Hi There,I struggled to plan Social Media Content until I learned the difference between scheduling and automating. Over the last few months every guru you can think of has mentioned these concepts with tidbits of info.  Little nuggets to get you to sign up for a masterclass.  No shade to them, but you really won't learn the difference until you actually plan content for yourself or your clients.Scheduling Content isScheduling Content involves brainstorming ideas for posts, putting them on spreadsheets, calendars, planners and eventually placing them in the scheduling software of your choice.Scheduling content takes a few hours a week per week.  With the digital realm we live in things move really fast.  You can plan weeks ahead, but an event will arise in which you will need to create some content...like NOW.  The biggest hurdle for marketers and business owners to jump is what to post.  It is very easy to get so overwhelmed in the brainstorming phase that the other phases never take place.Automating Content isAutomating content requires putting content on autopilot whether that is with help of actual humans or software. The Pro of having humans help is that they can really gage how other humans respond to the content.  The Pro of having software automate the content is that it posts in real-time non-stop.Automating content takes time, patience and money.  There are "free" software solutions out there, but they would require monthly subscriptions and/or hours of tutorials to learn how to implement.  If you choose to use others to help with content it will take time and patience to screen them and make sure they can complete tasks to your satisfaction.  You will also have to pay.  The more you pay the more likely you will be with the results.  Ya know "You get what you pay for."  That rule definitely applies to marketing and design.I learned these key differences while planning content for one of my clients.  They are are Fitness info hub with 30k+ followers on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest combined.  I posts 6 times a day for them across social media platforms, Design and plan Facebook ads, Branding and Strategy.  We have been gaining a steady 500+ organic followers a week on Instagram alone.During this project I learned what should be scheduled and what should be automated to gain the types of followers the client wanted and drive traffic to their site. Be on look out for a case study in the weeks ahead.If you would like to learn more about my marketing and design services e-mail me at epartnersmarketing@gmail.com.  You can also check out my portfolio.Thank you listening to my little ramble,<3 Erica