Posts Tagged ‘HootSuite – Social Media Dashboard’

 

Social Media Techniques for Creative Types

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012

Social media shouldn’t be a drudgery–at its core, it’s communicating creatively. And that’s exactly what creative people do.

For artists of every medium, hue, and palatte, social media provides a challenge: shall I write/sculpt/sing/dance/teach/paint or should I hop on the computer and crank out some Facebook and Twitter posts?

Social media can certainly be quite overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

Here’s the traditional approach to building your platform online:

Write blog posts.
Share blog posts on Twitter.
Share blog posts on Facebook.
Share blog posts on                             .
Reply to comments on your own blog.
Comment on other people’s blogs to build relationship.
Find and add more like-minded Twitter followers.
Find other content to share to build relationship.
Share that content.

Oh yeah, don’t forget to write/sculpt/sing/dance/teach/paint. As with any creative endeavor, we need a roadmap. We need social media management techniques for artists so we can do what we love to do: create and share our creative work.

Hootsuite

HootSuite takes the ‘crazy’ out of updating multiple social media accounts. One status update is typed and is easily shared with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn… you name it.  

As an added bonus, updates can be scheduled in advance.

What does this mean for you?

Take ten minutes in the morning, schedule your social media updates for the day, then go create.

HootSuite does the work for you.

In less than ten minutes, this simple how-to video walks you through setting up a HootSuite account, connecting your various social media accounts to your Hootsuite account, and beginning to use it.

Buffer

Buffer is a tool which allows you to schedule updates on various social media platforms at specific times. It’s simple and it’s free!

Here’s a video introduction to Buffer if you’d like to give it a go.

Google Reader

Found a blog you like? Want to visit that blog more regularly? Would your own readers and/or followers find the content helpful?

Set up a Google Reader account and add your favorite blogs to that reader.

On many blogs there’s a ‘subscribe’ button or an RSS icon.

By clicking on that icon on the blogs you like, you’ll open a window that will enable you to subscribe to that blog.

Think of Google Reader as a folder of your favorite blogs and content sites.

Then go to this ‘folder’ for…

+Creative inspiration from those you respect.
+Content to share with your readers (remember to share the content of others, not just your own content).
Social media sanity.

Google Reader keeps you organized so you can spend more time doing what you love: creating.

By using just one or two of the tips above you’ll streamline your social media efforts, enjoy more time doing the things you love, and share your creativity with others who can benefit from your work.

 

Scheduling Tweets the Right Way

Friday, August 12th, 2011

The scheduled tweet has been a source of controversy for quite awhile now.  There are those that are adamantly opposed, and those that feel they are an integral part of any social media strategy.  Those that are against the idea have several good reasons for thinking that way.  If scheduled tweets are used incorrectly, it can leave your Twitter feed feeling a bit cold. 

However, they can also significantly enhance the results of your social media efforts, and benefit your followers at the same time.

One of the first thoughts that comes to mind when someone considers scheduling their tweets is the convenience factor of it.  It’s a busy world, and it’s easy to be tempted solely for this reason.  While you may reap the benefits of not having to worry about tweeting for most of the day, your followers are the ones that will feel the chill.  You must use scheduled tweets as a part of your Twitter strategy, as opposed to the entire strategy.  Be sure to leave room for timely anecdotal thoughts about breaking news or personal experiences.  This will ensure that your followers know that they are following a real person.

A second item to consider is the fact that you are scheduling the right kinds of tweets.  As I mentioned before, you should be entering tweets about breaking news or personal events in real time.  Followers will simply zip past your tweet in their timeline if it is a retweet or link to an post that was yesterday’s news.  Here’s a good rule of thumb: If your tweet contains basic information about an event that was covered in the morning newspaper, it’s too late.  In today’s world of instant news, the morning paper is already several hours behind.  Instead, your scheduled tweets should contain information that is evergreen, or not time sensitive.  Also, you can utilize tweet scheduling for things like introducing yourself to people you are following.  This gives you a better chance of being followed back, but it can be annoying to your current followers if you are constantly introducing yourself to people.  Occasionally schedule those tweets to occur in the middle of the night so that the person you have followed can see it in their @mentions, but less of your current followers will be bothered by it.

Lastly, scheduling can allow you to spread your thoughts throughout the day.  Nothing is worse than seeing several posts in a row from the same person, and if this happens often enough, you’re likely to lose followers.  If you’re the type of person that tends to think of several great ideas at the same time, utilize scheduling as a way to avoid this.  Keep in mind, this is different than scheduling for convenience.  Rather, it is a courtesy to your followers, and it allows your Twitter feed to remain consistent.  Also, timing is also important if you find yourself tweeting during off times.  Instead of posting when no one is looking, schedule your tweets for the prime hours of the day.

So, what are your thoughts on scheduled tweets?  Do you use them, or are you opposed to the idea?  We welcome you to leave your thoughts and comments below.