How to Manage Your Time on Social Media to Strategically Market Your Business

So many people mistakenly believe that a good social media strategy for their business is a total time suck and not worth the effort.  Not so!  If you are one of the people living under that misconception and not taking advantage of what social media has to offer, you are missing out on important conversations and networking opportunities that can greatly benefit your business’ bottom line!          

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that it takes no time at all to implement, develop and maintain a viable social networking strategy, but I can tell you that it’s not as daunting an undertaking as you might think – the risk of missed opportunities far outweighs the risk of time lost.  And, you are in complete control of how much time you put into it.  Here are some tips to help you manage your time wisely on social media activities for your business:

First, focus on why you want to use social media.  Depending on industry and company mission, business owners use social media for different business purposes.  Do you want to use it for research? Networking? Sales?  Or, a combination of all of the aforementioned?

If research is your aim, you’ll want to source out blogs and relevant news sites that provide you with the quality information you require.  You can subscribe to their RSS feeds (news feeds) so that you can keep up with any updates posted that are of importance to you.  Imagine having all of that information literally at your fingertips?  If you ask me, it sounds like this will actually save you some time!!

If you want to use social media for networking, it’s imperative that you build a community or audience.  This is easy to do on sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Once you have created your accounts (a snap), it’s just a matter of building your communities by posting on a regular basis (again, this does not take a whole lot of time) and interacting with your audience.  Depending on how much engagement you’re interested in, this can take anywhere from only minutes a day to a couple of hours – not necessarily any more than that, unless you so choose.

If your motivation is sales and marketing, it’s important that you get your brand name out there. You’ll want to let people know what your brand is all about – what services and/or products you offer – how these services and products can benefit people.  Again, engagement with your audience via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging will be key here.  Social media sites are currently the most innovative methods of marketing your brand’s products and services.  They provide an unprecedented means of getting the word out.

Secondly, it’s important to develop a strategy to manage your time wisely.  Once you gain perspective on your purpose for using social media for your business, it won’t be difficult to determine how much time per day or per week you’ll require. Here are a few ideas that can help:

-          Create a schedule.  Set some time aside each day (at least at first) to check your Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn accounts.  Take a few moments on each account to post something relevant and especially to respond to any inquiries or concerns that people in your communities may have.  Make it a point to join in on conversations/dialogue wherever you can contribute something meaningful.  (Remember, it’ll take a bit of time to build an audience.)   If you decide to blog, ensure that you post something at least once every other week or so.  Blog posts take on average anywhere between an hour to a few hours to research and compose, but unless you’re a very ambitious, avid blogger, a post a week or every other week should suffice.

-          Focus on activities that will have the most impact.  A crucial thing to remember here is that you have to be where your customers/clients are.  If you have identified that they are mostly on Facebook, then by all means, concentrate a good chunk of your social networking time there.   But, you don’t want to neglect the other networks, as they are all beneficial.

-          Although you want to garner a wide audience, it’s not necessary to overdo it.  You don’t have to be friends with or follow each and every person with whom you come into contact.  If a relationship will be mutually beneficial, you want to be connected to that person, if not, then don’t be afraid to be selective.  If you’re connected to absolutely everyone, you will be spending more time than you have to on social media.

-          By the same token, it’s imperative to stick to your purpose.  It’s easy to get sidetracked with irrelevant activity on social media (do you really have to watch that YouTube video right now??).  Stay focused on your business purpose and you will spend your time much more efficiently on social media.

If you use your time wisely and keep your focus in mind, you will find that you social media endeavors significantly pay off and that you actually enjoy your time spent with your connections.

HOW TO BRING YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE TO 100% COMPLETENESS (AND IMPROVE YOUR S.E.O.)

Fact:  A LinkedIn profile is a fundamental element of a strong online presence.   But, did you know that, according to LinkedIn, you are actually 40 times more likely to appear in a search if your profile is complete?  That’s important stuff!

Think of your profile as your online resume, but with so much more.  Here’s how you can bring your LinkedIn profile to 100% completeness to improve your search engine optimization.

Ensure that your profile includes:   

-   Your Current and (2) Past Positions  –   Ensure that you include not only your current employment information, but past as well (from at least 2 jobs), so that people who know you from your past places of employment will know that it’s you when they search you out.  The “Experience” section is your employment history/resume in a little bit more depth.  Try to be brief, just as you would be on your paper resume, but ensure that you include all of your important accomplishment information.  Include the names of companies that you worked for.  Search out these companies on LinkedIn to ensure that you are connecting to the correct branch of the company.  This will make it easier for past co-workers to find you.  Include duties to fill out the description of your work.

If you don’t happen to be currently employed, it’s not a good idea to blatantly lie, but an idea might be to state that you do some consulting – that you’re self-employed.  Or, if you do any volunteer work, here would be a good place to showcase that.  Likewise, if you’re new to the working world and don’t have two previous jobs under your belt, again, be creative – what have you done in the past that might constitute ‘a previous job’? 

