LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 850 million members worldwide. As a crucial tool for building connections and growing businesses, LinkedIn offers users a variety of features to manage their profiles and interactions. One common question is whether LinkedIn has a built-in scheduling tool that allows users to plan and send messages at specific times. The quick answer is no – LinkedIn does not currently have an integrated scheduling system for publishing posts or sending messages. However, there are some workarounds that allow users to schedule LinkedIn activity.
Scheduling Posts on LinkedIn
While LinkedIn does not have a native scheduling tool, users can schedule LinkedIn posts in a few different ways:
- Use third-party social media management platforms like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Buffer. These tools allow you to draft posts in advance and schedule them to publish on LinkedIn at your preferred times. They also provide analytics on post performance.
- Try the Google Chrome extensions like Klenty, MeetAlfred, and SocialPilot. These LinkedIn schedulers live in your browser and let you plan posts.
- Leverage the native scheduling options on Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar to send yourself reminders. You can set appointments to draft and publish your LinkedIn posts.
The main limitation with scheduling LinkedIn posts is that you can only write and calendar them in advance. You still have to manually visit LinkedIn at the scheduled time to actually publish the post. So it requires some effort, but scheduling can help you save drafts and organize your content.
Scheduling LinkedIn Messages
Sending individual LinkedIn messages and connection requests cannot be scheduled directly on LinkedIn. However, you can use some workarounds:
- Use email scheduling tools like Boomerang, Mixmax, and Streak to schedule messages that will be sent from your email to LinkedIn members. This works for initial connection requests and individual messages.
- Install browser extensions like ScheduleSend.ly and WiseStamp that allow you to select a time and date to send LinkedIn messages and connection requests right from your LinkedIn account.
- Use calendar appointment reminders to notify yourself to log into LinkedIn and manually send scheduled messages at certain times.
The limitation with scheduling LinkedIn messages is you must still be logged into your LinkedIn account at the scheduled time for the message to actually send. But using calendar reminders or browser extensions can automate more of the process.
Top Third-Party Tools to Schedule LinkedIn Activity
Here is an overview of some of the top third-party platforms and tools people use to schedule LinkedIn posts and messages:
| Tool | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Hootsuite | Schedule and publish posts, view LinkedIn analytics, manage multiple social profiles |
| Sprout Social | Create and schedule posts, analyze engagement, collaborate with teammates |
| Buffer | Plan, schedule, and analyze performance of LinkedIn posts |
| MeetAlfred | Chrome extension to plan and schedule posts |
| WiseStamp | Browser add-on to schedule LinkedIn messages and requests |
| Boomerang | Email scheduler to plan sending messages from your email |
The wide range of scheduling tools available means you can find options that suit your specific needs and budget. For example, social media management platforms like Hootsuite provide robust functionality for power users, while browser extensions like WiseStamp offer more lightweight scheduling directly within LinkedIn. Doing your research to pick the right scheduling solution can maximize your efficiency and organization when using LinkedIn.
Tips for Successfully Scheduling on LinkedIn
Here are some top tips to make the most of scheduling LinkedIn activity:
- Test tools before relying on them to see if scheduled posts actually publish on time or if messages send when expected.
- Schedule posts and messages to go out during peak times when your audience is most active on LinkedIn, usually mid-week and mid-morning.
- Avoid scheduling posts or messages outside of business hours or on weekends to prevent seeming impersonal.
- Space out scheduled times between posts and messages so you don’t flood your audience.
- Spread scheduled requests and messages throughout the week to take workload off yourself.
- Make use of calendar appointment reminders as a backup option in case other tools fail.
- Analyze the performance of scheduled versus non-scheduled posts to see what works best.
Scheduling your LinkedIn activity takes some strategy and practice to get right. But using the right tools combined with optimization and testing can help streamline your efforts to connect with your audience and achieve your business goals on LinkedIn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does LinkedIn have an auto scheduler?
No, LinkedIn does not have a built-in auto scheduler or native scheduling tool. Users have to rely on third-party apps and extensions to schedule LinkedIn tasks like posting and messaging.
What’s the best free LinkedIn scheduler?
Some top free tools for scheduling LinkedIn activity include browser extensions like Klenty, MeetAlfred and WiseStamp, as well as email schedulers like Mixmax and Streak that work with Gmail and Outlook.
Can I schedule a post on LinkedIn for a year from now?
LinkedIn’s algorithm favors timely and relevant content, so scheduling posts too far in advance is not recommended. Most third-party schedulers limit you to posting no more than a few months out. Scheduling 1-2 weeks out is best practice.
Can I schedule multiple posts on LinkedIn at once?
Yes, social media management platforms like Hootsuite and Sprout Social allow you to draft and schedule multiple LinkedIn posts in advance all at once. You can space them out over days or weeks.
How do I schedule a LinkedIn post on my iPhone?
LinkedIn’s mobile app does not allow scheduling posts directly. But you can use cross-platform scheduling tools like Hootsuite, which works on both desktop and mobile apps. Or you can set calendar reminders on your iPhone to prompt you to publish scheduled posts.
Conclusion
In summary, while LinkedIn currently does not have an integrated scheduling tool, a variety of third-party platforms and browser extensions provide ways to plan and schedule your LinkedIn posts, messages, and connection requests. Taking advantage of these scheduling options can improve your LinkedIn productivity and strategy. But care should be taken to schedule thoughtfully during peak times and to test tools before relying on them. With some effort, schedulers can automate LinkedIn activities and allow you to easily manage your connections at scale.