Improve Your Social Networking Strategy in 20 Minutes

Photo taken by M'reen

Google Plus, and Facebook, and Twitter – oh my! 

Social networking certainly has its advantages for website owners,

but trying to figure out how to master all of these various sites can be overwhelming.
If you’re a new website owner, you’ve likely read articles talking about how important it is

to be active with social media.  And it’s true – social networking is booming,

and it’s a great way to both improve your website’s search engine optimization

and to connect directly with your target audience.

But unfortunately, the advice to be active with social media is often accompanied by panic

on the part of website owners, who are already stressed by the day-to-day activities involved

in running a successful website.  Is it really that important that they take time out of their busy days in order to invest in the social networking site of the moment?

The answer is yes, it is important to get involved in this latest web trend. 

However, using social media sites effectively doesn’t have to be a burden. 

Instead, let’s look at how to balance investment across multiple social networking sites

and share a strategy for implementing effective social media usage in just 20 minutes a day.

First of all, keep in mind that it isn’t necessary to maintain an active presence on every single social networking site known to man.  In fact, it’s pretty likely that your target audiences only uses one

or two social networking sites for the bulk of their online interactions, meaning that as long as

you’re active on these specific sites, it’s probably enough to simply upload and maintain a profile

on the other networks.
To find out what these sites are, enter your niche’s top keywords into the search features

of each site.  For example, say you run a website about dog training.  Type the words “dog training” into the search bars on every social networking site you’re considering getting involved with.

Do you see an active community when you look at the results of your search? 

On Facebook, do you see active groups dedicated to discussing your chosen topics? 

Or, on Twitter, are there hashtags or chat groups devoted to your niche? 

You might even find that your followers aren’t active on social networking sites at all, in which case

it might make more sense to invest time in forums or on chat boards related to your website.
But let’s say that the results of your searches do turn up active communities on the major social networking sites.  What now?  Are you really expected to spend hours a day following conversations and responding to threads?

In a word, no.  You’ve got better things to do, so let’s break your social networking investment

down to a simple 20 minutes a day.  If you find that this small investment pays off,

you can always become more active with these sites. 

But for now, keep your investment small in order to determine whether or not

social media investment really works for your business.
In order to maximize your social networking investment, consider the following 20 minute daily schedule:

:00-:03 Minutes

Log in to each of your social networking accounts and read through any messages or notifications you’ve received.  If the action required to respond to these messages will only take a second

(for example, “liking” someone’s comment on your Facebook fan page

or re-tweeting a link someone shared with you on Twitter), go ahead and do it right away.
If the message requires any kind of follow-up, save it for later, once you’ve had a chance to see

what else is being said about your website or your niche on these sites.

:03-:10 Minutes

Take this time to search the social networking sites on which you maintain an active presence

for any mentions of you, your brand or any specific keywords that are relevant to your business. 

By searching for these mentions, you’ll be able to connect with new people in your niche,

while demonstrating your authority as an expert in your field.

There are a few tools you can use to simplify this process:

Google Alerts – Google Alerts are a free tool put out by Google that email you every time a specified phrase is used on blogs, in news articles, in videos or in discussions. 

By setting up a Google Alert for your business name or any keywords you’re targeting to be triggered whenever the words are mentioned on blogs or in discussion, you can quickly identify opportunities to connect with members of your niche.

Tweetdeck – Tweetdeck is one of a number of different desktop Twitter programs that enables you to better sort information from your Twitter stream.  The best way to use this program to identify mentions of your business or your target keywords is to create a new “Search” column that will pull out any tweets that meet your set criteria.

Having these tools in place can help you filter through all of the noise on social networking sites

so that you can interact with your followers faster and much more effectively.

:10-:15 Minutes

Use the next five minutes to respond to any messages that require longer follow-up and to seek out new people to engage with through these sites.  For example, if a new contact posts a question

to your Facebook Wall that will require more extensive follow-up, do the necessary research

to compose a response and then do a little follow-up on the person.

Would it be appropriate to friend this person or to connect with him on other networks? 

For example, if you see though the visitor’s public profiles that he’s very active on Digg 

or StumbleUpon, taking the time to introduce yourself and make a connection

could result in significant traffic for your business through these channels.

