Planning is the critical first step to social media success. Now that you’ve got your plan, how do you execute it effectively?
Excellence in Execution
There are lots of new and shiny tools out there. How do you decide which is the best fit for you? Like anything, there’s no true “one size fits all.” However, developing a list of criteria helps to weed out misfits. Free is high on my list of criteria. If the technology is new to you and you don’t have a lot of information about the tool, trying something for free is a great place to start.
KISS (Keep It Simple Sally)
Another important criteria for tools is simplicity. Your time is at a premium. If there’s not an automated component to your execution process, you may need to find one. Oftentimes automation comes with a price, but may well be worth a small investment.
Even better is a tool that will perform across multiple platforms. If you are posting on several social networks, Hootsuite is a great tool for coordinating, simplifying and automating that process. Another great feature of Hootsuite is its flexibility. You can automate and coordinate as much or as little as you want. It’s all in how you set up your preferences. Many people say it’s not good to automate posts to Facebook. You can still post from the Hootsuite interface on to Facebook and keep it coordinated with other posts you are making. You can also monitor the conversations in those multiple streams and do searches using the Hootsuite interface. They even have a free version!
Some tools are simply re-creations of standards that have evolved over time. The Social Media Editorial calendar is a great example. The Editorial Calendar gives you a bird-eye view of all of your communications across your social networks. Mari recently shared a great article, from Search Engine Watch, about how to set up your own editorial calendar.
Keeping it fresh
Two more important take aways from 2011 were that change is the only constant and information overload can cause paralysis. There are still only 24 hours in a day. Since ongoing training is important, keep in mind what you’re committing to. Whenever you sign up for a webinar or training session, compile a list of the action steps required of your new information. Identify three to four action steps critical to your goals and commit to complete at least one action step each week to make the most of your time and financial investment.
It’s 2012. Do You Know Where Your Ideal Clients Are?
If you know who your ideal clients are, have been listening to their conversations and know who influences them, knowing which social networks to plug into becomes so much easier. You can’t possibly be everywhere. Set a limit—pick two, three, five. The number doesn’t matter. Being consistent and effective does.
What tools are you using that you really like? Tell us about them. Click the like and Google+ buttons if you found this post helpful. Feel free to forward this article to a friend and/or share more in our comments section below.
