10 simple but genius tips for being more productive

10 simple but genius tips for being more productive

Managing social media is one of the activities that at first glance feels straightforward and easy. After all, we all have our social media accounts so switching from posting in a private dimension to posting about our companies, our brands and our products should be relatively easy.

However soon after one does the jump, one realises that social media for business is a much heavier load.   Preparing content, vetting it, getting authorisation, scheduling it, along with following the interaction it generates once it goes live, rarely leaves space for anything else.   Thus productivity is a key goal for a social media expert.

1. Know thyself

Juggling the different social media platforms, their different mechanisms, needs and insights means a lot of multi-tasking.  For some of us the simple thought of multi-tasking can be nerve wrecking.  Others bask in the possibility of doing so much.  The first rule of productivity is knowing your skills and abilities along with the humility of accepting those elements about which you know less about and with which you struggle.

Planning your schedule in order to ensure that you’re dedicating time to all the platforms with which you are entrusted is essential to avoid hassles and lost time.  Likewise, ongoing learning is a daily activity if you want to improve!

2. Capture the moment, the thought or the picture

Many people who work on social media management also wear the hat of content creators.  This means that they are always scanning and listening to discover new subjects, topics, trends, and ideas that can captivate their audience.  Jotting down the idea, taking a photo or a video is important.   Many often one gets these ideas when he or she is away from the office or the desk.  Don’t be fooled into assuming that you will remember.

Around us, there is a lot happening and the safest thing to do is keeping a small note on your mobile either in the form of text, photo or video!  Naturally, this applies more in the case of capturing a candid photo or video!

3. Plan

Content planning is a very important matter. Without a proper content calendar, steering through social media is like steering the ship on rough days when one has little indication from where the next wave is coming.     As a minimum one needs to keep track of content to be posted, the date, the topic and the author.  This is easier said than done especially when one factors different channels and the different content types like textual, graphical, video, audio, infographics and presentations.

4. Mastermind content preparation

Preparing aspects related to the visuals is a crucial factor as this is where the magical appeal lies. Visuals can at times be trickier to prepare. Whilst writing pitch-perfect content can be done at a moment’s notice, the same cannot be said for acquiring specific photos and organising shoots.   For example, you simply cannot capture perfectly blue skies on a cloudy day!  Content preparation sometimes feels like it’s a cauldron where everyone is contributing.   It is definitely a good idea to have a calendar where everyone is contributing but then it also means that someone needs to wear the editorial hat and take a decision.   Calendars need to highlight special days, holidays, seasons and similarly content has to include the branding, keywords and the right call for action.

Once the content is authored, one should investigate how it can be repurposed and curated.   Content preparation is an ongoing activity where ideally one is always at least a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. This ensures that in the case of issues stalling publication, there is always something that is ready.

5. Engage, reap, sow and listen

When social media is a seen as a publishing exercise, it is social media done wrong.  We do not generate content just for the sake of it but because we want the audience to be engaged.  The objective is that of building a community of followers that discuss and respond.

Finding time to respond to comments and feedback on social media is essential to reap what you have sowed.   Listening is another important task that will help you grown your understanding of your target market.

6. Right tools

Time is probably the most valuable thing we have.  Being productive means choosing the right tools that help you in your job and simplify the task at hand.  In social media, there are many tools that you can use.  Having the appropriate tool often means streamlining the tasks and becoming more efficient.  One very important feature of SM Tools is the facility to schedule posts for weeks in advance for a variety of platforms with the facility of alerts, measurements and insights.

7. Close off email when deep in thought

If you’re one of the creative team who needs to focus on content generation on a regular basis, don’t let the distractions around you hinder your flow of work.  Not everyone has the same inspirations and motivations.    One distracting thing is the email or messaging of co-workers that keep coming through.  Discipline yourself by giving yourself a certain amount of ‘no-disturb’ time by closing off email and dedicate this time to content creation. This helps avoid falling behind track.

8. Move away if you get stuck

Sometimes, inevitably, we get the writers’ block. When that happens, do not sit at your desk fuming. Get up and move off. Pining over an outpouring which is not happening, will not increase the word count.  Come back to the task later with a clear mind and fresh ideas!

9. Self-criticise

The best people in any industry are those who are able to self-criticise themselves. They have the innate ability of recognising that they can rise above the standard at which they are currently delivering and thus are always investigating how to move out of their comfort zone.    In content preparation and social media posts, a good self-analysis starts with the question –‘what would x think if he or she read /saw this?’ .

10. Hire a social media expert

Finally, not everyone is moulded to be a social media executive.  If you find that you cannot cope with the demands of social media or if you find that it’s taking you as the business owner away from the core business, hire a social media expert.   This does not mean that you have completely abdicated your responsibility to social media. A real social media expert will have a lot of questions before he can take on fully your account.

You will also need to be there to guide on your basic business philosophy and to provide insight about your market and industry. It’s collaboration which you as the business person, and your social media expert have to orchestrate together on the social media stage as one coherent, cohesive and creative stance.