:15-:20 Minutes

Finally, take this time to get updates and posts ready to launch on your social networking profiles. 

In an ideal world, we’d have all day to sit around and wait for notifications that people are discussing our brand or our target keywords.  But since we’ve got other things to do, we need to instead find a way to remain active in the social networking conversation, even when we aren’t physically present.

If you’re crunched for time (and, quite frankly, what business owner isn’t?!), make use of tools like BufferApp or SocialOomph to schedule Facebook status updates and Twitter tweets

ahead of time.  Although they can’t totally take the place of real-time interaction, scheduling posts ahead of time allows you to share helpful information or links in order to remain visible,

without needing an ongoing time investment on social media sites.

So there you have it – a simple, easy-to-follow plan for engaging with the web’s top social networking sites in under 20 minutes each day.  If you find that your efforts are paying off,

that’s great – go ahead and expand your involvement if you see fit.  Just be careful. 

Social networking can be addictive, so it’s important to set boundaries in order to remain productive in the all-encompassing world of social media.

http://informationuniverseblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/improve-your-social-networking-strategy-in-20-minutes.html

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:

www.innermindworking.blogspot.com            gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life

www.turbochargedreading.blogspot.com       describes the steps to reading in the way your mind prefers

www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com          just for fun

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”

Why Posting More Often On Social Media & Not Talking About Your Products WORKS!

For the last two years I've been saying you should post more often and sell less.

My entire strategy here at A Real Change International, Inc that we've shared with thousands

of small business owners in our private coaching and classes has always been, 

"Be where the customer is, when they are there, and pitch your product less to sell more!" 

It's been fun for me to see some MAJOR social media gurus starting to take this stance as well.

The very same people who thought I was crazy to post 12 times per day on Facebook and Twitter 

are now TEACHING you should post more often on Facebook and Twitter to increase

your engagement organically.

The very same gurus who said that I would annoy people, irritate customers

and it wouldn't be relevant for all brands for a company to run PPC ads to build a targeted following 

of clients are ALL now having their 'latest webinar' on WHY you should be using Facebook Ads 

to get more leads, close more sales and increase engagement.

I'm THRILLED! Because people are starting to pay attention to the market, listen to the consumers 

and really be where the customers are, when they are there, to change the world!

I've had the honor this year of not only working with over 1.5 million small business owners

through our company A Real Change International, Inc, teaching them and mentoring them through 

our various channels of influence on our blog, TV show, social media, email, live events, newsletter 

and more, but we've also been influencing several other different groups of people.

IHOPKC hired me as a consultant to come and help them reach the world through social media.

They BELIEVED ME when I said we've gone from tent meetings, to door to door evangelism to small groups to video lessons to now the social media realm. It's TIME for the social media revivalists 

and evangelists to learn how to serve people, stop beating people over the head with a Bible

and impact culture! In just 3 months time they've increased their engagement by over 500%,

have added tens of thousands of new followers on Facebook and get this, 

their registrations for the biggest event they do every year is HISTORIC right now.

It's NEVER BEEN THIS HIGH! CD sales, book sales and more have SKYROCKETED!

They are truly changing the world!

We are also working with several national brands that do more than 3 BILLION dollars in sales. 

These brands are serious about not being 'push marketers' and they understand that building

a CULTURE around people they can serve, while mentioning their products 10-17% of the time

is a recipe for great success online. We spent 2 hours in a conference room yesterday with one such brand, talking about best practices, strategies for PPC and more.  

In just 3 DAYS their followers increased by 429.9% and their total reach of influence grew by 202.8%!  

We are mapping out Black Friday promotions, how to effectively serve people

on the Twitter and Facebook platform, best practices for "rockstar followup" and more!

Small business owners are taking note! Ministries are using it! Big corporations are finding it works!

WHY does it work to post more often and not mention your product all day long?

Because people want to know you care. They want to know they are important. People log in

on their favorite platform at their favorite time every single day. If you are there to SERVE them,

it is a sign of good business. If you are not there to serve them and ONLY log on 1-2 times per day, 

that means that what works for YOU is of the utmost importance and what YOU want is what drives you. That says to the customer in no uncertain amount of terms, "You are not important to us."

