Philadelphia SEO Internet Marketing

SEO, PPC and Social Media Marketing

On Social Media Management and Tips on Staying Focused!

Posted on | July 19, 2010 | 2 Comments

Social Media ManagementI have been managing Dinkum’s Social Media strategy for approximately 2 months now.  While I have thoroughly enjoyed it, it’s not always a bed of roses. In fact, in my experience, managing Social Media can be quite challenging.   While it is not rocket science, it does require time, commitment, and focus.  It’s so easy to become distracted or flustered and go off track.  There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re spinning your wheels and getting nowhere!

Here are some tips that I employ for keeping myself and our team focused and on-track:

  1. Keep Strategy Top of Mind. First off, if you don’t have a Social Media strategy with goals defined, then don’t even bother reading past this point. A Social Media strategy is meant to be the roadmap that helps you get from point A to point B.  A carefully planned strategy will help you stay focused in the long run. Revisit the strategy often to measure your actions. Are you meeting the goals defined in the strategy? If not, why not? Are the tactics being carried out as planned? If not, why not?
  2. Revisit & Rewrite Goals As Needed. If you find that the original strategy and goals are impractical then you absolutely must recalibrate. The sooner the better. Also, if you become confused about new goals to set, take a step back and look at what others are doing. Seeing what others (possibly even your competition) are doing, can be inspiring and help stimulate new objectives!  (Read more on Social Media goal setting on Mashable)
  3. Create a Schedule. Establishing milestones and deadlines is essential to managing Social Media.   If you’re not using a Project Management tool like Basecamp or ActiveCollab, then try setting up tasks for yourself using Google Calendar or your favorite task management software. Receiving reminders of Social Media tasks due can help you keep focused.  Do this until scheduled tasks become routine; part of your everyday life.
  4. Communicate! Communicate! Communicate! Communication is the key to keeping your team focused and committed to the Social Media plan. Schedule regular check-ins or Social Media status meetings. Make sure that everybody is on the same page!  Also, be honest. If there is something you’re not comfortable doing or don’t have the time to do, then let the team know. Tasks can (and should) be re-distributed or re-scheduled if needed. Additionally, if you’re feeling a lack of creativity, ask your co-workers or peers.  Brainstorm ideas together!
  5. Keep Track of Activities. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s imperative.  Whether you wrote & published a blog, updated a Facebook fan page status, or tweeted a few things, it’s always a good idea to keep track of those kinds of activities. You can then compare them to what you’ve done previously. Note them on a document somewhere. It can be a Word doc, Excel spreadsheet, or on your Project Management software. Either way, your team to should have easy access to review what has been done.
  6. Analyze and Tweak. It is important to know if your efforts are bearing fruit. In other words, keep track of the numbers and measure/review any impact on your efforts.  Over time you’ll see the type of things (and channels) that do well and don’t do well. Spend less time doing the things that don’t work and maximize your opportunities on areas that are strong.  As we’ve mentioned before, setting up and monitoring Google Analytics can help you determine effectiveness.

Social Media may seem like an intimidating, hard to manage venture. But following these few simple suggestions can make it a lot easier to handle.

What are some things you do to stay focused?

Marilyn Moran is an Internet Marketing Consultant for Dinkum Interactive. With more than 15 years online experience and over 10 years in developing & marketing websites and Internet communities, she has spent the past 4 years focused on Web Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, and Social Media Marketing.  Additionally, she is an officer in the Philadelphia Chapter of the Social Media Club and sits on the Board of Directors for Philadelphia Area New Media Association. You can reach her at Marilyn@dinkuminteractive.com or follow her on Twitter @PhillyMarketing.

Category: social media, social media marketing
Tags: > > > > > > >

Comments

2 Responses to “On Social Media Management and Tips on Staying Focused!”

  1. Coreen Tossona
    July 19th, 2010 @ 7:54 pm

    Great post, Marilyn! Not sure if you noticed, but you could exchange “social media” for “marketing dept” or “business” and these are still terrific, useful tips everyone should follow.

    My two faves–1. If you become confused about new goals to set, take a step back and look at what others are doing. 2. Communication is the key to keeping your team focused and committed.

  2. Marilyn
    July 21st, 2010 @ 11:56 am

    Coreen – Thanks for commenting & also re-tweeting! :)

Leave a Reply