Can we all agree that using social media can make time move faster than it’s supposed to?

Have you ever lost track of time using social media, and wondered to yourself “What was I just doing? Did I actually get anything accomplished?”

Social media management… sometimes it sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it?

Or perhaps you’re swamped running your business and there’s simply no time to use social media? Or worse, you feel like you have to be on social media all day to see any results?

We’re going  to get rid of ALL of this drama. ALL OF IT!

Note: If you want to keep complaining, stop reading here. I”m about to throw your excuses out the window!

If you’re looking for a solution to social media overwhelm…

let us continue. You can still make time for social media, in the same way you make time for your other marketing efforts. Time management is the key to social media management, and that’s the real issue here… how to manage it all.

 

I’m often asked how to manage social media while trying to actually get some work done. Since I answer this question quite often, I decided to share how I make time for social media for my business.

My Typical Process

On a normal day, I might use social media in several 5-20 minute chunks of time, as I have found this to be the best way to capture the largest audience. And I happen to like using social media, so hopping on and off all day is fun for me.

In order to interact with people in multiple time zones around the globe, I spread out my engagement throughout the day. Doing this helps to make sure I don’t exclude my global fans from actually seeing my tweets, posts, comments, etc.

[Tweet “In order to interact with people in multiple time zones around the globe, spread posts throughout the day.”]

Is this a ton of work? You bet it is! However, I’m always armed with a social media plan, never at a loss for content to share. (You’ll understand why below)

Trying to use social media with no plan in place can be a nuisance at times (I see you nodding in agreement). That’s why we need a strategy to manage it all.

A Busy Entrepreneur’s Guide To Social Media Management

Manage Social Media Like a Pro and Get Your Life Back

Here are five doable tips to better social media management. Use them all for the most powerful results!

Tip 1:  Keep a list of go-to resources for content to share.

Keep a list of go-to resources for content to share. I use my RSS feed to keep blog content at my fingertips, and you can too. When I’m looking for some good info to share, I go to my Feedly to browse my favorite blogs, and presto! I have content to share.

Tip 2:  Use a social media management dashboard.

Use a social media management dashboard to schedule some social media posts in advance. A dashboard will allow you to post to multiple social media profiles from the same place. I save hours of time every week by using my HootSuite dashboard for scheduling, posting and searching. You can configure your dashboard to include keywords, lists, scheduled posts, mentions, etc. If you are not using a dashboard, start today!

[Tweet “Use a social media dashboard to schedule posts and track hashtags and save several hours each week.”]

Tip 3:  Plan and organize content in advance.

Plan content ideas for your blog and social media posts in bulk. You can plan by the week, month or quarter or even by the year. Once you have an idea of what you want to talk about (as in post), you can organize your content ahead of time and drop the “what should I post today” anxiety.

[Tweet “Plan content ideas for your blog and social media posts in bulk to save time and headaches. #socialmediatips”]

Tip 4: Be actively engaged for 1 hour daily.

Acknowledge the value of engagement at least an hour or so on social media daily. This doesn’t mean self promotion, this means back and forth sharing and interaction. Break up your one hour into 10-20 minute chunks of time. I live by my 20-20-20 rule when I’m super-swamped and can’t get online several times throughout the day. I can still hop on social media to meet and greet people and interact socially.

Tip 5: Focus on two or three platforms.

Decide which social media platforms you should focus on. Let’s be realistic, you can only focus on 2-3 platforms at best, so decide which platforms need to be a priority for your business.

How to decide which 3 platforms? I’ll make this an easy one: where are your customers looking for your product or service?

Once you do a bit of recognizance and get the answer to this question, that’s where you should be spending your daily effort. Sure, you can use other platforms, but you’ll want to concentrate most of your time on the platforms that will get you in front of your target audience.

Yes, this system will work for you!

This basic system will eliminate two major challenges most people face as they try to add social media into their marketing mix:

• • the “what do I talk about” problem, and
  • the “how do I make time” problem

So again, to those business owners who claim they’re soooo busy and don’t have time to learn social media, I know this isn’t true. It’s simply a matter of finding the best content and time management systems and tools that work for you.

… or hire a Social Media Manager

If you still don’t have the time or just want to be plain ‘ol stubborn about it, hire someone to do it for you.

The goal is to get yourself into the conversations being had across social media daily.

Develop a content strategy, find a time management tool for your social media activity, and join your competitors in the social space.  You’re giving away money and opportunities to your competitors if you don’t get active!

[Tweet “Here are 5 easy tips for better social media management. Use them all for the most powerful results!”]

Ciao,
Miss Kemya