Over the years, social media has evolved as one of the most important online marketing tools. And social media managers understand the significance of this tool in brand recognition and conversion. Social media is a cost-effective marketing technique that offers immense exposure, increased sales, and potential for business growth. If your online marketing strategy does not include social media marketing, then it is evident that you are missing out on a phenomenal opportunity to connect with your target customers.
.....how you're spending your time rather than the amount of time you're spending. - Inga LindstromClick To TweetToday, social media occupies a large hunk of every business strategy, offering business owners a myriad of platforms to market their business. No doubt the benefits they offer are plenty, but dedicating the right amount of time to each channel is something that most marketers find difficult. While big companies have dedicated social media marketing teams to take care of the job, small businesses try to manage by dedicating a couple of hours per week to their social media engagements. Time is an important factor when it comes to social media marketing and the focus is more on how you’re spending your time rather than the amount of time you’re spending.
We’ve come up with a list of the best time management tips for social media managers to help them use this marketing tool efficiently –
Choose Your Platforms Wisely
Gone are the days, when social media was all about Facebook and Twitter. With new networking site mushrooming these days, it is important that you choose your sites carefully. The more channels you want to be on, the more time you’ll have to dedicate to each of them. Hence, the first step in saving your valuable time is to decide which social media channel you want to focus on. For a higher conversion rate, focus on platforms where most of your audience hangs out.
Keep a Track of Your Engagement Data
Almost all social media platforms have their own analytics app that helps you keep a track of your customer’s engagement. They tell you when your audience is online and when you can get the maximum number of interactions. For effective time management, plan your posts during these peak hours so that you can reach a maximum number of customers. This will also give your audience an idea of when to look forward to your posts. Use analytics and take advantage of social media updates.
Automate your Posts
If you are dealing with an international audience, being active on social media 24/7 is beneficial but quite impossible. However, this can be achieved with the help of scheduling tools. Automating your post give your benefits like posting content when your viewers are online and giving you time to accomplish other goals. While larger networks allow users to slate their posts, plenty of automation tools are available online that allow you to schedule your social media updates. You can create your post for the entire week, schedule them and save time to finish other jobs.
Make Use of Templates
Many activities done on social media are repetitive and hence, using templates can save a lot of time. For example, you can save a set of ready-to-use hash tags for your Instagram posts or a set of graphic templates for each channel. Instead of starting from scratch, you can simply alter the text or change the image and save a lot of time.
Avoid Social Media When Something Else Needs to be Done
This might sound a bit out of line, but it is a known fact that social media can be engrossing at times. While it is an effective marketing tool, it can also act as a distraction. You could lose track of time watching social media stream. So, it is important that your assign fixed time slots to your social media engagement and stick to them sincerely.
So, put the above-mentioned tips into action to manage your time effectively and make the most of your social media marketing campaigns.
About the Author
Inga Lindstrom is a blogger outreach expert at SEOSlav. She is passionate about traveling and time management.