Monday, April 9, 2012

Hay, Social Media, and You.


Hay. It’s packed tightly into bales, but a few strands always manage to fall out. Just how much hay is slipping out of that bale and falling to the ground, never to be used, in your business?  

Close your eyes and visualize that bale of hay as your social media efforts.  What can you do to retain more strands of those missed opportunities? A few ideas:

  • Planning: Thinking out the “what” in detail beforehand instead of just pitching hay.  And yes, I will tell you time and time again that you need a road map; do you know where you are delivering that bale of hay, to who, and when?

  • Scheduling. You've planned what you want to post or tweet; why not schedule some of it ahead of time? Note: Doing this does not mean you can ignore your social networks! DO be present at the times you are posting or tweeting.

  • Utilizing the best tools for your business. Some are free, but could be limited; others will cost you but it’s important to weight the price versus the amount of time it will free up for you to concentrate on other aspects of your business. After all, someone has to think about profitability. Take a test ride with a software tool or two (many have free trials), ask people for advice, or hire a company who can work with you and recommend the best tools what will work for your business.
  • Outsourcing. Find an individual or business that can teach you how to be efficient in your social media endeavors, including all of the above mentioned aspects plus maintaining your social media account. If you blog, consider guest bloggers or a professional writer that can edit your writing or create prose on subject matter related to your business.

Have a few strands been picked up and stuck back into the bale yet?  If you’re still trying to find that needle, click here for a tune that may help the searching go more pleasantly.

This blog is part of the Blogging A to Z challenge (this is H). Here's F and G.

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