Businesses of all sizes are adjusting to the digital world and the era of social media marketing. Billboards have lost their luster, door-to-door is impractical, and commercials continue to get more expensive with more limited reach.

Marketing teams are embracing social media, which offers incredible opportunities to grow a brand's image on any budget. You may have noticed the rise of advertisements and partnerships on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok. This is no accident, as more and more brands realize how many people can be reached on these popular apps.

With over 5.5B people using mobile phones, you will be able to reach a near infinite amount of people with a perfectly planned out social media marketing strategy. Social media also offers brands the ability to connect with niche audiences around the globe.

We now know that social media content is essential for any business to succeed, but this type of content can be a time-consuming task with many manual workflows. Creating content, writing captions, scheduling posts, and responding to comments and messages are all tasks that can quickly take up a large chunk of your day. Fortunately, there are tools you can use that will help you automate your social media content creation flow so that you can focus more on running your business and less time on managing social networks.

In this article, we’ll look at some best practices for automating social media posts as well as several tools you can use to get the job done quickly and efficiently. We'll also introduce IFTTT, our helpful tool that offers millions of custom-built automations tailored to your social media marketing needs.

The magic of IFTTT lies in our user-created Applets, which are pre-packaged automations that you'll see scattered throughout this article. Keep your eyes peeled for the little Applet cards and simply click on one to get started if you see one that meets your needs!

Why should businesses use social media?

First, we need to establish why your business should even consider using social media. A myth that circulates is that only new, hip startup businesses should take a shot at social media. In reality, this is far from the truth, as any business can benefit from a strong social media presence. From small brick and mortar shops to massive enterprise corporations, building an online reputation boosts can increase brand recognition and sales.

Social media has become an essential part of a business marketing strategy. According to recent data, there are over 5.24 billion active social media users worldwide, which represents a 4.1% increase from the previous year.

Furthermore, 78% of consumers on TikTok report they have made a purchase after seeing a product or service on social media. That figure is only projected to increase as more and more businesses realize the potential of social media for customer acquisition.

In addition, creating a positive brand image is essential in order to attract customers and build relationships with them. Social media helps you engage with your audience, build trust, and ultimately create loyalty among your followers.

Big-name companies, such as McDonalds and T-Mobile, have separated themselves from a corporate-style social media feed and instead leverage funny and engaging content to grab viewers' attention. As a result, social media users feel more personally connected to these companies, and the companies see greater engagement and sales.

What is social media automation?

Social media automation involves using technology to manage repetitive tasks you may come across when dealing with a social media marketing campaign. This process helps businesses maintain their online presence while automating manual tasks. Although some social media apps offer native automations, these flows are generally supported by a third-party app, such as IFTTT.

Automation can cover tasks like scheduling posts and monitoring brand mentions. It can also include analyzing performance metrics across platforms, as well as helping you plan content.

Here are four key pillars of social media automation:

Planning: Research, plan, and draft your content.

Scheduling: Queue posts in advance for optimal timing.

Monitoring: Track mentions and keywords for brand insight.

Analytics: Analyze engagement and performance data efficiently.

By automating these tasks, brands can achieve greater consistency. This consistency helps build a recognizable and reliable presence online.

Automation tools save time, allowing teams to focus on strategy and creativity, instead of manual posting. However, automation isn't a set-it-and-forget-it solution. Continuous evaluation is needed to make sure that everything is running smoothly and aligns with your goals.

Proven benefits of automating social media posting

There are numerous benefits to automating social media posting, including:

1. Consistency: Automating your social media posts ensures that your content is consistently shared at optimal times when your audience is most likely to be active online.

2. Saving time: Manually posting to social media can be a time-consuming task. Automating this process allows you to create and schedule content in advance, freeing up time for other important tasks.

3. Increased productivity: With the ability to batch-create content and schedule posts in advance, you can increase your productivity and focus on other aspects of your business.

4. Improved engagement: By scheduling posts at optimal times, you can increase the likelihood of engagement from your audience. This can lead to increased shares, likes, and comments, which ultimately improve your overall reach.

