Introduction to Scheduling TikTok Posts
With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has become a vital platform for brands and creators to reach their audience. But creating compelling content daily can be challenging. That’s why scheduling TikTok posts in advance is essential for fueling growth and engagement.
Post scheduling allows planning and preparing content ahead of time to automate publishing. By developing a queue of queued-up content, TikTok users can ensure consistent posting without constantly creating new material.
The good news is there are now several free ways to schedule both videos and images on TikTok. In this guide, we’ll cover the benefits of scheduling, top free scheduling methods, tips for success, optimizing your strategy, and common questions around planning TikTok content in advance. Let’s dive in!
Benefits of Scheduling TikTok Content
Here are some of the key advantages creators and businesses can gain from scheduling content on TikTok:
- Saves time – Scheduling removes the need to manually post daily, giving more time for creating content.
- Allows planning – With scheduling, you can map out content themes, hashtags, and captions in advance.
- Enables consistency – Auto-posting keeps your profile active consistently, which is key for TikTok’s algorithm.
- Handles busy times – Scheduling queues up content for times when you have limited availability.
- Analyse performance – Seeing how scheduled posts perform helps inform future content planning.
- Multitasking – Scheduling lets you focus on creating new videos while past posts are automatically shared.
By spending time up front planning and scheduling content, TikTok marketers can reap huge benefits in time savings, consistency, performance, and growth.
Free Ways to Schedule TikTok Posts
The good news is there are a number of free scheduling options available for planning TikTok content in advance:
Using TikTok’s Built-In Scheduling
The easiest way to schedule TikTok posts is directly within the TikTok app:
- After creating and editing a video, tap “Next” then “Schedule”
- Pick the date and time up to 6 days in advance you want the post to go live
- Hit “Schedule” and the post will automatically publish at the set time
While limited to scheduling one post at a time, this is a simple built-in option.
Third-Party Social Media Management Tools
Popular social media management platforms like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Buffer offer free versions with TikTok scheduling:
- Their dashboards allow you to upload, organize and schedule multiple TikTok videos and images at once.
- Most will let you draft captions, use hashtags, and schedule times for each post.
- Great option for easily planning and queueing a week or more of TikTok content.
Specialized TikTok Scheduling Apps and Sites
Dedicated TikTok scheduling tools like Later, Schedulo, Planoly and more enable planning your TikTok feed further in advance:
- These sites are designed specifically for scheduling TikTok video and photo content.
- Offer useful features like drag-and-drop calendars, caption templates, and multi-account support.
- Easy to visually organize and re-arrange your TikTok content queue.
The best part is all these scheduling options are completely free, making it easy to find a method that fits your needs.
Tips for Successfully Scheduling TikTok Posts
Here are some top tips to help make your TikTok scheduling strategy succeed:
Plan Content Themes and Hashtags in Advance
Get organized by planning the themes, topics, and hashtags you want to focus on in your content calendar. This will make creating and scheduling videos easier.
Analyze Best Times to Post on Your Account
Look at when your followers are most active and what times get your posts the most engagement. Schedule content for those high-traffic windows.
Write Captions and Add Effects Ahead of Time
Compelling captions and effects can make or break a video. Draft these details for each scheduled post as you add it to your queue.
Use Videos, Images and Live Streams in Your Queue
Mix up your scheduled posts between different formats – videos, static images, live streams, etc. Variety will likely bring better results.
Check Scheduled Posts Before Publishing
Be sure to preview your scheduled TikTok posts before they go live to confirm captions, effects, and video are all accurate.
Planning details like timing, formats, captions, and hashtags for each post will set your scheduling strategy up for maximum impact.
Optimizing Your Scheduling Strategy
To get the most out of scheduling TikTok posts, keep these tips in mind:
Schedule Consistently, Not Too Far in Advance
It’s best to schedule posts consistently 1-2 weeks out rather than sporadic posts scheduled far in advance. This allows adapting to trends.
Analyze Performance of Scheduled Posts
See which scheduled post times, captions, hashtags, etc. perform best. Use these learnings to refine future scheduled content.
Adjust Schedule Based on Key Insights
If you notice better engagement on certain weekdays or with certain content types, update your queue to focus on what works.
Collaborate with Others for More Content
Partner with influencers or creators in your niche to develop more unique content to schedule on each other’s TikTok channels.
Use Paid TikTok Ads Alongside Organic Scheduling
Complement your scheduled posts with paid ads for important launches or promotions to maximize impact.
Closely monitoring performance and optimizing your scheduling approach will drive up the ROI of spending time planning and queueing TikTok content.
Common Questions About Free TikTok Scheduling
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about getting started with scheduling TikTok posts for free:
How far in advance can I schedule TikTok posts for free?
Most free scheduling tools allow scheduling TikTok posts around 1-2 months in advance, with some up to 6 months. But it’s best not to schedule really far out.
What’s the easiest way to schedule TikTok videos?
Using a dedicated TikTok scheduling app makes it simple. You can drag-and-drop to organize posts, add captions/hashtags, and schedule in advance.
Can I schedule both videos and images on TikTok?
Yes, most free TikTok scheduling platforms allow you to schedule both video posts and static photo posts.
Is scheduling TikTok posts free for business accounts?
Yes, the built-in TikTok scheduling tool and third-party apps offer free scheduling regardless of whether you have a personal or business profile.
Are there risks associated with over-scheduling content?
Scheduling too far in advance or overloading your queue can make it hard to adapt to trends. Schedule consistently 1-2 weeks out maximum.
Conclusion
Scheduling TikTok content in advance using the platform’s built-in tool, social media managers, or dedicated TikTok sites can transform your posting strategy. Planning small batches of content informed by performance ensures your profile stays active consistently without becoming overwhelmed or stale. With the right mix of planning and optimization, scheduling TikTok posts for free can elevate your brand and help you effectively reach your audience.