-   Your Educational Background  –  You want people with whom you’ve gone to school to be able to find you on LinkedIn.  Even if you’re not a university grad, ensure that you include any and all education that you do have.  It’s not practical to lie and include a degree that you have not earned.  Just make sure that you include any courses that you have taken.

- Your Profile Summary – This can be up 2000 characters, and although it’s not necessarily recommended that you use all 2000, it’s essential for you to use at least 100 characters.  In filling out the Summary portion, remember to include all of the crucial, need-to-know information about yourself.  Keywords are important here as brevity is essential!  Consider your summary your “Elevator Pitch” – you have less than one minute to share all the vital information you want people to know about you.  Ensure that it captures the essence of the ‘business you’ and that it specifically lets connections know exactly what it is that you can do for them. Make it quick, but make it count!

-   Your Specialties & Skills  –  Fill these items in as you would search terms or keywords.  Consider the position and mindset of a person searching for your skills or services.  What words would they use? 

-    Your Photo  –  This is important, as it is the means by which you are most easily identified.  There could be more than one person out there that shares your name!  Consider having a headshot done professionally - you want to put your ‘best face’ forward and you want to ensure that the photo is well lit and really does look like the professional you.  It’s also a good idea to use the same photo on all of your social networking profiles as your photo can be your brand identity. 

-    Your Recommendations  –  A minimum of 3 recommendations are required to post a complete profile (each is worth 5% on the completeness scale).  It is possible to solicit recommendations from colleagues, former employers, and people you have hired.  It is in fact a good idea to have at least one recommendation from each of your jobs.  It is within the culture of LinkedIn to request recommendations from others.  A good idea is to reciprocate and write one for someone from whom you want to request one. 

It’s also a smart idea to provide the links to your website, Twitter account and blog where applicable.  This enhances your online connectedness as well as your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). 

It’s imperative that your profile’s searchability be at its maximum potential.  Your profile should be searchable on all search engines as well as on LinkedIn.  To the right of your profile page, a narrow blue box appears that indicates you profile completeness – try to bring it to 100%.  

SOCIAL NETWORKING: OF HUMANITY AND EMOTION

Social networking has taken over the world.   (And, if you don’t believe that statement to be true, here are some stats:  Facebook sees over 500 million ‘Likes’ per day; Twitter hosts over 340 million tweets per day; Facebook has over 1 billion users worldwide, and Twitter has over 500 million – and that‘s just two of the most prevalent sites.) 

Social networking has taken over the world because social networking plays on a most fundamental of human needs:  the need to feel included and to be ‘a part of something’.  I’ll admit, I wasn’t one of the first to sign up for Facebook when it was introduced, but I did check out people’s profiles and business pages when they would come up in a search.  When it came to pass that everyone, everywhere was on Facebook, I felt compelled to join, because, quite frankly, I started to feel like I was the only person on the planet that was not connected.  Kind of like I was out of the loop.  And, I have to admit, I spend more time on the site than I ever thought I would.  It’s enabled me to connect with people that I had not spoken to in over 30 years and that, without the technology of Facebook, I would never have connected with for the rest of my life.  I use Facebook to source information, to check out recommendations on products and services I’m considering, to help market my business and to just connect. 

So, what does that mean for your business?  Why is social networking such an effective means of marketing?  For the very same reason - human beings have a need to connect and to belong.  Social networking is nothing if not, well, social.  And being social and inclusive is the smartest way to reach the most people.  As ‘rational’ as we think we are as human beings, we tend to make choices and decisions based on our emotions.  A recent article posted by MarketingProfs explains that: 

 

“In regards to intellect versus emotion, our brains are hardwired to give emotions the upper hand. Information—in the form of words and data—is processed in the neo-cortex.

Meanwhile, all our emotions are rooted in the limbic system. The limbic brain is where we sense our emotional attachments, such as trust and loyalty. It’s the part of our brain that knows whether something is important to us. And it’s the place that motivates us to take action or not.”

It makes sense, therefore, that using social media as a tool for promoting your brand will generate more business than will using traditional advertising channels.  How best to do this? 

First, get to know your target audience intimately.  Who do you want to reach and why? 

Next, determine how you can best benefit them.  What can your business do for them that no other can? 

Now, create and post content on your social networking accounts that will resonate with your audience.  Your content should not revolve around you.  Use language that will touch some emotional chords and draw people in – make them want to integrate with and become a part of your business’ sphere. 

When you’re able to speak to their emotions, people get a sense that you understand them and that fosters a sense of trust.  And trust is the first step to establishing a strong relationship.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – social media marketing isn’t about the hard sell, but rather about making the connection.  With a solid connection, everything else will fall into place!

TFSAs or RRSPs? Which Way are Canadians Leaning?

