When the Threads API comes out, it will mean users will be able to schedule posts on the platform through social media management tools.
I recently told you that Threads was quickly becoming a favorite social media platform for me. Threads feels like a cross between Instagram and X. But because it’s a sister platform of Instagram, follower growth happens much faster. Now that the Threads API is coming, we’ll be able to schedule posts through any social media management tools.
API, by the way, stands for Application Programming Interface. It’s a piece of software or code that allows different programs to work together. In this case, it would allow social media management tools like Buffer, HootSuite and others to be able to schedule posts on Threads.
Other platforms that already allow scheduled posts — like Facebook, X, and BlueSky — have their own APIs.
I schedule posts on Facebook, X, BlueSky and Mastodon. When Threads releases its API, I’ll schedule a few posts there as well. But I won’t be scheduling exactly the same kind of posts on Threads that I do elsewhere.
Different platforms, after all, attract different audiences. What works on one may not necessarily work as well on others.
Is scheduling posts a good idea or a bad idea?
There’s no clear answer, but those on both sides of the issue can be pretty adamant. I did a quick Google search to find an example of each school of thought for the purpose of discussion.
The website BadRhino.com, for example, lists three reasons it’s important to schedule posts. Their second reason of the three is the main reason I schedule posts:
Scheduling gives you the freedom to post at “peak” engagement days & times, even if you’re unavailable at those specific times. If you’re unable to post when your social media audience is most active and likely to engage with your content, you can rest easy knowing that material will still be distributed to your audience with or without you.
Different platforms might have different “peak” times when your audience on that platform are more likely to engage. But no one can be everywhere at once. For those of us who actually have real jobs outside of our social media accounts, it’s impossible to always be on your social accounts when you’re working.
I think having content that you’ve selected to (hopefully) engage your audience is important. But I also think it’s important to have a tool to post that content when it makes the most sense. Doing it manually every single time on every single platform you’re on is neither practical or even possible.
The BrainchildGroup, on the other hand, explains why it thinks scheduling posts can be a bad idea. Their advice is simple:
Basically, stop thinking about automating social media posting as an easy way out and instead use social media for the reasons it was first created: To be social.
Well, I certainly agree with that. But I’m not scheduling posts just to “automate.” I’m scheduling posts so content can go up at times that I can’t be on the platform on my personal account.
And of course, social media does require one to be social to be successful. I do try to interact, particularly when people engage content I post. But if you can’t get to the platform to post content, you’re giving your audience nothing to interact with, right?
Scheduling posts on social media isn’t the end of the story. It’s just the beginning. I would think that would go without saying, but in case it doesn’t, I just remined you.
I’m looking forward to being able to schedule posts on Threads.
