You can’t be online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s impossible for you or anyone else to do, especially if you expect to run your business effectively. But, if you run an international company based in the UK, you want your customers in the US, Asia and elsewhere in Europe to see your tweets, respond to them and retweet them. You can see it’s essential to learn how to schedule tweets ahead of time.
Conversely, your customers in other countries want to see updates and new information from you. If they don’t, they’ll look for another provider—something you don’t want. So, what is a good, effective business owner to do? Learn about scheduling your tweets so they are seen and acted upon at times convenient for everyone concerned!
Should You Schedule Your Tweets?
Some social media experts shake their fingers and say you should never pre-schedule your tweets. They believe you should also do so because X (formerly Twitter) responds in real-time. That’s all very well and good, but as you think of your customers in Japan, you may feel a shiver of dismay. Counting ahead, you determine when you’d be awake to send tweets in real-time.
Other social media experts hold a different position. You’re not on X (formerly Twitter) 24 hours a day. Nor are your customers. According to Razor Social, you should be able to share on X even when not in front of your computer. Work out when you’re on X (and other social media), then do the same for your customers. If, because they are located in different countries, then yes, you will need to pre-schedule some of your tweets.
For UK-based customers, you can send tweets during your regular workday or when you or your social media person is in front of your computer screens.
Once you’ve set up a tweet schedule, you shouldn’t forget about it. Instead, you must analyse your X (formerly Twitter) traffic. Look at the number of retweets you get per hour. What time of the day is this percentage the highest? The takeaway is that you need to keep this schedule if you see the highest rate of retweets at 10 AM Beijing time. Your customers are seeing your tweets and responding to them, according to Kissmetrics.
Next, how many tweets should you send out per hour? On average, the fewer, the better. Kissmetrics states that if you send out between one and four tweets per hour, your customers will respond, click through and read the material you may have linked to your tweet. If you send out more than four per hour, your customers will feel overwhelmed and click away, representing a lost opportunity.
Steps to Schedule Your Tweets
Now that you know you can set up a schedule for sending out tweets ahead of time, let’s look at how to schedule tweets. You can do so directly from X (formerly Twitter) or use several scheduling tools. Let’s look at using X (formerly Twitter) for now:
Create an advertiser account. You don’t have to tweet paid ads even though you now have an advertiser account. You can send regular tweets that allow you to keep your business and services in front of your customers worldwide. According to CNet, another advantage of scheduling tweets through Twitter is that you can post tweets with images.
Select a date to auto-schedule your message. As always, this should be a date in the future. It can’t be today. Select a time of the day, then whether you want the tweet to go out in the morning or the afternoon. Save, then schedule the tweet.
With this X (formerly Twitter) tool, you can select how many messages go out per day, the times the tweets will begin and end, and even the days of the week you want tweets to be sent. You’ll also be able to choose your time zones so that, even if it’s three in the morning for you, the tweets will go out during the working hours of your customers in other countries. No need to be awake at this hour of the morning, all to ensure that you’ve sent out a time-critical tweet!
Another X (formerly Twitter) service allows you to schedule tweets to go out ahead of time using the same set-up steps. If it isn’t running, your tweets will still go out as you originally planned.
Other tools do the same thing. They also allow you to add the time zones you need. Many of these services function similarly. You’ll have to choose which one to use based on the capabilities your business needs.
You’ll find six or seven websites or X (formerly Twitter) services that allow you to pre-schedule your business’s tweets so they can be sent out, even when you aren’t in your office.
Benefits of Tweet Scheduling
Elaborate on the numerous advantages of scheduling tweets, including:
Enhanced Productivity: Schedule tweets in advance to save time, streamline content planning, and maintain a consistent posting schedule.
Global Reach:Schedule tweets to reach a broader audience across different time zones, ensuring your content is seen and appreciated worldwide.
Step-by-Step Guide to Scheduling Tweets
Provide a step-by-step guide on scheduling tweets using popular social media management tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social.
Choose a Social Media Management Tool: Consider the tool features, ease of use, and integration capabilities when selecting a tool for your specific needs and budget.
