Is Social Media Automation Good For Business?

Probably one of the most debated topics I've witnessed about Social Media is automation.  Try sending out a tweet or status update and its likely you’ll be pulled into passionate debate.

On one side, you'll have people who feel that all forms of scheduling and automation for social media is a no-no. Many feel it eliminates the “social” portion that these platforms were designed for - or, that it dehumanizes your account and makes you seem like a robot.

On the other hand, you'll have those who'll argue that scheduling or automating social media is not that bad. They claim that it can help you be more efficient on social networks, which is especially important for small businesses short on time.

For example, I know of a few people (small business owners) who do the bulk of their reading either early in the morning or late at night. So instead of sending numerous updates in a short period of time at odd hours, they use tools like Buffer, Timely and Hootsuite to schedule updates at optimal times throughout the day - that works well for them.

Well there's a problem -- and the problem is that this is so easy and common to mess up. If you’re not careful, automation and scheduling can quickly turn into a disaster.

First, Let me be clear - automation isn’t the only thing around that ruins engagement. I see plenty of businesses that have their social profiles on complete "set it and forget it", and as a result, aren't responsive or engaging. But, there are also businesses that fail in this category even WITHOUT scheduling or automation.

If your business doesn't respond to questions or invite a dialogue - whether you’re into automation or not - you may want to re-evaluate whether you should be present on social media. Period. Remember, the point of social networks is to engage your customers, prospects, and peers. But too often, company culture gets in the way of that.

Do Automation Right

I'm not a fan of scheduling posts on social networks or using tools to automatically follow people on Twitter, but if your business chooses this approach, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Be very cognizant of timing. If you choose to schedule your posts, make sure that they are done during hours when someone from your team is able to respond. I appreciate that you’re probably not able to be on social channels the entire day, but it does help to be accessible should something happen that needs your attention.  
• Please don't desert engagement. An account that schedules updates and does not interact with its followers becomes nothing more than an broadcast channel. If you decided to schedule or automate your updates, it is vital that you still take the time to engage with your audience. If you never reply or talk to people on these platforms and only push messages out, why would someone follow like or follow your business?  (Some Additional Reading Here: People Are Talking About My Business On Twitter - Now What?)
• Don’t sell too much! Whether you’re scheduling updates or automating tweets, make sure you’re not just selling your own products or services. No one likes non-stop promotional tweets or posts.
• Be wary of spam. If you’re using tools to auto follow people on Twitter, be attentive. You may end up following a ton of bots and even some nasty characters. Before you go this route (which I'd never do), think about this - what's more important, your time or who you choose to follow?
• Be picky. Although tools like Triberr and Twitterfeed enable you to automatically share posts from your favourite blogs, odds are you won’t always agree with everything written there.

Although I hesitate to say it, and would suggest to most small or medium businesses to stay away from it, scheduling and automation really isn't all that bad and I admit that there can be some practical applications for the tools out there -- but only if they are used properly.

Have a look at your social media strategy and decide on an approach that’s right for your business, don't just blindly emulate what others are doing.

I’d like to hear your thoughts. Do you automate or schedule any of your social media? Why or why not? Do you think this approach helps or hinders a business?