If you're a user of Twitter, Facebook, or other social media platforms, you're already aware of their potential for promoting your work. However, you've likely experienced how they can also be significant time-drains. You start scrolling, and before you know it, your stomach thinks your throat's gone on vacation. They can hijack your time from what truly matters – eating, creating, and making a living. So, how can you navigate this dilemma while maintaining a balanced life? Some opt to skip social media promotion altogether, but there's a smarter way. Others try to limit their usage to, say, one hour a day, maximizing their promotional efforts in that time frame. Here are a few practical steps to help you conquer social media without burning out.
Step 1: Organize Your Digital Presence
First and foremost, get your online act together. This step can help you attract more followers and encourage greater engagement with your content. It's surprising how many folks overlook these basics, so consider seeking technical assistance if needed.
- Add a brief bio to each of your blog posts.
- Incorporate social sharing buttons into every post, making them easily visible and user-friendly.
- Include a prominent Twitter share icon in your bio.
- Offer a newsletter subscription option in your post footer.
- Facilitate seamless commenting – ditch the CAPTCHA.
If you're a WordPress user, strongly consider installing the Jetpack plugin by WordPress and Yoast for SEO. Jetpack can handle most of these tasks with just a few clicks – a tech-savvy shortcut.
Step 2: Embrace IFTTT (If This, Then That)
Here, we leverage your design blog to fuel all your other social channels, reducing the time spent posting on multiple networks and freeing up time for creative endeavors. The service we recommend is IFTTT – and it's free, which is always a plus!
Assuming you've joined IFTTT, focus on these essential services. If you're not already a member, brace yourself for some sign-up legwork – we know it can be tedious. Visit IFTTT, click on "Channels," and follow the icons to join these platforms:
- Blogger
- Bitly
- Buzzfeed
- Delicious
- Diigo
- Facebook Pages
- Flickr
- Storify
- Tumblr
The objective is to use one central channel, like WordPress, to distribute content across all others. When a blog post is published, IFTTT takes charge, sharing it across various social media platforms. It may not be flawless, but it certainly saves time and effort.
Create Your Recipes
Now that you're an IFTTT pro, it's time to concoct some recipes. The process is straightforward – something like:
"If WordPress, then Blogger."
"If WordPress, then Bitly."
"If WordPress, then Delicious."
You get the idea. Keep it simple to avoid overwhelming your audience with multiple posts. Start with just WordPress rules, let them run for a while, and gauge their impact.
Step 3: Employ Hootsuite for Management
Your blog is now the engine behind your social channels, but you don't want to come across as an automated self-promoter. Put in some effort by sharing content you genuinely appreciate and discover – that's where Hootsuite comes into play.
Use your preferred management tool – there are several good options available. As long as it saves time and gets the job done, it's a valuable asset. SEO Moz has explored 13 top tools if you're seeking alternatives. Personally, I opt for Hootsuite.
It serves as my central hub for managing all my social platforms. I use it to post, schedule content on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and more. This tool is ideal for scheduling a week's worth of posts, sparing you the daily grind.
There you have it – you're on a roll! Armed with newfound social media savvy, conquering the online jungle won't seem like such a daunting task.