Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
Instagram Threads almost broke the internet when it launched in early July 2023. The text-based app owned by Meta reached over 100 million people within hours of its launch. It's no wonder that brands, organizations and individuals quickly looked for a way to schedule threads instead of posting spontaneously.
Luckily, thread post scheduling is now available through Hootsuite. In fact, as a Meta Business Partner, Hootsuite is one of the first social media management apps to offer this functionality – and it's super easy to use.
Read on to find out how scheduling Threads posts can save you time.
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Can you schedule Threads posts in advance?
Starting March 1, 2024, users will be able to schedule Threads posts through Hootsuite. As a Meta Business Partner, Hootsuite is one of the first social media management apps to introduce Threads integration.
If you're reading this article, you probably already have a reason (or three) to plan threads in advance, but just in case, here are some benefits to consider.
By scheduling threads in advance, you can:
- Plan your content in advance
- Post to your international audience without having to wake up at 3am
- Keep posting while you're on vacation or lacking team members
- You can take sick days without impacting your team's productivity
- Provide uninterrupted blocks of concentration time in your workday
- Protect your mental health by having the option to go offline
- Take the time to create high-quality media to match your content
- Get personalized recommendations on the best times to post based on your goals
- Post from your desktop instead of your phone
- And more!
Are you convinced that thread scheduling is right for you? Read on for step-by-step instructions as well as some best practices to follow.
How to Schedule Threads Posts: 4 Easy Steps
With some social media management apps like Hootsuite, you can easily schedule social media posts for all your favorite networks in one place, saving social media managers tons of time. Hootsuite lets you schedule posts for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Scheduling a Threads post follows essentially the same process as scheduling any other type of post in Hootsuite. Here is a quick summary of the steps (keep reading for more details):
- Sign in to Hootsuite
- Connect your Threads account
- Compose your thread
- Plan for the best time
1. Sign in to Hootsuite
If you're already a Hootsuite customer, hello! Welcome back. Here you can sign up.
If you're new to Hootsuite, sign in here.
Note: Thread scheduling is available on Hootsuite via desktop.
2.Connect your Threads account
You can connect your Threads account just like you would any other social network in Hootsuite.
- Go to Home > Social Accounts > Add a social account
- Select Threads
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- Follow the instructions until the connection is established
3. Compose your thread
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- Go to Composer > Contribution
- Under Publish onselect your Threads account
- Write your thread in the content field. A preview appears on the right.
- Add images, a Canva design, or other types of media in the box below.
- Pro tip: Not sure what to write? Try OwlyWriter AI in Hootsuite to boost your drafting. Or check out this long list of creative thread ideas.
4.Plan the best time
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- Click Plan for later (next to the yellow one Post now Button)
- Either manually set a future publishing time when you know your audience is likely to be online, OR
- Choose one of Hootsuite's recommended best times to post
And voila! You have just scheduled your first thread. It is really that easy.
Top tips for scheduling threads
Scheduling Threads posts can increase your efficiency and save time. However, you should follow some key best practices to maximize your efforts even further. And avoid some classic mistakes—like looking spammy or sounding tone-deaf in the middle of a crisis.
Bonus: Get a free social media strategy template to quickly and easily plan your own strategy. Also use it to track results and present the plan to your boss, teammates and customers.
Post at the best time
In general, it's important to post something when your followers are online. Because early engagement is a value signal for the Instagram algorithm.
This is one reason why simple cross-posting may not work. Your audience on Facebook might be active from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. during the week, but browse Instagram from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Luckily, every time you schedule a Threads post, Hootsuite's Best Time to Post feature recommends three optimal times to post. But you can also use Hootsuite Analytics to track patterns in your publishing schedule.
For example, if you know that you consistently get high engagement on threads posted on Thursdays at 1:00 p.m., make sure you schedule posts at that time and continue to test new times that may produce even better results.
Pause or adjust your schedule if necessary
We recommend scheduling threads no more than two weeks in advance. You never know when a global crisis might strike – and you don't want to be the only brand that accidentally posts something insensitive because you forgot to save the planned posts you wrote two months ago from publishing.
In other words, don’t let a global crisis become a social media crisis for your business. Use Hootsuite's Suspend Scheduled Content button to pause your scheduled threads and follow these guidelines to effectively communicate with your audience during this stressful time.
Don't just set it and forget it
If you publish content too far in advance, it can also be difficult to stay up to date with the latest audio trends, trending effects, and popular memes. And we all know that social media is evolving quickly. While it's always a good idea to schedule timely content, make sure you set aside some space in your calendar to focus on current topics.
Post 2-3 times per day
There isn't much reliable data yet on how often to post in threads. However, we can draw some conclusions from companies' posting habits on other text-based apps. For example, our data shows that posting two to three times per day is the optimal frequency to post on X (formerly Twitter).
This amount of posts should give your followers multiple ways to engage with you without overwhelming or annoying them.
Use Hootsuite to schedule Threads posts (and all your other Instagram content like Stories and Reels) at the optimal time – all from the same dashboard you use to manage your other social networks. Start your free trial today.
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Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