5. Cost-effective: Investing in a social media management tool may seem like an added expense, but the time savings and improved efficiency can ultimately save you money in the long run.

6. Better analytics: Many social media management tools offer detailed analytics and reporting features, allowing you to track the success of your social media strategy and adjust accordingly.

How to choose a social media management tool

Currently, options are very limited for those wanting to automate social media posts through a stock app, such as Facebook or Instagram.

To enable the automation of posts, you will have to choose a third-party app to help. Fortunately, there are many quality options on the market today (including IFTTT). We'll go over some of the factors you will need to consider when making a decision.

Factors to use when deciding on a tool

Budget: How much money are you willing to invest in a social media automation tool? Depending on your budget, there are options ranging from free tools to more comprehensive paid plans.

Platforms: Which platforms do you need the tool to be compatible with? Some tools are only compatible with certain platforms and may not support all of the ones you want to post on.

Features: What features does the tool offer? Many tools offer scheduling, analytics, and other features that can help you manage your social media strategy more effectively.

Ease of use: Is the tool user friendly? Make sure to read reviews of the tool to make sure it is easy to use before committing to it.

Top tools for managing social media automation

Choosing the right automation tool can transform your social media workflow. Here's a deep dive into the leading tools used by professionals across various industries.

Each tool has it's own strengths and weaknesses, as well as price point, so many factors should be considered before committing to any one tool.

IFTTT: Custom automation workflows

IFTTT (If This Then That) is built to give you the freedom to create custom automation workflows tailored to specific needs. Whether for social media, smart home, or productivity, IFTTT's wide range of over 1000 supported services mean you can integrate your social media campaign with your creation flow or task management.

Its straightforward interface makes creating Applets simple, giving users the autonomy to automate virtually any task. You choose a trigger, and an action, and IFTTT takes care of the rest. IFTTT's Free version allows you to start automating immediately, then decide which plan is appropriate for your goals.

Custom Applets: Design automation to fit personalized workflows.

Cross-app connectivity: Integrate distinct platforms seamlessly.

Trigger based automation: Execute tasks automatically based on set conditions.

AI integrations: Use AI to help you draft and transform content.

Hootsuite: Comprehensive social media management

Price: Plans start at $99 per month for one user and up to 10 social channels.

Hootsuite is a powerful tool for managing several social media accounts in one convenient place. It allows users to schedule posts and monitor activity in real time, helping them maintain a steady and engaging online presence.

Hootsuite also offers advanced analytics to track performance on different platforms. This information helps savvy social media managers choose the best strategies for growth.

Multiple account management: Organize and schedule posts across various social media accounts.​

Comprehensive analytics: Access detailed reports to analyze social media performance.​

Integrated content calendar: Keep content organized and aligned with diverse social strategies.​

Buffer: Simplified content scheduling and publishing

Price: Plans start at $50 per month for 10 social media accounts, including 1 user and 2,000 scheduled posts per account. ​

Another classic choice, Buffer makes it easy to schedule and publish content on many different platforms. Its simple interface is great for both beginners and experienced users. Buffer works smoothly with all of your favorite social media sites, allowing for regular posting with minimal effort. The integrated dashboard shows all scheduled posts and how they perform, helping with content management.

Ease of use: Intuitive interface requiring minimal training.​

Schedule flexibility: Set personalized posting schedules tailored to different platforms.​

Performance insights: Effortlessly track content performance metrics.​

Sprout Social: Advanced analytics and customer engagement

Price: Plans start at $249 per month for one user, with each additional user costing an extra $199 per month.

Sprout Social stands out against competitors because it offers detailed analytics and features for managing customer relationships. Along with a premium price tag, we'd recommend this tool for larger businesses. The platform also provides strong social listening tools, helping brands understand how their audience feels and what they prefer.

Social listening: Analyze conversations and trends relevant to your brand.​

Robust analytics: Dive deep into data to optimize social media strategies.​

CRM integration: Manage and nurture customer interactions effectively.

CoSchedule: Streamlined marketing calendar management

Price: Plans start at $19 per month per user. ​

CoSchedule is great for organizing marketing calendars and planning content. It offers a central place to manage marketing tasks, like setting deadlines and sharing plans, which helps teams stay on the same page. Its teamwork features improve productivity and efficiency across different departments.

