In the old days (like eight years ago or so), simple social media was not on anyone’s mind. Why? Because the email was all the rage and only the savvy business person who was oh-so-ahead-of-their-time cared about being social. Not anymore. Everyone is social networking, looking for those likes, followers, and, hopefully, those strong relationships to build and grow trust with fellow like-minded social media-sites.
Last week I wrote about a burger chain that seems to have figured it all out. This week, the word “simple” seemed to be at the forefront of my mind. And here’s why. I was struggling with putting up a new splash page with a double opt-in, NOT a squeeze page. Hate those. My brain couldn’t seem to wrap itself around the final steps to make it go live. Side note – I have given up drinking wine in the evening because I am on a quest to lose weight. Update: three pounds gone! I figured that would give me clarity because I wouldn’t be buzzed. But that did not help. I walked away from my Mac, poured myself a big glass of water, the only beverage I can drink on my new meal plan, and my bladder and I floated back to my desk.
Suddenly, it hit me! Go to YouTube and watch the directions! I am a visual learner and have to see it action for it to sink into my brain. Wa-la! It clicked! I was so excited I emailed my assistant and told her I was finally victorious. Her response was not nearly as complimentary as I had anticipated. She didn’t even return my email, but she did manage to give me a dirty look when she walked into my office the next day—a smirky younger-than-me woman. Anyway, I am getting off track here. My byline is “Social Media Made Simple,” so my gift to you, are eleven of my favorite ways to simplify your social media. Little things that will make a big difference, I promise. - Have the right mindset. No need to conquer Rome in one day. Patience with your learning curve is a must. And if wine helps, then, by all means, go for it.
- Hire a Virtual Assistant or a real assistant (like my smarty-pants one) to do tasks that are not your specialty. For example, graphics + images, love them, know what I want, but I turn those over to my right-hand gal. She does them faster than me.
- Use a scheduling platform. My preference is Hootsuite and DoShare. Schedule several posts in advance and enjoy some “me” time, knowing your stuff is getting out there.
- Put a whiteboard in your office and do a brain dump of everything you want to accomplish. Writing it down gets it out of your brain and hopefully, on your radar because you can look at your list. You will be surprised how this clears your head to focus on one task at a time. Try it. And to be super-successful, cross off each task when completed.
- Send your newsletter once a month. There is absolutely no reason to do it more often than that. During the month, document what you want to share in a draft email. Why? Because then it’s already done except the finishing touches. I use MailChimp.
- Decide when you are going to check your social media sites to engage and comment. I mean calendar it. Write it down. Schedule it. Just like an in-person networking meeting, because you are doing the same thing, only virtually.
- Set the timer. Yes, a kitchen timer. Put it across the room, so you have to get up to turn it off. You choose how long. I do 35 minutes twice a day. I preach this when I speak and always raffle a timer. It works!
- Organize your email, so all of the crap goes in the promotion tab (if you use Gmail as I do). Unsubscribe regularly to all the spammers and scammers who put you on a list without your permission.
- Establish a day and time to write if you are a blogger. Again, calendar it. An appointment with yourself, and don’t cancel. That’s rude.
- Carry a notebook or some documentation device or app with you. Most people struggle with what to post. And the best ideas come at the worst times, like when you are driving. Make Siri your best friend and record a reminder.
- I saved the best for last. Look back at your day and think about a story you can share with the audience that will amuse, engage, entertain, and set you apart from everyone else. Be remarkable and memorable
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