple.

Use Planoly to post to Instagram and Instagram Stories

Learn more about Planoly here.

5. Tweet Deck ⭐

Tweet Deck is a free scheduling and monitoring tool by Twitter. Log in using your Twitter account details to view your home feed, notifications, Twitter lists, and to plan and schedule your tweets. An easy to use tool for anyone managing a busy Twitter feed.

Use Tweet Deck to post to Twitter only.

Learn more about Tweet Deck here.

 

What tools would you recommend for managing your social media accounts? Let us know by tweeting us @churchofengland

 

Liz Morgan
Church Digital Champion

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