With the start of the New Year, I’m finding myself constantly looking for ways to balance my life personally and professionally. The same holds true when it comes to helping my clients find balance in their marketing initiatives, more specifically with their social media program.
Companies, both large and small, often fall into the cycle of having no rhyme or reason for their activity. Many choose to post minimally because they don’t know what to say while others post about anything or everything, just to say something in the absence of nothing. Both scenarios are guilty of social media abuse. If you don’t consistently provide your followers with valuable content, you and your business will be ignored if not forgotten.
Just like life, the key to social media is balance. So before any erroneous tweet can get retweeted, create a strategy to ensure your efforts are consistent, compelling and engaging. Follow this with a schedule or calendar that outlines topics of interest and value to your audience and includes realistic timelines so you don’t get overwhelmed or behind.
Start by scheduling one month at a time. At the end of the month, stop and evaluate your efforts to determine if you are still on target. Do you need to tweak the schedule? Do you need to get involved in more social networks or less? Here are a few general, industry scheduling tips to include in your monthly schedules:
Two times a day (morning and afternoon)
- Check your Twitter account, follow the @replies relevant to your industry and reply when necessary.
- Tap into your LinkedIn network by posting to your LinkedIn profile and interacting with some of your groups.
- Check your company’s Facebook page and post something of value or respond to comments when necessary.
- Scan Google Alerts for information on your competitors and mentions of your own brand.
Want a more concrete example? Try this on for size.
Mondays, Wednesdays