Integrated marketing calendar: Visualize entire campaigns in one place.​

Task management: Assign tasks with detailed deadlines to enhance team productivity.​

Collaboration tools: Facilitate cross-department cooperation on projects.​

Sendible: Efficient social media engagement for agencies

Price: Plans start at $29 per month for one user and up to six social channels. ​

Sendible helps businesses and agencies improve their social media engagement, with a focus on fostering connection with audiences and boosting interaction rates. The platform allows users to create custom reports and schedule posts automatically, helping to build a tailored social media strategy.

Customized dashboard: Tailor your dashboard to align with business needs.​

Engagement tracking: Monitor and engage with social conversations effectively.​

Scheduling tools: Plan and automate posts at optimal times for maximum reach.​

Agorapulse: Comprehensive social media and community management

Price: Plans start at $79 per user per month for up to 10 social channels. ​

Last but not least, Agorapulse is an excellent tool for managing social media and other communities. With the app, businesses can interact easily with their audiences and improve engagement. The user-friendly design provides clear reports on how well content is performing, which helps in improving social media strategies.

Inbox management: Organize and respond to all social messages from a single platform.​

Detailed reporting: Access insights into post performance and engagement metrics.​

Community engagement: Foster a thriving community with robust management tools.​

Features to look for in automation tools

The above tools are all good places to start, but in case you'd like to venture out on your own and find a new tool, there are a couple key features to be aware of. Each feature contributes to the most ideal social media management experience.

Scheduling and publishing

The ability to schedule and cross-share posts is essential in any automation tool. These functions support strategic content planning, helping to maintain regular and timely posts, therefore boosting engagement across different platforms. Cross-posting makes it possible to expand the reach of your social content and help it connect with your ideal audience.

Analytics and reporting

Analytics and reporting tools turn data into useful insights for you to use. They help users monitor performance, understand what the audience likes, and adjust strategies for better engagement and results.

Multiple account management

Managing multiple social accounts at once is only possible with multi-account management. This feature helps organize tasks and interactions from different accounts, making less switching back and forth for you to do. It also makes sure your brand message stays the same across all platforms.

How to use IFTTT to simplify social media management

Many of the tools we covered in this article are great for large businesses, but what is the best option for smaller operations or individuals looking to grow their brand online? IFTTT is the best choice for those looking for simple, affordable, and effective social media management.

IFTTT creates powerful automations based on time, events, and triggers from over 1000 apps and services, ranging from social media to task management tools. Best of all, you don't need any coding background to start with our user-friendly platform.

You can either find an existing Applet on our Explore page or create your own using our Applet builder. Users and IFTTT engineers have already created millions (yes, millions) of Applets for you to try, so we're willing to bet you can find something that fits your needs!

Check out some of the most popular social media services on IFTTT today.

An example social media Applet with IFTTT

Sam is an avid poster in finance communities on Reddit, and also wants to share his knowledge on LinkedIn to grow his viewer base. He decides to give IFTTT a try because of its ease of use and free to try promise. Sam first browses our explore page and looks at our pre-built LinkedIn Applets to see if any connect to Reddit.

Although there are many options, like connecting to Instagram and Twitter, none connect to Reddit. Not an issue, as Sam knows it only takes a few steps to build his own Applet. First, he'll have to connect both of the services. Then, Sam can enter the Applet builder.

He chooses the trigger to be "New Post" on Reddit, and the action to be "Share an Update" on LinkedIn. He customizes the text fields on the action to be exactly how he wants it and clicks continue.

And just like that, Sam has made his first Applet! This process can be repeated to create a variety of different automations, and if you need additional support, please visit our full Applet setup guide here.

We hope this guide has given you some insight into how social media automation can transform your marketing workflow. By taking repetitive tasks off your plate, you’re free to focus on the creative side of things: building your brand, connecting with followers, and crafting content that resonates.

If you haven’t yet, join IFTTT today to start automating your way to a stronger, smarter social media presence.