Your Social Media Routine
I have a lot of discussions regarding this topic with clients and while I’m not going to give you a specific plan (I need to make a living after all), I am going to give you some things to consider. Remember that each organization’s goals are different, so your routine will be as well. Here are some things to remember:
1. Quality over quantity
Sure you want to post on a regular basis, but it is much more important to post useful information less frequently than a lot of information that your community will not find useful. You do not want to cause them to tune you out.
2. Rule of 3
You should check your social media accounts at least 3 times a day to see if there are any comments and/or posts to which you need to respond. My suggestion is to check them in the morning, before or after lunch and again before heading home for the day. If people are trying to communicate with you via Twitter, Facebook or other tools, you need to respond in a timely manner.
3. Your Blog
If you are going to moderate comments for your blog before they appear publicly, please be sure to be near your computer after you put up a new post. You want posts to appear quickly to facilitate the conversation and keep your community involved.
4. Editorial Calendar
This calendar can be created monthly or even weekly. It can be very easy to push your social media efforts to the side when you are busy and have a deadline looming. Believe me, I know. By creating a calendar for your upcoming content, you can focus solely on producing the content. This is much easier than brainstorming a new idea, especially when you are busy. The more organized you can be, the smoother your routine.
5. Don’t forget your RSS Reader
Remember to include your RSS reader into your routine. By reading news and posts from others you have opportunities to find content to share as well as the ability to elaborate on that person’s content with your own post. It’s also great for content ideas for your editorial calendar. In addition, you want to work commenting on other people’s blogs as part of your routine.
6. Create content in chunks
One thing I like to do is to set aside a chunk of time to create content. This allows me to get into an uninterrupted writing mode and churn out content that I will use over the next week or two. I find this to be a much more effective use of my time than trying to produce the content right before I need it.
So these are just a few points to consider when you are creating your social media routine. What have I missed? Let me know.
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Comments
Really good, useful tips! One other thing to note is that you can link your Tweets to update on Facebook and/or LinkedIn.
Think this through carefully as it may, or may not, be a good approach depending on what you tend to Tweet and the “voice” and strategic intent you have for those sites, but it is one way to keep your news fresh.
Personally, I selectively post Tweets to LinkedIn, usually things like industry info that I think might be of interest. It’s a good way to multi-task in an already busy day.
Nice tips! For someone that finds it hard to focus when I write, creating blocks of content at one time is key. It really helps me manage time as well.
Your message is an important one. Quality over quantity is key; I wonder if the Constant Commenters have any idea how many people “Hide” them because they take an “Enough about you, let’s talk about ME” approach…we are all on information overload, and I truly appreciate the people who post regularly not constantly, and with news I can really use. (Incidentally, when it comes to walking that line, you’re the poster child– of course, you should be!)
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Great post Beth. I find that using a tool with scheduling capabilities, such as HootSuite for Twitter, is an easy way to plan tweets for the week. It’s obviously not a substitute for checking replies a few times each day, but is a good way to create content in blocks of time. Having to think of new content each time you log in to check replies can be a drag on daily time. Agree completely that the “editorial calendar” approach is a great way to help focus your time efficiently.