Social media requires management, and if there were a social media school, let's say you already have an A. You know the right times to post online, the length of the perfect post, and which platforms are best for your brand. Everyone is busy, though, and social media management can be kind of overwhelming. So, let's do ourselves a favor and look at some social media life hacks that might make the day-to-day work just a wee bit easier.
1. If this, then that.
Save yourself some time by asking the question: What apps do I want to update simultaneously? There's a website for that! If This, Then That links Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, for example, so that if you update your profile pic on one, the rest update as well. You can also use it to cleverly back up your content, ie., if you post a picture to Instagram, it will also upload to Dropbox.
2. Create a list of influencers and stalk them online.
Okay - "stalk" is a strong word. But some followers online are simply worth more than others. Check out these social media listening tools that can tell you which of your followers has the most clout on social and then try to interact with them more. Respond to their tweets, retweet them, make yourself known. If they retweet you back, you'll increase your exposure exponentially.
3. Check everything in one place.
The thought of five ongoing streams is dizzying, Facebook on one channel, Twitter on another, then the whole universe that is Pinterest. If you know where to look, you can tell each of the networks to spill into an RSS feed that contains everything. The Internet Marketing Ninjas have a breakdown, here, of how to do that. Seems nice: wake up, grab a cup of coffee, and scroll through all of your content.
4. Schedule your content.
Have you committed to Buffer or Hootsuite yet? These services let you upload your content to one place and schedule when to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and now, even Instagram. Set aside just one hour in the morning and you can have a full day's worth of content ready to share.
5. Don't be afraid to blend personal with professional.
Photographer Emily Blincoe has this one down.
The line between "work" and "life" is disappearing these days. If that makes you cringe, you can think of it this way: our hobbies and our tastes are becoming vital aspects of our personal brands, which means that the field of work is becoming more accepting of individuals. If you enjoy adding beautiful photos to Instagram from life, don't forget how these expressions of your style might contribute to your overall portfolio. A photo of something cool you saw while on a hike might actually work double for your brand.