Connect Your X Account: Link your X (formerly Twitter) account to the chosen tool to grant access for scheduling and managing tweets.
Compose Your Tweet: Craft a compelling tweet that captures attention, conveys your message, and adheres to X’s character limit.
Select the Scheduling Option: Locate the scheduling feature within the tool and choose the desired date and time for your tweet to go live.
Review and Schedule: Preview your tweet to ensure accuracy and consistency, then finalise the scheduling process.
Advanced Tweet Scheduling Strategies
Introduce advanced scheduling strategies to enhance your social media marketing efforts:
Research and prepare hashtag lists for different content types. UK-specific hashtags like #UKBusiness, #BelfastBusiness, or #LondonStartup can increase local visibility.
Create hashtag banks for:
Industry-specific tags
Local area tags
Trending topic tags
Campaign-specific tags
Visual Content Integration
Schedule tweets with images, videos, or GIFs to increase engagement. Visual content generates 150% more retweets than text-only posts.
Plan and schedule X (formerly Twitter) threads for complex topics requiring multiple tweets. Threads perform well for detailed explanations, case studies, or step-by-step guides.
Structure threads with:
Conclusion tweet with call-to-action
Hook a tweet to grab attention
3-5 supporting tweets with key points
Optimising Tweet Scheduling for Specific Goals
Provide tailored advice on optimising tweet scheduling for specific social media goals:
Increase Brand Awareness: Schedule regular tweets that showcase your brand’s voice, values, and offerings to establish a strong presence and attract new followers.
Drive Website Traffic:Share blog posts, landing page links, and promotional content to generate clicks and direct traffic to your website.
Promote Events and Campaigns: Schedule timely tweets to announce upcoming events, introduce new products or services, and generate buzz around your campaigns.
Enhance Customer Engagement: Schedule tweets that encourage conversations, respond to customer inquiries and foster a loyal community around your brand.
Tools for Scheduling Tweets
Now that you’ve decided to begin scheduling your business’s tweets ahead of time, you need to know which tools will help you. Here are a few:
X (formerly Twitter). You’ll need an X Ads account with the scheduled tweets option. Sign up with an advertiser account, then visit ads. Twitter to get started.
Hootsuite. Using the AutoSchedule option, you can easily pre-schedule your tweets to go out on specific dates and times. In addition, you can choose to get an email when an auto-scheduled tweet has gone out.
Buffer. Here, you’ll only be able to schedule your tweets in advance. Buffer has no free dashboard that carries all your social media accounts. If you want that, you need to pay for it.
Tweetdeck. Similar to Hootsuite, TweetDeck acts as a social media hub. Here, you’ll have to pre-schedule individual tweets, which can be time-consuming.
FutureTweets. This independent website asks for your X (formerly Twitter) account access. Once you’ve granted access, all you need to do is write out your tweet, schedule it and click on “schedule.”
Twuffer. This web-based service is similar to Future Tweets. With this site, you can set up a record for each scheduled tweet, even creating separate tabs for sent, currently scheduled and failed tweets.
LaterBro. This service has one difference. In LaterBro, you can schedule Facebook posts and your tweets.
TwitTimer. The capabilities of this service are similar to the others just outlined, but there is one big difference. By adding your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts, you’ll also be able to schedule posts relevant to your business.
Later, a visual scheduler is perfect for planning Instagram and Twitter together. The affordable Pro plan unlocks more features.
Choosing the Right Tool
Consider these factors when selecting scheduling software:
Team Size: Solo businesses can manage with simpler tools, while agencies need collaboration features.
Platform Mix: If you’re active on multiple platforms, choose tools supporting all your channels.
Budget: Free tools work for basic needs, but advanced features require paid subscriptions.
Analytics Requirements: Businesses focused on ROI need robust reporting capabilities.
The biggest mistake we see with UK businesses is treating social media scheduling like a ‘set it and forget it’ system,” says Ciaran Connolly, Director of ProfileTree. Successful scheduling requires understanding your audience’s behaviour patterns, particularly in the UK, where timing and tone matter enormously. We’ve helped businesses double their social media engagement by scheduling content when their specific audience is active rather than following generic best practice timings.”
