How to Use Your Social Media Marketing Time Wisely
Social media is all about making a connection – one person to another person, online in a virtual meeting place. What a huge opportunity for a business to promote itself! And even better, it is almost entirely free! The only thing that it costs you is a little bit of your time each day. So, let’s talk about the time factor.
One of the biggest mistakes people make on social media sites is misdirecting their time…getting sucked into the habit of reading everything and anything that has been posted. Next thing you know, three hours have gone by!
WARNING: SOCIAL MEDIA SITES CAN BE VERY ADDICTING!
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about taking control of your time spent on websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Before you even venture online, make a plan and write it down! Ask yourself three basic questions:
- What do you hope to accomplish by having a presence on a social media site?
- Who is going to be in charge of checking the account and how often during the day?
- Who is going to be in charge of posting content?
Now, print out a basic monthly calendar. Along the side of the page, list the different topics that you may want to post about in the next 30 days. For example, if you own a cupcake shop, you can list new flavors that you will be highlighting, special services you offer and upcoming specials. Be sure to throw in a couple of stories that are a little more personal. Maybe you have an adorable picture of your child eating a cupcake, or a story about when you and your crew supplied dessert to a local shelter. Your goal is to make a connection with complete strangers. The best way to do this is to mix a little business information with a real-life story. Anything goes on your list – in fact, don’t over think it just write down what comes to mind!
Now that you have answered the three basic questions, you have a blank calendar staring at you and a list of ideas to write about, it is time to put together the official posting calendar. But, make sure you only plan out a week at time and you write it in pencil! This way, you can easily change your plan as you go along. If something you post about gains a lot of popularity, you will want expound and build on that subject for a few posts. Also, stay up-to-date with what is going on in the world as current events will also help direct your posts.
Congratulations! You now have a plan to get through your first month of marketing your business online without spending hours a day trying to wade through the social media sea. Happy marketing!
