To efficiently schedule posts on Sprout, you primarily use the Publishing section to either leverage the Sprout Queue for automatic optimal-time publishing or to manually set specific dates and times for your content. The Sprout Queue is particularly useful for maintaining a consistent content flow without constant manual intervention.
Auto-Scheduling Your Content with Sprout Queue
The Sprout Queue offers a streamlined way to automatically publish your content at optimal times determined by Sprout Social's algorithms. This method ensures your posts go out consistently without needing manual time selection for each one.
Detailed Steps for Auto-Scheduling
Follow these steps to schedule your posts using the Sprout Queue:
- Navigate to Publishing: From your Sprout Social dashboard, locate and click on the Publishing tab in the main navigation menu. This is your central hub for all content planning and scheduling.
- Access Sprout Queue: Within the Publishing section, click on Sprout Queue. This will take you to the interface where you can manage your queued posts and view scheduled times.
- Compose Your Post: Click the Compose button to open the post composer. Here, you'll create your social media update, including text, images, videos, and links.
- Select Auto-schedule: In the "When to post" dropdown menu, choose Auto-schedule with Sprout Queue. This tells Sprout Social to find the next available optimal time slot in your queue.
- Choose Queue Placement: Decide where your post should be placed within the queue:
- Queue Next: Select this option to place your post in the first possible time slot available in your queue. This is ideal for content that is time-sensitive or needs to go out sooner.
- Queue Last: Choose this to move your post to the end of the queue. This is useful for evergreen content or posts that can wait for all other queued content to be published first.
Understanding Sprout Queue Options
The flexibility of the Sprout Queue lies in its ability to adapt to your content strategy:
- Queue Next: Prioritizes your post, slotting it into the very next available publication window.
- Example: If your queue has slots at 9 AM and 1 PM, selecting "Queue Next" for a new post will place it at 9 AM (if that slot is still open).
- Queue Last: Adds your post to the back of the line, ensuring all currently scheduled queue posts go out before it.
- Example: Using the same 9 AM and 1 PM slots, "Queue Last" would place your post after 1 PM, assuming no other "Queue Next" posts are added in between.
Sprout Queue Placement Comparison
| Option | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Queue Next | Inserts post into the earliest available slot. | Time-sensitive updates, urgent announcements. |
| Queue Last | Adds post to the very end of the current queue. | Evergreen content, supplementary posts, less urgent. |
Benefits of Using Sprout Queue for Scheduling
Leveraging the Sprout Queue offers several advantages for efficient social media management:
- Optimal Timing: Sprout's algorithms help publish content when your audience is most active, maximizing reach and engagement.
- Consistency: Ensures a steady flow of content, maintaining an active presence across your social channels.
- Time-Saving: Automates the scheduling process, freeing up valuable time for content creation and strategy.
- Flexibility: Easily reorder, pause, or adjust posts within the queue as your needs evolve.
General Best Practices for Sprout Scheduling
Beyond the Sprout Queue, here are general tips for effective scheduling on Sprout Social:
- Audit Your Queue Regularly: Review your upcoming posts to ensure content is still relevant and timely.
- Mix Content Types: Vary your posts with images, videos, articles, and questions to keep your audience engaged.
- Monitor Analytics: Use Sprout Social's robust analytics to understand which content performs best and adjust your scheduling strategy accordingly. Learn more about Sprout Social Analytics.
- Utilize Drafts: Save ideas as drafts if they aren't ready to be scheduled, allowing for team collaboration and review.
- Consider Manual Scheduling: For highly specific campaigns or time-sensitive events (e.g., a live webinar), you might opt for manual scheduling to select an exact date and time, bypassing the queue's automatic placement. For details on various scheduling options, refer to Sprout Social's Help Center.
