Social Media Today recently published the advice that came out from a Twitter chat between various social media managers, so we thought we would give it a go too.
The Bold team have years of experience maintaining lots of social media channels, so we have lots of advice for the novice.
This post is for you if you’re new to social media marketing and want to quickly learn some new tools to make your job a lot easier, or if your boss has dropped the task of coordinating the company’s social media accounts into your lap and you have no idea where to begin.
ONE: Use a social media scheduling tool
The social media managers featured in the SMT article recommended scheduling posts, and we think that is a great place to start.
There are various tools out there you can use to set up your posts in advance. We like to use Hootsuite, as you can integrate three channels for free and up to 30 posts at any one time. This is a great tool when you’re just getting off the ground with social media.
Hootsuite is also fantastic for social listening, which means you can follow keywords and brand mentions automatically by setting up specific “streams”.
You might also like to experiment with Buffer, another social scheduling tool with a free version. This tool has a handy browser extension, so if you’re reading an article which you think is perfect for your audience, you can tee it up there and then, without moving away from the page.
TWO: Create a calendar that works for you
We have to agree with the Twitter experts that planning is key. More than anything else, it keeps you feeling calm.
Some days you are feeling more creative than others, so take the effort and pressure out of thinking up fresh ideas on the fly and make a monthly plan so you know what posts are coming up. Not only that, but you can rest assured your content is varied enough so your channels don’t get staid and boring.
You could use a spreadsheet or actual calendar software. You can even use a basic project management board on Trello. Personally, I am allergic to spreadsheets, so I prefer Word, Trello or a couple paid tools to create mine. Just find something that works for you -Even if your manager prefers to look at spreadsheets, the calendar is a tool for you, not for them.
THREE: Install Grammarly for spell-checking
Grammarly is a software which checks your spelling and grammar. If you download the browser extension, then any text field on most webpages will be proofread by Grammarly. It saves a lot of potential mishaps, therefore is a must for any social media marketer.
FOUR: Make social media post templates
Using a free tool such as Canva, you can set up post templates for different types of social media content. This takes away lots of design time. You are also keeping on brand, which means that your posts look less of a mish-mash.
We love Canva because you can use and adapt many ready-made templates. You can also ensure your posts are the correct size for the different channels so everything looks stylish on every account.
FIVE: Batch your content
Content-batching is a process whereby you create several posts of the same type at the same time, so you always have new posts ready at any given time. Just like Joe Wicks in the kitchen, you’re creating all your posts for the week ahead. This is especially helpful if you have taken a week’s holiday and you need to schedule all social media before you leave.
SIX: Keep an eye on your favourite blogs and online mags using Feedly
Feedly allows you to create lists of relevant content from other people’s sites that could be suitable for sharing on your business channels. You can also keep up to date on the world of social media marketing by starting a Marketing list. If you have a spare ten minutes in the morning, glance at these articles to get a handle on news and trends.
This is our most practical advice. What is yours?
Read more posts like this:
Simple Design Tips & Tools for Newbie