TFSAs or RRSPs – which make more sense?  As a finance professional, you’re probably asked this question frequently.  And, with tax season once again upon us, a lot of people are wondering what most Canadians are doing these days.  How do you get your response to this seen by as many of your clients as possible?  Blog about it:

A recent BMO study maintains that more and more Canadians are looking into TFSAs.  According to the study, 67% of Canadians currently hold an RRSP; while 39% have a TFSA.  Taking into consideration that TFSAs have been around for a few years (they were first introduced in 2009), that’s a fair percentage!

The BMO study furthermore concluded that although more of us still hold RRSPs, if handed a limited sum of money to invest, 42% of Canadians said that they would invest the money into a TFSA, while only 37% said that they would go with an RRSP.

 

The reasoning behind this lean toward TFSAs?  36% said that the tax-free aspect was what they found most attractive, and 20% cited the fact that the money could be withdrawn at any time without penalty.

And, while making an RRSP contribution is tax deductible, it must be taken into account that when the money is finally withdrawn, it will be taxable. 

Following is a table (similar to one that the federal government created when TFSAs were first introduced) to further illustrate TFSAs vs. RRSPs, borrowed from The Wealthy Barber Returns: Significantly Older and Marginally Wiser, Dave Chilton Offers His Unique Perspectives on the World of Money By David Chilton. Copyright © 2011 by David Barr Chilton, released September 2011.

	TFSA	versus RRSP
Pre-tax Income	$1,000	$1,000
Tax	$ 400	N/A
Net contribution	$ 600	$1,000
Value 20 years later @ 6% growth	$1,924	$3,207
Tax upon withdrawal (40%*)	N/A	$1,283
Net withdrawal	$1,924	$1,924
* the marginal tax rate — the rate of tax charged on the last dollar of income

Bottom line:  Investing and saving are a crucial aspect of our lives.

A final thought from David Chilton:

“Reminders: (1) If you go the RRSP route, don’t spend your refund; (2) If you go the TFSA route, don’t spend your TFSA; (3) Whatever route you go, save more!”

6 WAYS TO A MORE EFFECTIVE FACEBOOK PAGE FOR YOUR BRAND

Congratulations to you if you’ve already created a Facebook page to lend further exposure to your brand.  You’re well aware of the benefits and advantages Facebook pages have to offer and making use of a Facebook page, as you know, is one of the smartest things you can do for your business.   Here are a few tips to help optimize your brand’s page and to let you effectively engage and maintain significant dialogue with your fans & clients:

1.  Develop a distinctive voice for your brand.  Consistency is key here – you want people to know who you are and what your brand stands for.  It’s important to adopt a voice that best represents your brand and to sustain that voice.  I’m not suggesting that you should never try to mix it up a bit and be predictable to the point of being boring, but people like to be able to identify with something, so let your brand speak in a voice that will enable that identification.               

2.  Never propagate the hard sell.  I’ve discussed this prolifically in previous posts.  Social media is not about blatantly advertising to your fans.  It is all about engagement and interaction.  And, that’s what your brand’s Facebook page is for – to connect with your fans and clients and to be accessible to them.

3. Promote dialogue and discussion by posing questions and encouraging fan involvement.  What better way is there to improve upon and expand your brand than to ask your audience for their feedback?  The inter-connectivity of your brand’s page makes this simple and straightforward.  Ask questions; ask for feedback and commentary.  People love to share their thoughts and opinions, and again, who better to listen to than the very people you are trying to engage. 

4.  Never inundate your fans.  The idea is to engage and enlighten, not to overwhelm.  Of course you want to post on a regular basis to maintain your audience’s interest, but nobody wants to be flooded with a hundred posts a day.  You’ve heard the expression “too much information”.  One or two posts a day will suffice, however, if you receive a comment or are asked a direct question, an imminent response is always warranted.

5. Post lots of photos, videos and polls.  Informative, thought-provoking posts are great!  But, human beings are, by nature, visual creatures.  If you really want to step it up a notch, ensure that you post photos and videos to enhance the visual aspect of your Facebook page - makes things more interesting, enticing and fun.  And, polls are a very effective way of fostering audience participation and garnering information.  It doesn’t always have to be business related either – sometimes a fun poll can lighten the mood a bit and let your fans know that you do have a human side – which leads me to the next point…

6. Be personable and show you’re human.  Social media have significantly altered the way businesses interact with their clients.  They have allowed for, well, just what the name indicates – ‘social’ behavior.  In enabling two-way communication between business and client, social media have broken down the barriers to allow for unprecedented personal, individual attention and interaction.  Take advantage of this and talk to your fans on a human level, the way social media have intended.  Get more personal with people – ask more personal questions – get to know them and what makes them tick.  Wish clients a happy birthday or congratulate them when their children are born!  A Facebook page not only allows for, but begs this type of interaction.   It all goes to customer service & satisfaction and developing a loyal fan base!