Being available to serve on multiple channels wins the social media ROI chase hands down.

There is no other direct response marketing platform that works as effectively.  No TV campaign, post card mailing, mail drop, email campaign, blog post, NOTHING that works as effectively 

as simply serving people daily, every hour, through social media. It also COSTS a company a lot less!

Build culture and you'll increase sales! Really care and you'll increase sales!

Stop pushing your products. Hold to the 10-17% rule and when you do offer something for sale, 

people will be grateful, not upset.

The times are changing.

WIth love,

Sandi Krakowski

http://www.arealchange.com/blog/posting-social-media-talking-products-works

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:

www.innermindworking.blogspot.com            gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life

www.turbochargedreading.blogspot.com       describes the steps to reading in the way your mind prefers

www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com          just for fun

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.                                                        The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”

Time management – some practical options.

                                                   Photo by M'reen

Time management – some practical options.
M'reen Hunt

To find out how to establish your hierarchy of needs as mentioned in the previous article

scroll down the index on the left to hierarchy of needs as the single word ‘hierarchy’ is mentioned

in a number of articles thus demonstrating its importance.

To find out the validity of arguments between your heart and head and to bring them into full agreement as mentioned in the previous article go to www.innermindreading.blogspot.com 

and find How do I know if I have a problem and how big it is? This will help you find the sneakiest of blocks and block that block or why not eliminate it altogether with the other skills offered there?

Back to the blog below: Time Management and The Twitter Trap.

There seems to be some disagreement between the best times for tweeting, I’ve read between

1 and 5am local time and also the lunch period; however, if you are personally sending tweets 

then it is the best time for your physical, emotional and social health that is important.

So many people read and do not write down, that is record, their activity; yet it is an activity all the professionals advise – so why ignore it? Time management has many gremlins with various names

whether you are self employed or the employee it affects productivity and that is ‘the bottom line’. Resolving your procrastination, priorities, ‘can’t do’s’ and ‘don’t like’s’ or I’m not consciously aware 

that there is a problem, etc may need a few minutes work on a daily basis until all aspects are brought into line for your benefit.

As they say, ‘if you want something doing, ask a busy man’!

Just taking time off to stretch has so many benefits. You physically vitalise your body oxygenating your spine by puffing up the little disks between your vertebrae; oxygenating your brain by giving your little grey cells some R&R and importantly you rest your eyes. I have proved to myself that working for 20 minutes, standing up and patting your alternate knee with your hand or elbow brings both sides of your brain into an active working arrangement while giving your body a little workout and you a little laugh 

if you imagine someone watching you – a little laugh is worth emotional gold.

Who is your favourite film star, famous person or little laugh work out partner? Work with these great people from the present or past, dress up accordingly; Yogi Bear comes to mind, fun is the important factor. You will not lose concentration; in fact, if you have something really important or something that is going to take many hours your quality of work will be maintained throughout this period and improved as you will have had time to think and consider.

Now, having reminded myself I’ve cleaned off my white board and will create a timetable – how do you think an airport manages? My tweets need a scheduled flight, even the private plane has to wait!

A reward is mentioned. At the end of your working day send an email to a friend, have a reciprocal arrangement with a colleague and if no such is available post an energetic one (a thought one)

to someone important to you either personally important or to your business idol.

Your tasks have a tri-part schedule:

1.       What needs to be done now – today.

2.       What needs some active preparation for to-morrow.

3.       What needs thinking about for the future.

4.       What a forth? Yes, the stand up, the reward - the confirmation that you have succeeded.

5.       Thinking time. Build in down time, take the train as opposed to driving, take the scenic route, build in time to read some recreational magazines, go for a fresh air walk, or do whatever lets your mind drift without pressure. Not once or twice a week but built in on a daily basis.

6.       If you don’t charge the 3-5 minutes you need in down time as important                                    then question why you don’t value yourself or your activity.

If you find yourself creating numerous tick charts, then what are you preventing yourself from doing?

If something has value for you but takes far too long to complete and just lays there on the to-do pile (your accounts?) can you find an easier more time effective way to achieve your needs?

