How to Do Social Media Even if You Don’t Have Time to Play Around on the Internet All Day

By Sonja Likness

Some of us are lucky to have jobs where we get paid to be on the Internet, tweeting, or watching YouTube videos the whole day. I am one such person, but I recognize the vast majority of people are not. If you’re looking for ways to optimize and reduce your time spent on social media, here are a few tips.

Use Schedulers

 You can schedule your posts on lots of social media platforms, either through the platform itself or through a freebie third-party app. For example, Facebook lets you schedule page posts within Facebook itself, and you can schedule tweets and retweets on Twitter with free tools like Hootsuite and Buffer. Instead of spending all day posting things as they come to you, set aside 15 minutes every morning to schedule out your day on social media.

Caveat: Don’t forget to check for comments and responses a few times a day!

Divide and Conquer

Do you have others on your team who might enjoy helping you with social media? Spend some time talking with them and understanding their interests. Maybe you’ve got an Instagram star in your midst or a Twitter maven ready to take on the Twitterverse.

Caveat: If you share the burden, you should also share the vision. Make sure your team knows what your rules are about the tone and message of your accounts.

Pick and Choose

You don’t have to be on every single social media platform. In fact, you shouldn’t be! Pick the platforms where your audience is likely to gather. (Younger audiences tend to like Instagram and Snapchat, for example. Older ones prefer Facebook.) Choose your preferred platforms and focus your energy on those. You have permission to ignore the others!

Caveat: Keep your ears open for developments in social media. It’s an ever-changing landscape, and the thing that works for your audience this month might not necessarily be the same thing that works for them in six months or a year.

Hope these tips get your year off to a great and efficient start with your social media platforms!

Interested in learning more about social media?

Consider registering for the new Social Media Presence and Marketing for Coaches program at Duke Integrative Medicine.  Join us for this 6-session webinar series where you will learn about tactics and strategies for managing a social media presence. During the course, you will develop an individualized social media strategy and gain an improved understanding of the available tools and online applications. Early Registration ends on February 2, 2018, so click here to register.