Best Practices for Scheduled Tweets
Getting the most from scheduled tweets requires an effective strategy. Here are some proven tips:
Mix in real-time tweets—Don’t overschedule. Leave room to respond and post spontaneously, too.
Schedule tweets when your audience is engaged. For most, tweeting between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and in the evenings drives the best results.
Use visual content—Tweets with images, videos, GIFs, polls, etc., perform much better than text-only.
Leverage trending hashtags—Monitor trends and ride timely viral hashtags while relevant.
Retarget website visitors—Segment email lists by site visitors and target them with related tweet content.
Analyse performance—Review tweet analytics to refine the scheduling approach continuously based on top-performing content.
Consistent high-value scheduled tweets will help you gain X (formerly Twitter) followers, amplify your brand, and increase website traffic.
Crafting Compelling Scheduled Tweets
Applying these best practices will maximise the impact of your scheduled tweets:
Lead with value—Offer useful tips, exclusive deals, breaking news, etc., rather than self-promotional messages.
Ask questions—Tweets that prompt responses and opinions drive engagement.
Use visuals—As mentioned above, embed images, charts, videos, GIFs, etc, to catch the eye.
Leverage emojis—Strategic emojis can make tweets stand out, convey tone, and grab attention.
Get personal—Share company culture, behind-the-scenes, and personality-driven content. Build a connection.
Promote calls to action—Drive clicks to the website, downloads, sign-ups, purchases, etc. Include UTMs to track results.
Be responsive—Monitor mentions and reply to as many as possible in real-time, despite scheduled tweets.
Scheduling Don’ts
Some common scheduling mistakes can hurt your X/Twitter performance. Avoid:
Over-scheduling—Appearing robotic will cost followers. Mix scheduled and real-time content.
Scheduling late at night—Unless the audience is in a different timezone, schedule tweets for when users are awake and active.
Identical repeating tweets—Vary content throughout the week. Avoid blatant duplicate messaging.
Scheduling weeks out—Current events can quickly make old tweets irrelevant. Schedule week-by-week.
Not optimising for mobile—Ensure tweets look visually appealing on mobile devices, where most users engage.
Monitor tweet analytics and curate your approach based on lessons learned for improving future scheduled tweets.
Just a Few Words
Do you regularly share links in your tweets? X (formerly Twitter)’s Scheduled Tweets service gives you these capabilities. If you’ve found a relevant article, video or blog post you need to share, you can do so several times a day.
Once you’ve started sending out scheduled tweets, don’t forget to test their effectiveness. By noting when a tweet was clicked on or re-tweeted, you’ll know you’ve chosen a good time for pre-scheduling.
Oops! What to Do in the Face of Tragedy
When you pre-schedule tweets, you’re not thinking about how future events or tragedies can potentially affect your business or its reputation. As a case in point, the shooting at the theatre in Aurora, Colorado, led to the deaths and injuries of too many movie-goers. On that morning, the National Rifle Association in the U.S. had pre-scheduled a tweet to go live about nine hours after the shooting took place.
Michael Moore, a U.S. filmmaker, caught the oversight. The NRA failed to take the tweet down after the shooting. What did their tweet say? “Good morning, shooters. Happy Friday? Weekend plans?” Even for a national lobbying company, this was a huge oversight that blackened its reputation.
If a tragedy occurs at the same time as one of your scheduled tweets, delete it quickly, especially if the topic is too close to the type of tragedy that has happened. Replace it with one that references what has happened, remembering the victims and their families. While business is essential, putting business aside momentarily is equally important.
When a tragedy touches a nation (or several countries), prioritise those affected. Once a few days have passed, you can resume your regular pre-scheduled tweets. Your customers and potential customers will notice your compassion and will likely choose you when they need your services. Returning to the NRA, this lobbying group has, in recent years, suffered several self-inflicted injuries to its reputation by being so intensely focused on eradicating all gun control laws.
If, instead of sticking so closely to its message, this group had shown some compassion after school, workplace and movie theatre shootings, its message may have been a little more palatable. But… it is tone deaf. Take a page from their book.
