Schedule Social Posts in Postly

Track: Content Operations
Estimated time: 12 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner

What this covers

This module covers the end-to-end process of scheduling a social post in Postly — our scheduling tool of choice — for LinkedIn and Facebook.

You'll load the caption, attach the media, select the right account, schedule for the right time, and then duplicate the post twice to create a package of three staggered posts from the same asset. This is the standard posting regime for every piece of content we publish.

Step-by-step reference

Step 1 — Prepare before you open Postly

Before creating the post, have these three things ready:

1. The captions document (spreadsheet or markdown) with all three caption variants
2. The video or image file exported and saved locally
3. Confirmation of which accounts you're posting to (Harry's personal LinkedIn, Lambent company LinkedIn, Facebook)

Captions are pre-written by Claude and exported — your job is to paste, light-edit, and schedule. Do not write captions from scratch in Postly.

Step 2 — Create a new post

In Postly, click Create post. A new post composer opens.

Step 3 — Select the target account

Before doing anything else, select the social media account you're posting to. Do this first — Postly's restrictions (character count, media format) vary by platform, and selecting the account helps you catch issues early.

Do not post to multiple platforms simultaneously from one post. Each platform has different content restrictions and formatting rules. Create separate posts for LinkedIn and Facebook even if the caption is similar.

Step 4 — Paste and edit the caption

Copy the first caption variant from the captions document and paste it into the composer. Then:

• Add a hard return (blank line) between each sentence or paragraph — Postly does not always respect line breaks on paste, and a wall of text kills engagement
• Your first line is your hook — make sure it reads well on its own, because that's all people see before clicking "more"
• Light-edit as needed: remove anything that doesn't land, tighten phrasing. The caption should feel human, not generated

Step 5 — Upload the media

Drag and drop the video or image file into the media area, or use the upload button. Wait for the spinner to complete before proceeding — large video files take a moment. Once loaded, select the file and click Add selected media. A thumbnail appears in the composer confirming it's attached.

Image sizing: For this workflow we're using square format video (1:1). Make sure the asset matches the platform's spec before uploading. Mismatched aspect ratios will crop or letterbox unpredictably.

Step 6 — Schedule the post

Set the date and time. Timing guidelines:

Use the week view in the Postly calendar to see what's already scheduled before picking a slot. Switch to week view using the toggle — it's easier to spot gaps and avoid clustering.

Step 7 — Duplicate for the second post (2–3 weeks out)

Once the first post is scheduled, duplicate it using Postly's duplicate function. This carries over the media. Then:

• Replace the caption with the second variant from the captions document
• Paste and reformat (add hard returns again — the paste issue repeats)
• Move the date out 2–3 weeks from the first post
• Vary the day of the week and time — don't repeat the same slot. If the first was a Tuesday morning, make this a Thursday afternoon.
• Update and save

Step 8 — Duplicate for the third post (2–3 months out)

Duplicate again. Then:

• Replace the caption with the third variant
• Move the date out 2–3 months from the first post
• Again, vary day and time. Friday is a good LinkedIn day; afternoon US time works well for the third touch
• Update and save

Step 9 — Repeat for each account

You now have a package of three posts scheduled for one account. Repeat Steps 2–8 for each additional account in scope. For a standard Lambent content drop, this means:

• Harry's personal LinkedIn (3 posts)
• Lambent company LinkedIn (3 posts)
• Facebook (3 posts)

That's 9 scheduled posts total from one asset.

Rules + edge cases

LinkedIn frequency limit: LinkedIn deprioritises accounts that post too frequently. As the calendar fills up, be conscious of gaps — avoid scheduling two posts from the same account within 24 hours. Personal profile and company page are treated separately, so Harry's LinkedIn and Lambent's LinkedIn don't compete with each other.

Three accounts, three caption variants: Each account gets a different caption variant — not the same caption posted three times. The variant is what makes reposts feel fresh rather than duplicate.

If the caption paste comes in as a text block — always reformat with hard returns before scheduling. A wall of copy without breaks reads poorly on mobile and buries the hook. This is not optional.

If Postly drops the media when you duplicate — this can happen occasionally. Before scheduling each duplicate, confirm the thumbnail is visible. If it's missing, re-upload.

Instagram and Google Business are not covered in this workflow. Both require individual posts and have their own process — these will be documented separately.

If you're unsure which caption variant to assign to which account — default to: Variant A for Harry's personal LinkedIn (most conversational), Variant B for Lambent company page (most professional), Variant C for Facebook (can be slightly more casual). When in doubt, ask before scheduling.

Escalation signal: If a post goes out at the wrong time or to the wrong account, notify Harry immediately. Do not delete or modify a published post without sign-off.

Self-assessment checklist

Before moving to the next module, confirm you can do all of the following without referring back to this page:

• I know why we use Postly and what its automation benefit is
• I can create a post, select the correct account, paste and reformat a caption, and attach media
• I understand the hard return rule and why the hook matters
• I can schedule a post for the correct time window for US vs. SEA audiences
• I can duplicate a post and swap in a new caption variant for the rescheduled versions
• I know the standard package structure: 3 variants × 3 accounts = 9 posts per asset
• I know the LinkedIn frequency rule and how to avoid over-clustering