How often should a small shop actually post?

The honest answer is not a number, it is a pace you can keep. Three good posts a week, every week, will beat seven posts this week and silence for the next month. The algorithm rewards showing up, and so do your customers.

If you are starting from nothing, commit to three posts a week. One product, one behind the scenes, one that answers a question people actually ask you. That mix keeps your feed from turning into a wall of price tags.

Once three a week feels easy, add a fourth before you add a fifth. Growth in frequency should feel boring, not heroic. The shops that burn out are the ones that promise daily on a Monday and quit by Thursday.

Instagram and TikTok reward more frequent posting than Facebook or Pinterest, so weight your effort there. Pinterest is patient: a pin can drive sales months after you post it, so steady beats frequent on that channel.

Watch the days, not just the count. Look at when your own buyers are online, usually evenings and weekends for a small shop, and put your best post in that window. One post at the right time outperforms three at the wrong one.

Batch so the rhythm survives a bad week. If you write a week of captions in one sitting and schedule them, a sick day or a big order does not break your streak. The calendar keeps posting while you run the shop.

Track one number for a month: posts published divided by posts planned. If you hit ninety percent, you can raise the target. If you are at fifty, lower it. A pace you actually keep is worth more than an ambitious one you miss.