Complete Guide on How to Schedule Facebook Reels Like a Pro

Short-form videos have arrived on Facebook in the form of Reels, and it has rapidly become one of the most effective content formats on the platform for higher engagements and visibility. If your content isn’t reaching its target audience, knowing how to schedule Facebook Reels may turn things around.

The appeal of short-form media lies in its bite-sized format: it’s quick, interesting, and often highly relevant to the user. When published at the right time, it can lead to significant social media growth.

If you want to start seeing results and engagement from your content fast, learn how to schedule Facebook Reels today!

How to Schedule Facebook Reels via Meta Business Suite

Facebook allows Reels to be scheduled natively via the Meta Business Suite. To do this, simply log on to your account and go to the Meta Business Suite website.

From the Home page, tap on Create Reel.

If you have an Instagram account connected to your page, you can share your Reel on the platform automatically. Alternatively, you can choose to share on Facebook alone by unticking your Instagram account under Share to.

Upload your video and optimize it by adding a caption, hashtags, and audio. Reels, like TikTok videos, are designed for mobile consumption, so make sure your video fits the recommended layout.

When everything looks good, tap Next and choose the posting schedule for your Reel.

You can only schedule Reels between 20 minutes and 29 days in advance. For longer scheduling times, consider using a third-party scheduling tool.

You should be able to view all your scheduled content at any time on the Content tab. However, if your scheduled Reels are not showing up on Facebook, check the Planner tab or refresh the site.

How to Schedule Facebook Reels With Publer [Desktop]

Native scheduling can be limited. If you want more comprehensive scheduling features for Facebook Reels, try Publer—an all-in-one social media marketing tool that simplifies and improves the way you do routine social media tasks. Here’s how to set up Facebook reels easily with Publer:

#1. Create a Publer Account

You can use your Facebook account to create an account on Publer or sign up using your chosen email address.

Then, create a workspace where you can easily manage all your social media accounts. You can select your industry and provide some important details, such as how you will be using the platform, to improve your experience.

#2. Connect Your Facebook Account

Connect your account by going to Social Accounts and clicking on the Connect button next to Facebook.

With Publer, you can connect your Personal profile, Page, or Group directly on the platform so you can easily schedule Facebook Reels regardless of your account type.

Select the account you want to connect to the platform and click Continue.

#3. Go to the Scheduling Section

Create your schedule Reel by navigating to the scheduling section. Click Create from the sidebar on the left and tap on the account you will be posting on.

Choose Reel from the three options and compose your post as usual. Upload your video and add a caption.

When publishing original media, use Publer’s Watermark feature to protect your content and prevent others from claiming it as their own.

#4. Preview and Optimize Your Posts

Check the preview of your post on the right side and optimize your post using Publer’s AI Assist feature. Use this to improve your caption or to create a new and catchy one.

While AI-generated captions come with a set of relevant hashtags, you can add more manually or choose from Publer’s automatically generated hashtags.

#5. Set Scheduling Parameters

With Publer, you can schedule Facebook Reels using one of these four ways:

• Manual scheduling, which means you choose exactly when your Reel will go live.
• Autoschedule, which lets Publer select a predefined timeslot for your Reel. Use this feature to schedule your posts to go live during the best times.
• Recycle scheduling, which is great for general Reels that you want to publish over and over, such as those introducing your brand or your services. This way, you won’t have to revisit old posts or create multiples of the same one.
• Recurring posts, which let you repost Reels at the exact time every week. Recycled posts, on the other hand, can be customized per Reel.

These extensive scheduling options are great when planning to bulk upload Reels on Facebook. Manually setting a date and time for each post can be time-consuming. To save time and ensure that your posts are published when your audience is active, schedule your Facebook Reels with Publer.

How to Schedule Facebook Reels via Phone

Since scheduling natively is only available on desktop, you may be wondering how to schedule Facebook Reels on mobile. One way to do that is by using a social media automation platform like Publer. Here’s how you can do it in minutes:

Download Publer from the App Store or Google Play Store. Tap on the Plus icon at the bottom of the screen.

Select your Facebook account from the options and tap Reel.

You can shoot the Reel directly from the Publer app or upload a ready-made video. Add a caption and hashtag or generate them automatically with Publer.

