Scheduling posts on LinkedIn can be a great way to keep your profile active and maximize your reach and engagement. With a scheduling tool, you can create content in advance and have it automatically posted even when you’re not logged into LinkedIn. But can you schedule LinkedIn posts for free or do you need a paid tool?
LinkedIn’s Built-In Scheduling
LinkedIn does have some built-in scheduling capabilities, but they are limited. In your account settings, you can enable the “Schedule your posts” feature. This allows you to draft posts and schedule them to publish up to 90 days in advance. However, you can only have 10 scheduled posts queued up at a time.
LinkedIn’s built-in scheduling is fine for occasional use. But for frequent posters who want to fully automate their LinkedIn strategy, the limitations make it insufficient. Power users will want to use a dedicated social media scheduling tool instead.
Free Social Media Scheduling Tools
There are a number of free social media scheduling tools available. These provide more robust scheduling capabilities for LinkedIn without any payment required. Some popular free options include:
- Buffer – Allows you to schedule up to 10 posts for free
- Hootsuite – Free plan has basic LinkedIn scheduling features
- Sendible – Free plan allows 1 social account and 30 scheduled posts
- Agorapulse – Scheduling for 1 profile and 7 days of post history for free
- SocialPilot – Basic free plan with scheduling and RSS feeds
The free tiers of these tools generally allow you to schedule several posts per social media profile. You can add some automation around timing and frequency. And you’ll get access to analytics on your posts. For most freelancers and solopreneurs, these free options can fulfill their scheduling needs.
Limitations of Free Scheduling Tools
Free scheduling tools do have some limitations to be aware of including:
- Restrictions on number of social profiles and schedules
- Lack of team collaboration features
- Less post and account analytics
- Minimal automation capabilities
- No advanced reporting or charts
For larger companies and agencies managing multiple clients, the constraints of free scheduling tools can become problematic quickly. Paid tools generally offer higher limits, more in-depth analytics, robust automation, team workflows, and more.
Top Paid Scheduling Tools
Here are some of the most popular paid social media scheduling tools with robust LinkedIn capabilities:
| Tool | Pricing | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Sprout Social | $99-$249/mo | Advanced analytics, collaboration, reporting |
| Sprinklr | Custom quote | Enterprise level, full social management |
| MeetEdgar | $29-$259/mo | Recycling and repurposing content |
| Later | $9-$99/mo | Visual content planning |
| Social Pilot | $25-$195/mo | Campaigns, RSS, collaboration |
Paid tools remove the limits on schedules, profiles and team members. You gain access to more post analytics to identify best content. Advanced features like social listening, PPC campaign integration, and re-sharing help take your efforts to the next level.
Key Considerations for Paid Tools
When evaluating paid social media scheduling tools, keep these key factors in mind:
- Account management – How many social profiles and users are supported?
- Posting – What types of posts can you schedule and publish? Look for diversity.
- Engagement – What options are there for responding to comments, DMs, and mentions?
- Analytics – Evaluate the depth of post performance metrics available.
- Automation – Search for options like RSS, recycling, and AI suggestions.
- Workflow – Assess team collaboration systems like calendars, approval chains, etc.
- Support – What training resources and technical support is offered?
- Integration – How well does the tool integrate with other marketing software?
- Price – Shop around for deals tailored to your use case and budget.
Conclusion
You can certainly schedule LinkedIn posts for free using LinkedIn’s built-in tool or free third-party apps. But for managing large volumes of content, you’ll want to use a paid scheduling tool. Evaluate both the features offered and pricing models to find the best fit.
With the right scheduling software, you can save time on social media management while optimizing your LinkedIn presence. Maintaining a consistent schedule and extending your reach is crucial for using LinkedIn to generate leads and growth.
