Social Media Posting Schedule: What Each Network Says

No network we read publishes a recommended posting frequency. Instagram comes closest, with an observation: creators with the greatest net follower growth rates post, on average, 10 or more reels per month, and it calls frequency just one factor of many Source [1].

A schedule's volume on Autonomah is the same on Starter, Growth and Pro: up to 3 publications a week on each network, and 1 a week on Pinterest, YouTube and Google Business Source [5].

What Instagram says about frequency and timing

The creators' FAQ answers "What is the optimal number of reels I should share to grow?" with the observation above, and the word it uses is "average" Source [1]. It describes what the fastest-growing creators did, which is not the same as a number to aim for.

On the best time it is brief: when your audience is awake and most active, and use your insights to understand their habits Source [1]. We go through that answer in our guide to the best time to post on Instagram.

The FAQ also says that if video is your style, consistently creating engaging reels is the most effective way to grow your followers, and that if you prefer photos, consistently sharing feed posts or carousels helps you engage your audience and can boost the distribution of your content Source [1]. The same answer says it is important to experiment with different approaches to find what works best for you Source [1].

What the scheduling tools allow

Documented limits are firmer ground for a calendar than rules of thumb. Here is what the pages we read say Source [2]Source [3]Source [4].

• LinkedIn, personal posts. You can schedule a post between 10 minutes and 3 months from the current time, and scheduled times are converted to UTC based on your device's time zone settings Source [2]. Events and jobs cannot be scheduled Source [2].
• LinkedIn, Pages. A super admin or content admin can schedule a post anywhere between an hour from now and three months ahead Source [3]. Events, multiple photos, reshares, polls, jobs and service posts cannot be scheduled for a Page Source [3]. LinkedIn says scheduling lets a Page publish at a regular cadence to increase audience reach and create a more visible presence Source [3].
• Meta Business Suite. You can create and schedule posts to publish on Facebook and Instagram, and you need full control of the Page or Instagram account, or content permission for it Source [4]. The Active times option suggests times based on when followers were most active on Facebook and Instagram over the past 7 days Source [4].

A weekly template

This template is ours. It has no numbers because the networks give none to copy, so the columns are for your own data.

Fill the first column from your own insights, since Instagram points to your audience's habits and not to a universal day Source [1]. Add a row only when the team can finish it.

Rules that hold a schedule together

These steps are ours, built on the limits above.

1. Count only what you can produce and approve every week, then put the formats the tools cannot schedule, such as polls and events on a Page, on the calendar as manual tasks Source [2]Source [3].
2. Put the goal next to each row, so a post without a purpose is easy to spot.
3. Check the time zone the tool shows you. LinkedIn converts to UTC from your device's setting Source [2], so a scheduled time can differ from the one you meant if the device is set elsewhere.
4. Leave a gap to react to news, and keep the weekly review in the calendar too.
5. After four weeks, compare the days and formats that did well in your insights, and move rows accordingly.

With Autonomah you get a single notice a week with everything waiting for your decision, and you review it piece by piece Source [5].

How Autonomah does it

Autonomah is an artificial creative brain that thinks up, creates and publishes your brand's advertising Source [5]. Networks per campaign grow with the plan: one on Starter, two on Growth and three on Pro Source [5]. Which days and formats suit a brand's audience is still read from its own insights. Want a weekly schedule made for you? Pick the plan that fits your networks.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good social media posting schedule?

The sources give no recommended number, apart from Instagram's average of 10 or more reels per month among the fastest-growing creators, which it calls one factor of many Source [1]. Instagram's advice on timing is to post when your audience is awake and most active, and to use your insights to find out when Source [1].

What is the 5:3:2 rule for social media posts?

It is not in any of the pages we read Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]Source [4], so we cannot source it.

How far ahead can I schedule a post?

On LinkedIn, a personal post can be scheduled up to 3 months ahead Source [2], and so can a Page post Source [3]. The Meta page we read does not state a limit Source [4].