When I talk to people about their greatest challenges with social media, what I most frequently hear is “fnding time to stay engaged.”
I can definitely relate.
Currently I’m attempting to maintain two Twitter accounts (business), two LinkedIn accounts (business) and one Facebook account (personal) for myself, along with a growing number of accounts for clients. And, I need tofind ways to fit all of this in between the other projects I may be working on—keeping web sites up to date, writing blogs and eletters, managing media requests for client PR coverage and a myriad of other things that seem to just “pop up” out of the blue.
I’m not alone, I know.
It seems like whenever I connect with anyone else who’s involved online they’re experiencing the same challenges.
The answer? It may seen somewhat counter-intuitive, but I think the answer is organizing (e.g. scheduling) and compartmentalizing these activities. Somehow it doesn’t seem quite “right” to schedule “tweet Ior “X”?) time.” After all, shouldn’t online engagement be about spontaneity and organic communication? Well, I’m coming to believe that online engagement should perhaps only appear to be spontaneous and organic.
Building Efficiency Into Social Media Posting
I literally schedule social media time for my own and client channels to ensure that the time I spend online is focused on the right activities to ensure that I can maintain my own connections while also paying enough attention to keep client activities up-to-date and meaningful.
In addition, I believe, it’s important to establish a good balance between professional and personal activities (and, definitely, these accounts should be separate). So for two hours on Tuesday afternoon, for instance, I focus on Client A, for two hours on Wednesday, on Client B, etc.—and during this time I create a specific number of potential posts for the next week.
On Friday afternoons I create as many blog postings as I can and then schedule them across upcoming days or weeks (if I’m being especially productive). These can then easily be scheduled online through blog tools like WordPress or sites like Sendible. And, there’s still the opportunity for spontaneity, because if an opportunity to tie in to some media event or issue emerges, I can simply adjust the schedule.
I’ve found that the best time for me to check accounts for any comments or conversations I need to engage in is at the end of my work day as I’m “winding down.” I can respond automatically to some items and schedule others to appear more spontaneous and not make it obvious that I’m doing all of this between 5-7:00 p.m.
Where Ideas Come From
To assist with idea generation I’ve set up both online files for myself and each of my clients. As I come across something interesting online, I’ll save it in an online folder. Then when it’s time to consider the upcoming tweets for a particular account I have plenty of source material to turn to if I’m not readily coming up with ideas.
Analytics can also be a great source of ideas. As part of my social media activity schedule, I also set aside a specific day/amount of time to review analytics for myself and my clients. This one is tough for me to do, because I’m finding that I’m pretty addicted to response and I have a tendency to check results incessantly. But, I’m doing a better job of sticking to my schedule and compartmentalizing.
Finding Help
Finally, I’m finding opportunities to delegate. After years of experience in the corporate world I felt that I was a very effective delegator, but being in business for myself has made me somehow more of a control freak. But, I’m learning to partner with other consultants, contract with freelancers, work with interns and even call upon family members to help out with certain activities that they can help me out with including research, helping to build followers for my accounts and, importantly, critical activities like proofreading.
For now, at least, this seems to be providing me with the sense of order I need to stay focused and be productive. I know it can be done, because in an online forum I recently read a post from a woman who says that she is able to manage 150 social media accounts for clients—with just one person assisting her (and, I’m guessing, a little aid from GenAI)! Still—wow!
What tools and techniques have you used to help you be more productive online?
About Us
Strategic Communications, LLC, works with B2B clients to help them achieve their goals through effective content marketing and management with both internal and external audiences. We work with clients to plan, create and publish high-quality, unique content. Whether on- or offline, or both, we’ll help you achieve desired results at reasonable rates.
In addition to content creation we specialize in helping B2B clients raise awareness and drive website traffic through a strong LinkedIn and Twitter presence.
(Strategic Communications is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise through the Wisconsin Department of Administration.)
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Tags: best practices in social media marketing, communicating on social media, marketing with social media, results with social media, social media advertising