Before posting, you can choose to Get a reminder before your Reel is published. This will allow you to edit your video using Facebook’s built-in editing features before posting. You can add text, audio, effects, and stickers to provide context and make your Reel more appealing.

When done, click Next and choose the scheduling option for your Reel.

Once your Reel is ready to be posted, you’ll get a notification from the Publer app. Click on the pop-up to preview your post and make any last-minute changes to your Reel on the Facebook app.

Requirements & Specs for Facebook Reels

The requirements and specifications for Facebook Reels are quite strict to provide the optimal viewing experience for mobile users. By following these metrics, you ensure that you consistently publish high-quality Reels:

• Video length. Reels have a maximum length of 90 seconds. Stick to this length to ensure your video isn’t randomly cut off.
• FPS. Keep the FPS of your Reels between 24 and 60 FPS.
• Resolution. The recommended resolution for Reels is 1080p. A higher resolution may cause Facebook to compress your video, while lower resolutions can lead to poorer video quality.
• Video format. Facebook recommends using the MP4 format for Reels.
• Aspect ratio. A 9:16 ratio is ideal for Reels, as this allows your video to fill the entire screen. Other aspect ratios can result in black panels on top or on the sides of your Reel.

4 Benefits of Scheduling Facebook Reels

Here is an overview of what you can accomplish when scheduling Facebook Reels with Publer:

Improve Efficiency

Creating and scheduling Reels in advance will help you save time and improve your overall efficiency. Unlike traditional text or image posts, Reels can take more time to make and consume more hours of your day.

Setting aside a few hours at the start of the week to do the bulk of your content creation will ensure that your feed stays active, even if you get too busy with other tasks during the week.

Grow Your Audience

Since Reels show up on different parts of Facebook, such as the news feed, explore page and dedicated Reels tab, they are a great way to attract new followers. By scheduling Reels, you can target different demographic groups and audiences in other time zones.

Boost Engagement Rates

With their shorter length and more creative storytelling, Reels are better for engagement than other content formats on the platform. And since you no longer have to post Reels manually every day, you can use that time to reply to any comments that you get.

Replying to comments will leave a positive impression on your followers and promote conversation. Other users are more likely to comment on future posts when they see that you respond.

Ensure a Consistent Posting Schedule

Scheduling Facebook Reels ensures that you post consistently, which will improve your social media presence. And for businesses, a strong social media presence is key to any marketing strategy. It will help increase brand awareness, reach your target audience, and generate leads.

4 Pro Tips for Scheduling Facebook Reels

Facebook launched Reels to help users grow their audience, so keep these pro tips in mind when scheduling your Reels to make the most of their benefits:

• Post at the best times. One of the benefits of scheduling Facebook Reels is that you can reach your audience when they are most active, so make sure you post your Reels during peak hours.
• Use analytics. Improve your content strategy by using analytics to determine what content and format work best for your audience. Which Reels had the most impressions and engagements? What do they have in common? Consider reposting high-performing Reels to improve your reach further.
• Post quality and authentic content. It’s easy to be swept away by Facebook trends and viral videos, but while these can earn you a few clicks and interactions, you won’t attract the right audience if your branding isn’t consistent in your content. By posting quality and authentic content, you will gain followers who are genuinely interested in your brand.
• Crosspost content. Social media sites serve different demographics, and crossposting content is one way to target a wider audience. This also provides a more cohesive and consistent social media experience for your followers.

Key Takeaways

• Scheduling Reels on the Meta Business Suite can only be done with a Facebook Page.
• A third-party scheduling tool like Publer offers more flexibility in your scheduling options. It boasts features like bulk scheduling, AI tools, and longer scheduling dates.
• You can easily schedule Facebook Reels from your phone with Publer.
• By scheduling Facebook Reels, you can save time, improve engagement rates, and maintain consistency in your posting schedule.
• When scheduling Facebook Reels, remember to post authentic content during peak times, crosspost on different platforms, and use analytics to enhance your content plan.

Ervin Kalemi

Founder & CEO

With over 10 years of experience in software development, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and social media, I strive every day to bring the best solutions that will empower your business's online presence. Currently working on Publer and Kibo.