Ever wish there were more than 24 hours in a day? Well, we’re not going to tell you the impossible, but we will give you some tips on how to include social media into your workday.
Social media has become more important in our world today, so businesses cannot pass up the opportunity to reach potential customers through these channels. However, most businesses are struggling to balance their schedules even without social media – so how can social media be added to your marketing efforts? Social media doesn’t have to be time consuming – follow these easy tips that will create a solid social media plan.
- Create an actual schedule – Block out a certain chunk of your day to devote yourself completely to social media. Schedule an hour directly after lunch so you can write blog posts, generate Facebook content, Tweet about company happenings. Or break up your social media ventures into chunks of time (such as 10 minutes at the beginning of your shift, 10 minutes at the end). Having a set time will allow you to focus on social media, and help you not get distracted from clicking on other tabs of work.
- Make a list of your social media priorities – Don’t just dive in without checking if the water is shark infested – have a specific plan about what you’re going to post each day (maybe Mondays will be all about posting about company events to Facebook, and Fridays will be all about researching and listening to customer conversations so you can be on top of your industry’s buzz the following week). There’s a list of social media must-dos everyday, such as answering direct messages and customer inquiries on your brand page, so make sure you have dedicated time every day to those activities. Knowing what you’re going to post will make everything seem more organized, and in the long run, it’ll save time.
- Get social media to work around your schedule – Facebook and Twitter actually have specific times where users are on the most and when they are likely to interact with your content (check out this interesting Mashable article). But what if these times coincide with your conference meeting every week? Well, don’t let social media completely rule your life. You don’t have to reschedule that meeting – use a social media management tool to help you schedule posts and gather insights. Don’t spend time gathering analytics or waiting for the optimal hour to post when you don’t have to.
Social media isn’t very time-consuming when you have an action-packed, but simplistic plan. Stick to your plan, and you’ll find that you have more time (and money) that can be devoted to other business efforts.
