We all know that social media is growing more and more important for businesses to reach their target markets. In fact, last year social media became the primary platform in which consumers and influencers gained new information about products – eking out company websites for the very first time.
So, how do you stay on top of all your social media accounts in the most effective way possible? It’s easy to get overwhelmed all the constant updates and ever-expanding feeds on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and whatever else you may use (MySpace is still around). To save you some time, here’s a short list of tips you can use to keep your accounts organized, and get a system in place so you don’t miss any opportunities to get your business out there. It’s free marketing, after all.
1. Timing
Let’s be honest, logging on to Twitter and Facebook can be a rabbit hole. It’s easy to get distracted throughout the day by constantly checking your feed or spontaneously updating your status. If you set aside some time each day to focus solely on your accounts, you can keep your goals clear and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Editorial calendars like KaPost and FalconSocial can be your friend in reminding you to stay on top of your schedule, and to help you keep all your content together.
2. Dashboards
Even with adding “social media time” into your day, having a bunch of tabs open with all your accounts can be overwhelming. HootSuite and SproutSocial are dashboard programs that help organize all of your social media accounts in one place, can track the number of interactions, unique visits, and schedule preplanned posts and campaigns.
3. NewsJacking
NewsJacking is a term coined by PR Expert David Meerman Scott, outlined in his latest book, NewsJacking: How to Inject your Ideas into a Breaking News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage. In a nutshell, it’s a method of riding the wave of breaking news stories relevant to your industry to increase exposure to your business. This of course means that you have to stay on top of what’s going on in the industry, so you can strike at the right time before a story dies down. Feedly and HubSpot’s Social Media Tool are designed to keep your feeds organized, so you can swiftly sift through the most important information, and expose your business as efficiently as possible.
Social media is a tough nut to crack, and it’s tough to keep up with changing trends, but with the right strategies and tools, anyone can become a social media guru. So let’s get cracking!