Embarking on new adventures, be they new work projects or even just a vacation, require preparation. New work projects require detailed attention if your business is to be successful, especially if the project has to do with your image.
After all, image is everything, isn’t it?? When it comes to prospecting and getting leads, recruiting your own personal sales force, and getting the respect of everyone in your industry, image is critical.
Your Social Media Image
It’s getting more important all the time. Online sales increased more than 36% in 2010 from the previous year, in spite of a global recession. In addition, the ads, posts, and comments on sites like Facebook are increasingly becoming the way people keep up on new products and on company changes.
Because of the quick pace with which the most popular sites move, sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it is easy to make some quick changes to your image and to have those changes seen by thousands or even millions or people, for better or for worse. It is also more difficult to keep people’s interest. One key to keeping interest is to be consistently present, without spamming people.
A Consistent and Stable Image Through Consistent Posting
That headline says a lot.
But how do you make it happen?? If you are an entrepreneur, like myself, you know how difficult it can be to do what you need to do to run the business, in addition to running your family and your life… IN ADDITION to trying to maintain your online presence.
You don’t have to be one of those who is overwhelmed, and here are some key solutions:
1. Pick your sites wisely. There are hundreds and hundreds of sites where you can connect. The problem is that only a few will ever really impact your business. If you are really pressed for time, ESPECIALLY if you are just getting started, you will be far more successful targeting only a few sites.
In the beginning, you may be more effective even just targeting one single major site, such as Facebook or Twitter. Twitter is probably the best choice, since it moves more quickly and draws more internet-savvy users who also do more online shopping. You can always add more social sites later.
Remember that a bloated social media effort could be your online downfall Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
2. Consolidate your posting. There are some nifty tools out there to make it easier to keep up with and post to multiple sites. There are also some tools and techniques which will tend to make your posting redundant and boring.
In general, I recommend that you do NOT have your Twitter posts automatically go to Facebook, or vice versa, and here is why. Facebook moves more slowly. If you post at a rate that is appropriate for Twitter, you will drive your Facebook “likers” crazy, filling up their newsfeeds and interfering with their ability to also keep up with what their friends are doing. In all likelihood, they will end up either blocking you from their feeds or even “unliking” you all together. Don’t make that mistake. Don’t spam the people who have taken the time to go to your page and “like” you.
At the same time, if you post at a rate that is appropriate for Facebook, your Twitter followers won’t see enough of you. Certainly not enough to keep their attention and get them interested in going to your site.
So how can you keep up with multiple pages and accounts?? Through two apps that ease the stress of both computer and mobile posting and tracking: HootSuite and Social Oomph.
3. Plan your blogging and e-mailing. Brainstorming and little epiphanies are often your greatest source of blogging and e-mail inspiration. Do you ever have short periods of time where the ideas are flowing so fast that you can hardly write them down?? If you don’t write them down right away, they fly right out of your head, leaving you spending hours racking your brain, trying to trigger a memory of everything that was only moments or hours ago right at the forefront of your conscience.
Regardless of where you are at and what you are doing, it is BUSINESS-CRITICAL to write down every good idea that comes to you… IMMEDIATELY… without hesitation. If you’re driving down the road, pull over!! If you’re out on a run, stop and take notes on your phone!! That idea that just came to you is the one you’ll be struggling to come up with at your next blogging session.
A great tool for keeping up with your ideas is Evernote. By going to the web site and creating a free account, you can then download the app to your phone or tablet for easy note-taking on the go. The best part?? As long as you have some faint bit of service, your notes are automatically backed up online, so you never again have to worry about losing your work.
Another way to stay on top of your e-mail schedule and your blogging is to get your rough drafts down early. Take any spare moment available to finish and schedule your posts and e-mails. Get ahead by a week, or even two. It’s easy insurance against emergency interruptions.
With a little planning and some great little tools, you’ll rarely fall behind on your posting ever again!!