Detailed Step-by-Step Instructions for Scheduling Tweets
Craft Compelling Content: Craft engaging tweets that resonate with your audience. Include relevant hashtags, incorporate visuals, and maintain a consistent voice.
Use Social Media Management Tools: To streamline the scheduling process, use social media management tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, or SproutSocial. These platforms offer intuitive interfaces and advanced features.
Set Scheduling Times Strategically: Identify optimal times to tweet based on your audience’s engagement patterns and time zone preferences. Consider using scheduling tools that provide insights into peak engagement times.
Schedule for Different Tweet Types: Differentiate between scheduling breaking news, evergreen content, or promotional announcements. Adjust the frequency and timing accordingly.
Examples of Successful Scheduled Tweets
Announcing Product Launches:Schedule tweets to build anticipation and excitement for upcoming product launches. Utilise social media contests or giveaways to amplify engagement further.
Celebrating Customer Success Stories: Share testimonials and success stories from satisfied customers. Schedule tweets to showcase the positive impact of your brand.
Tool Comparisons and Pricing
Hootsuite: A comprehensive social media management platform with scheduling, analytics, and collaboration features. Offering various pricing plans to suit different needs.
Buffer: A user-friendly scheduling tool with intuitive interfaces and integration with multiple social media platforms. Offers a free plan with limited features.
SproutSocial: A robust social media management platform with scheduling, analytics, and reporting capabilities. Caters to businesses with advanced needs.
SocialChamp: A robust social media management tool known for its ease of use, comprehensive features, and competitive pricing.
Engagement Insights and Time Optimisation
Track Tweet Performance: Utilise social media management tools to track engagement metrics, such as likes, retweets, and replies. Identify patterns and optimise scheduling accordingly.
Explore Social Listening Tools: Leverage social listening tools to monitor conversations about your brand and industry and identify opportunities for timely and relevant tweets.
Respecting Audience Preferences: Acknowledge that some followers may prefer real-time responses and avoid overscheduling tweets—balance scheduling with genuine engagement.
Conclusion
Effective tweet scheduling transforms social media from a time-consuming distraction into a strategic business tool. By implementing the strategies outlined in this guide, UK businesses can maintain a consistent social media presence while focusing on core activities.
Success requires choosing the right tools, understanding your audience’s behaviour, creating valuable content, and continuously optimising based on performance data. Most importantly, remember that scheduling is just one component of effective social media marketing—genuine engagement and authentic communication remain essential.
Start with basic scheduling to establish consistency, then gradually implement advanced strategies as you learn what works best for your specific audience and business objectives. With patience and strategic thinking, scheduled tweets can drive business growth and customer engagement.
FAQs
How far in advance should I schedule tweets?
Schedule most tweets 1-3 days in advance to maintain relevance. Only schedule further ahead for special events or campaigns. Current events can quickly make older scheduled content inappropriate.
How many scheduled tweets should I post daily?
Start with 2-3 scheduled daily tweets, focusing on quality over quantity. Monitor engagement rates and adjust based on your audience’s response. Too many tweets can overwhelm followers.
Should I use hashtags in scheduled tweets?
Yes, include 1-2 relevant hashtags per tweet—research UK-specific hashtags and industry tags your audience follows. Avoid overusing hashtags, which can make content appear spammy.
Ready to Transform Your Social Media Strategy?
While tweet scheduling is a powerful tool, it’s just one piece of an effective digital marketing strategy. At ProfileTree, we help UK businesses build successful digital presences that drive real results—from strategic social media management to conversion-focused web design and SEO that generates leads.
Our Belfast-based team has worked with hundreds of businesses across Northern Ireland, Ireland, and the UK, helping them cut through digital noise and connect with their ideal customers. Whether you need help developing a social media strategy that converts, building a website that ranks and sells, or training your team on the latest digital marketing techniques, we’re here to help.
Ready to take your digital marketing to the next level?
Let’s discuss how we can help your business grow through strategic digital marketing that works. Your competitors are already building their online presence—don’t let them get ahead.
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