How to Work Smarter in Social Media By Ruby Veridiano

I’m sure all of us feel frustrated or overwhelmed when it comes to managing all our social media platforms. There are a billion people online, and sometimes, it can feel pointless to try and insert ourselves into a million other conversations. But lately, I’ve been introduced to a few tricks, and I’d like to share them with you.

TWITTER:

The key to all social media platforms in engagement, but the key is to engage with the right people. To do that, organize your Twitter contacts into “lists” and categorize them. That way, you can hone and target right into your chosen peer group instead of having to filter through all the incessant chatter in your Twitterverse. For example, create a list of “female entrepreneurs” or “fashionistas” and you can drop your favorite figures in those categories right in. When you access your list, you’ll know exactly what kind of conversation your entering, and the kind of people you want to hear from. Then you can tweet away- to the right people!

(To create a list, click on the settings button on the top right of your Twitter screen and select “lists”).

FACEBOOK:

Use the “Groups” feature on Facebook to communicate with close friends, business associates, study groups, etc. It’s a private way to communicate with a select group of people while still being able to use the features of Facebook, such as posting photos, links, and “likes”. It’s a great way to trade ideas, share resources, and even share inspiration. I use mine as a support group tool with a few friends who are also entrepreneurs. There, we share our triumphs and challenges on our path, and encourage each other to keep going. You’ll be surprised at how helpful and how much faster it is to reach someone on FB than regular email!

(To use the Groups feature, go to the very left side of your Facebook page and scroll down to “Groups”, then choose Add Group.)

HOOTSUITE:

Use the Hootsuite platform to manage both your Facebook and Twitter accounts- at once! You can use Hootsuite to post to all your accounts simultaneously, and my favorite feature is that you can time your posts so that you are able to post updates all day long – in one sitting! Once you write your status update on Hootsuite, click on the calendar icon, and you can schedule your posts to come up at selected times during the day. This way, you can still talk to your audience without being on your computer. Genius!

(To get Hootsuite, go to: http://hootsuite.com/)

Hope this helps! Feel free to re-share on FB, Twitter, and wherever else if you found this helpful. If you have other questions, reach me on FACEBOOK or on Twitter @rubymsuniverse. For social media consulting, reach me at rmveridiano@gmail.com.

More at: www.rubyveridiano.com