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I’ve spoken to a few people lately who claim that they just don’t have time to Tweet or use Facebook or “mess around on Google Plus”. I challenge this claim.
It’s the same with the number of would-be bloggers who start off well and then end up giving on on blogging. The same with the January New Year gym goers who start out well but, come February, you’ll only see the same old regulars in the gym once more. This is why diets don’t work. We need to get our philosophy right and everything we do must become part of our life as opposed to having these sharp, sudden bouts of energy based on emotion. We need to build a more solid foundation.
Here’s an example:
Business owner hears that they can win more business through social media. I say yes they can but it requires a sustained effort. Just like eating an apple today won’t make you instantly healthy today. Sure it may make you feel better than eating a chocolate bar but will it change your weight overnight…no, of course not. But make these healthier choices again and again, over time will lead to an healthier lifestyle. The same applies with social media. Trust will be built up over time and you just need to keep on building your audience and engaging with them. Keep making these good decisions. Don’t overdo it at first. Just like you can eat too many apples at once which may actually give you a belly ache and wear your teeth out over time due to the acid. You should manage that initial burst of energy and put it into developing a sound social media marketing strategy. Then stick to your plan.
Developing good social media marketing habits is about a sustained and consistent effort over time. There are so many larger organisations and companies out there that still haven’t realised the true power of social media. Small business owners can utilise social media to their advantage but they need a plan which must be implemented over time. What’s that I hear you say? You don’t have time? Even if you just had 10 minutes per day to spend updating your Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus statuses then that is enough time. Sure there are other social networks out there but I tell clients who only have the time and/or budget to manage a few that they should focus on these three main ones. Of courses managing your social media presences isn’t just about updating your statuses – you need to engage with others too and build your audiences/influencers. What? You don’t have 10 minutes per day spare. Then free up time by doing one or more of the following:
- Get up out of bed 10 minutes earlier to manage your presences.
- Use a mobile app to manage your presences whilst on the exercise bike at the gym.
- Update your presences on the train.
- Schedule updates to your presences using a social media management tool.
- Build management of your presences into your day.
If none of the above helps then drop something else like watch less TV, drop those unproductive tasks like checking emails too many times per day – why not check your emails just twice per day and let others know that you do this. This technique has been shown to improve productivity. In short, manage your time more effectively. Social media is important so use it and take advantage of it. If you still don’t have time then hire a personal assistant (PA) or a social media marketing company like us to develop and manage your campaign. Try it for at least a month and monitor the results.
