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Tuesday, December 12, 2017

#AwesomeTools - Social Media Editorial Development Tools


One of the hardest parts of maintaining a social media presence is the feeling that you are constantly trying to generate ideas for new and unique material.  And if you don't have a system for your content generation, you will end up missing great opportunities to connect with your audience and sell your product/service. If you want to take advantage of every opportunity to get your message out there, you need to make use of some social media editorial development tools.

A great way to keep your posts and promotions organized is a content calendar. It's likely that you already have a personal planner or calendar that you track appointments and deadlines in. Think of a social media content calendar as an extension of this, with more bells and whistles.

This is the place to map out your content. You can plan your own content and deadlines (like blog post publish dates), and include things like major holidays, events, and other special dates.

Creating your content calendar doesn't have to be complicated. You can use good old-fashioned pen and paper, an electronic alternative like an Excel document or Evernote, or do it directly in a social media scheduling tool like Hootsuite or Buffer. I always recommend scheduling your posts to save you time, but if you like to map out content on paper first and then upload it to your online calendar, that's totally fine!

So how do you build a calendar?  First, you're going to want to look at your timeline and determine how often you should post, and the best times to post. You also want to take into consideration who your target audience is, so you can source and create content that appeals to them.

Next, include major holidays, some fun, quirky holidays, and other major events that you should be posting about. Let's say, for example, that your blog centers around women's health. It would make sense to produce content relating to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is in October.

Once you have a list of holidays and special events, you can start scheduling out your blog posts and social media posts.

Once your content calendar is full ideas, you can use social media scheduling tools to schedule your posts. What's great about online schedulers is that they help you to collaborate with other members of your team. If you upload a post, everyone on the team can see it and offer feedback. This makes the content generation process even easier.


If you are into social media, and I know you are, then it's important for you to plan your editorial content. By planning in advance, you can make sure that your social media stays running and current, and that you don't miss any opportunities to cross-promote on holidays and special events.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!


Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedInFacebookTwitterBlogGoogle+,YouTubePinterestInstagram and the tools to manage them.



Tuesday, December 5, 2017

#AwesomeTools - Social Media Scheduling Tools


One of the best ways marketers have found to reach potential customers is with social media.  When social media first emerged, this was fairly easy because there was really only one platform—Facebook.  But now, there are dozens of different social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even video formats such as YouTube. 

If you are working in marketing, it can be a nightmare trying to juggle all of these platforms and reach as many customers as possible.  But it doesn’t have to be this way.  There are now apps available that can help with social media scheduling.  Three of the hottest tools on the market are Buffer, Edgar, and Hootsuite. Let’s take a look and see what they have to offer.

Buffer
Buffer is a scheduling tool that allows you to upload your posts and set them to post at whatever time you need.  It also allows you to cross-post to multiple platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest with just the click of a button.

Buffer offers multiple plans for different users including the option to have a single user platform. If you have a big team and need many people to have access, Buffer allows you up to 25 additional team members. You can connect up to 150 different social media accounts which makes managing multiple brands a breeze. Buffer has a free account option which is perfect for people who are managing  just one brand.
                                                                                           
Edgar
Edgar currently only works with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but it offers a range of flexibility.  What makes Edgar so special is the ease of recycling your content. You can set a schedule that makes sense for your platform and Edgar will automatically re-share your content in a loop, so you’re getting the most out of your posts. Edgar allows scheduling for one-off posts too, so you can fill your social media to suit your needs. They keep their pricing structure simple, too with just one pricing option available.

Hootsuite
Hootsuite is another option for scheduling your posts to automatically publish on your social media platforms. You can even bulk upload messages to save you a ton of time! Hootsuite supports Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Wordpress. What I love most about Hootsuite is their extensive data and analytics. You can analyze your data in real-time so that you can make better decisions about what material to post to your various platforms. 

Hootsuite also offers a thirty-day trial that allows you to take it for a test run before you purchase one of their many plans.  Chances are, there will be a plan that fits your business’s needs.


Social media marketing doesn’t have to be stressful.  By using the apps and tools that are available to you, you can schedule your posts and save yourself some time and headache, allowing you to focus on other parts of your business.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!


Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedInFacebookTwitterBlogGoogle+,YouTubePinterestInstagram and the tools to manage them.