One of the questions we often hear from clients is “How do you find time for social media marketing?” It can be a challenge just to learn how to use the various social media platforms, let alone find time to build a successful marketing strategy. So here are a few time management tips for social media marketing.
1. Start Small
You may think the best plan of action is to get your name out there on as many different social media sites as possible. But social media is not a one-way channel like print advertising…social media marketing focuses on connecting with your target audience – that requires two-way communication. If you set up profiles on every social media site out there without the time available to effectively monitor each one, you won’t make the best impression on your audience.
2. Choose Wisely
As exciting as it may seem to learn all you can about a social media platform that you enjoy, if that platform is not where your target audience is found, you are not making the best use of your time. Find out where your target audience is hanging out on social media and then invest your time into building a profile on that particular platform.
Once you’ve developed a system that produces results on one social media platform, then branch out with other platforms.
3. Develop your System
The “social” in social media sites sometimes means we get sidetracked and find ourselves spending time socializing instead of working on social media. While social media marketing is all about building relationships and that of course requires conversation…you need to put a system in place so you are making the best use of your time.
Allocate specific times of the day for the business side of social media: For example, spend 30 minutes every morning making connections and reading articles from influential people/blogs in your industry – then spend 30 minutes every afternoon sharing important news/tips in posts and responding to messages from your new connections.
Or assign specific tasks to each day of the week: For example,
Monday – make new connections
Tuesday – post helpful tips or advice
Wednesday – share special promotions or events
Thursday – share industry-related information to your audience
Friday – recommend resources, products or sites that will help your target audience
Whatever system works best for your business, set up your daily schedule with time limits for each task and then stick to your schedule. And if it helps to schedule strictly “social” time, then do that too. The important point is to manage your time on social media so your efforts produce results for your business.
Need help with your social media marketing strategy? Get a free copy of our Social Media Strategy eBook or contact us with questions:
It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants.
The question is, what are we busy about?
Henry David Thoreau
photo credit (derived from): Alan Cleaver via photopin cc
About Terry League