Creating & Scheduling Posts

Picmim makes it easy to create engaging content and publish it across multiple platforms from a single editor. Write once, customize per platform, and schedule for the perfect moment.

Creating a New Post

Start a new post from the dashboard, calendar, or queue. The unified editor lets you write captions, attach media, and choose platforms all in one place. Every post can be published immediately, scheduled for later, or added to your queue.

1. Click "New Post" from any screen, or click directly on a calendar time slot.
2. Write your caption in the rich text editor. Use the AI assistant button for suggestions.
3. Attach images or videos from your media library, upload new files, or import from Canva or Pexels.
4. Select the social accounts you want to publish to.
5. Choose "Publish Now" to post immediately, "Schedule" for a specific time, or "Add to Queue" to auto-fill the next slot.

Multi-Platform Publishing

Publish the same post to multiple platforms at once. Picmim shows a separate preview for each selected platform, and you can customise the caption, media, and settings per platform without creating duplicate posts.

1. Select multiple accounts from different platforms in the post editor.
2. Write a default caption that applies to all selected platforms.
3. Click on a specific platform tab to customise the caption, media, or settings for just that platform.
4. Review each platform preview to ensure formatting and media look correct.
5. Publish or schedule the post to all selected platforms simultaneously.

Platform-Specific Limits

Each social network has its own content limits. Picmim automatically warns you when your post exceeds a platform's limits and highlights which fields need attention. Here are the key limits to keep in mind:

1. Instagram: 2,200 characters, up to 10 images, video up to 60 seconds.
2. X (Twitter): 280 characters, up to 4 photos, 1 video, or 1 GIF.
3. Facebook: 5,000 characters, up to 10 photos, 1 video, or 1 GIF.
4. LinkedIn: 3,000 characters, up to 9 images, or 1 video.
5. TikTok: Video-only content with specific duration requirements.
6. Pinterest: Title and description with a required image (vertical recommended).
7. YouTube: Video with title and description required.
8. Bluesky: 300 characters, up to 4 images.

Live Post Preview

See exactly how your post will appear on each platform before publishing. The preview panel updates in real time as you type, add media, or change settings. Character count and media limits are displayed alongside each preview.

1. While composing, the preview panel on the right shows each selected platform.
2. Check the character count indicator that turns red when you exceed a platform limit.
3. Toggle between platform tabs to see platform-specific previews.
4. Hover over images in the preview to see how cropping and aspect ratios will appear.

Tagging and Mentions

Tag other users in your posts using @mentions. The mention format varies by platform: Instagram uses @username which appears as a clickable tag, while LinkedIn uses a search-based mention system. Picmim auto-detects the platform and adjusts the mention format.

1. Type @ in the caption editor to trigger the mention lookup.
2. Search for the user or brand you want to tag.
3. Select from the search results to insert the mention.
4. Check the platform preview to verify the mention appears correctly.

Hashtag Management

Organise your hashtags into reusable groups so you can quickly add relevant tags to any post. Create groups by topic, campaign, or platform, and search for trending hashtags in real time.

1. Navigate to Settings and select Hashtag Groups.
2. Click "New Group" and add your frequently used hashtags.
3. Give the group a descriptive name like "Product Launch" or "Instagram Lifestyle".
4. When composing a post, click the hashtag icon to insert a group or search for specific tags.
5. Drag and drop to reorder hashtags within a post.

Instagram Collaboration Posts

Tag collaborators on Instagram posts so the post appears on both your feed and the collaborator's feed. This is ideal for co-authored content, partnerships, and influencer collaborations.

1. Create a post and select an Instagram account.
2. In the Instagram-specific settings, find the "Collaborators" field.
3. Search for and add the Instagram username of your collaborator.
4. Publish the post. The collaborator receives a request to accept the collaboration.
5. Once accepted, the post appears on both profiles.

Scheduling Posts

Schedule posts to go live at the optimal time for your audience. Choose a specific date and time, use AI-suggested time slots based on your historical engagement data, or let the queue handle timing automatically.

1. After composing your post, click "Schedule" instead of "Publish Now".
2. Pick a specific date and time, or click the AI sparkle icon to get a recommended time.
3. AI recommendations are based on when your audience is most active.
4. Review the scheduled post in your calendar or queue view.
5. Edit or reschedule at any time before the post goes live.

Using the Queue

The queue automatically fills time slots based on your configured posting schedule. Add posts to the queue and Picmim distributes them across your defined windows, so you never have to manually pick times for each post.

1. Configure your posting schedule under Settings > Posting Schedule with daily time windows.
2. When creating a post, select "Add to Queue" instead of choosing a specific time.
3. Picmim assigns the next available time slot that fits your schedule.
4. Drag posts in the queue to reorder them.
5. Remove posts from the queue or move them to a specific time at any point.

Best Time to Post

Picmim analyses your audience engagement patterns and recommends the best times to post for each connected account. Access these recommendations when scheduling or from the Analytics section.

1. Open Analytics and navigate to the "Best Time to Post" section.
2. View the heatmap showing engagement levels by day and hour.
3. Hover over any cell to see the specific engagement rate for that time slot.
4. Use these insights when scheduling posts or configuring your queue time windows.

Smart Format Selector

When you attach media to a multi-platform post, Picmim automatically selects the optimal aspect ratio for each platform. The Smart Format Selector analyses your image and picks the best crop that preserves the most important content.

1. Attach an image to a post that targets multiple platforms.
2. Picmim automatically applies platform-specific format priorities.
3. Instagram prioritises 4:5 (portrait), then 1:1 (square), then 1.91:1 (landscape), then 9:16 (story).
4. Facebook and LinkedIn use similar priorities with wider landscape support.
5. Click on any platform preview to manually override the selected format.

Image Editor and Cropping

Crop and adjust images directly in the post editor without needing external tools. Choose from preset aspect ratios optimised for each platform, or manually adjust the crop area.

1. Click on an image in the post editor to open the image editor.
2. Select a preset crop ratio: Original, Square (1:1), Portrait (4:5), Landscape (1.91:1), or Story (9:16).
3. Drag the crop area to reposition it over the most important part of the image.
4. Apply brightness, contrast, and saturation adjustments if needed.
5. Save the edit. The cropped version is used for the current post without affecting the original in your library.

Auto-Optimized Videos

When you upload a video, Picmim automatically optimises it for each target platform using AWS MediaConvert. This includes transcoding to the correct format, compressing for optimal file size, and generating thumbnail images.

1. Upload your video in MP4 or MOV format.
2. Picmim automatically begins the optimisation process.
3. Videos are transcoded to meet each platform's specifications (resolution, bitrate, codec).
4. A thumbnail is automatically generated from the video, which you can change.
5. Processing time depends on video length and resolution. You will be notified when it is ready.

Attaching Media to Posts

Add visual content to your posts from multiple sources: your media library, direct uploads, Canva designs, Pexels stock photos, or GIF search. Mix and match sources in a single post.

1. Click the media button in the post editor toolbar.
2. Choose a source: Media Library, Upload, Canva, Pexels, or GIFs.
3. Select one or more files to attach. Reorder by dragging.
4. Each platform preview shows how the attached media will appear.
5. Remove or replace individual media items without starting over.