How to Schedule Posts on LinkedIn

News flash! LinkedIn recently unveiled a post-scheduling feature. I’m so excited about the way this new tool can help my clients create a consistent rhythm of content. Let’s take a look at how to harness this powerful feature from the desktop version of LinkedIn. 

Note: LinkedIn has been rolling out this feature gradually, beginning with select members and Android users. If you are trying to use the feature and don’t yet have access via the desktop or iOS version of your LinkedIn account, you will soon!

How to schedule a post: 

1. Click “Start a post” at the top of your LinkedIn feed.

2. In the pop-up window that appears, select the timer icon in the bottom right corner.

3. Select the date and time you want your post to go live.

4. Create your post. To add non-text elements, such as a photo, video, or document, select the corresponding icon from the bottom of the pop-up window or click the three dots to view all the options for adding to your post.

5. Select the non-text elements you want to add to your post.

6. Schedule your post.

Now that you know how to schedule a post on LinkedIn, let’s talk about what the feature means, and doesn’t mean for you. 

What the LinkedIn post-scheduling feature means for you: 

• You don’t need a third-party social media scheduling platform to schedule LinkedIn content. The majority of my clients don’t use a scheduling platform, like Hootsuite or Loomly, to organize and post their social content. Now, at least when it comes to LinkedIn, you’re not missing out. This feature allows you to have a similar level of personal control as you would with a third-party tool. 
• You can now schedule posts to go live at the best times. According to the LinkedIn Ads Blog, the best times to post content on LinkedIn are between 12–3 pm, 3–6 pm, or 6–9 pm on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. With LinkedIn post scheduling, you don’t have to be behind your desk waiting for the clock to strike noon to take advantage of these peak content windows. That said, if you don’t post regularly right now, don’t sweat posting times. First, get in the habit of starting to post. Then, after several weeks you can assess your highest engagement posts and determine what post times are best for your network.

What post scheduling does not mean: 

• You can skip your daily LinkedIn routine. Just because you can schedule posts does not mean it’s a good idea to check out and stop checking your newsfeed and notifications at least once per day. Besides, you can’t schedule engagement with your network. 
• You can schedule any type of post. At the time of writing, LinkedIn did not support the following post types: events, jobs, services, polls, multiphoto, reshares, posts to groups, and posts created by company administrators. For these types of posts, you’ll need to go the old-fashioned route and create the post at the time you want it to go live. 

I love it when LinkedIn adds a tool that really makes life easier. Used correctly, I think the post-scheduling feature can be that for many people. Speaking of using LinkedIn correctly, have you checked out my mini-course, 3 Proven Principles to Accessing Your Target on LinkedIn...(and land more clients!)? This quick and effective 20-minute training will equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to yield more opportunities from your existing network. It’s a great way to do even more with the resources you already have.