Is your important preparation work for the future giving value in the present?

That is do you spend enough time and effort earning money today and the rest of the week?

*Sometimes I see something during the day that will make a good future blog

so I stash it in a potential folder and I keep a minimum number of these on hand.

The trick is to ensure that this time is genuinely allocated to a planned and timed period.

Is it efficient to produce your own blogs? I’ll put this time in the enjoyment rating column.

I spend time shortening the lines to readable units rather than smartly justifying the lines.

Is this justifiable time or a perfectionist time waster? These are questions that need to be asked.

Find and Work on emotional blocks	Time taken to Post blog	Time to Review Tomorrow’s	Time Searching Future blogs	Break each 20 minutes	ENJOYMENT RATING
A very surprised YES!!! 09 minutes	09 minutes	07 minutes	*none	yes	2
YES!!! 20 minutes SUD 7>1	09		*none	yes	5
YES!!! 20 minutes SUD 3>0	14		*none	forgot!	4
xx None	forgot!	16	*none	yes	10 100% my work

A very surprised YES!!! Consciously I enjoy blogging; subconsciously I must have had some reservations.

SUD = Subjective Unit of Distress on a scale of 10 > 0. Issues come in many layers or have many aspects or components.

I needed to work on this again as I have embarked on a complete lifestyle change and am having to re-write my life script.

The explanations of my emotional work are not the object of this blog and can be found at www.innermindreading.blogspot.com

^xx That doesn’t mean I’m home free, there will be other issues in other areas that belong to my overall aims.

*I don’t believe that I can count this time as preparation work in the same way a photographer cannot count the hours and weeks

  spent waiting and preparing to catch a particular shot.

Perhaps you’d like to checkout my sister blog www.innermindreading.blogspot.com

and find easy, fast and efficient ways of working with the issues or little unpleasantness’s in your life.

I am now featuring aspects of my upcoming internet programme to teach Inner Mind Reading.

Time Management and The Twitter Trap.

                                     Photo by M'reen Newmarket Sunset at the top of Warren Hill

Time Management and The Twitter Trap.

If you focus your energy and concentration from the onset, nothing can stop you.

Power Questions to Strengthen Your Time Effectiveness with what matters to you.

So you are the authority when it comes to these questions.

 What outcome do you want from……………….

Prioritize, and place in sequence. Hierarchy of needs

How does it feel to pick just one outcome?

Do you hear arguments between your head and your heart?

When you bring them into full agreement, you are ready to move forward whole-heartedly.

“Chase 2 rabbits and you will catch none." Russian proverb

The more you fine-tune your focus, the more defined your efforts can grow.

So make time management one of your strongest allies.

Remember … the way you use your time is the way you live your life!

Write down how long you will spend each time you visit Twitter.

Decide (and write down) how many times a day you’ll Tweet.

Write down your best time(s) of day for Tweeting.

Write down your daily Twitter objective.

Examine one bottleneck at a time to zero in on solutions.

Setting clear, realistic, and strong time boundaries helps you:

Create a clear time frame for your Twitter work.

Focus on your Tweeting during the planned time, free from outside distractions.

Build your trust in your follow-through.

Decide ahead of time what your Tweeting time frame will be.

Write it down clearly.

Minimize potential distractions in advance. (Email, phone, etc.)

Get an inexpensive timer and set it for the amount of time you predetermined.

When the timer goes off, stop Tweeting.

Take 5 minutes to get up and stretch.

Validate and reward yourself for following through!

Another thought to beef up your time boundaries –

Try scheduling tasks that can be addictive, like Tweeting, before firm commitments.

Eliminate multitasking, which recent stats confirm lowers efficiency.

How long can you maintain concentration?

Generally, 45-60 minute work periods are most effective.

Set your timer to schedule breaks.

Use your breaks to recharge your energy and clear your mind.

Identify stuck points and time drains, and write them down.

Analyze what needs revising.

http://thetimefinder.com

Often I add my observations but my observations have grown into the next blog to be posted.

Perhaps you’d like to checkout my sister blog www.innermindreading.blogspot.com

and find easy, fast and efficient ways of working with the issues or little unpleasantness’s in your life.

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