Why schedule your social media activity?
I have a confession to make: I haven’t paid much attention to my social media profiles or blog lately. I wanted to…. I really did. But with a few large, time-sensitive projects underway and a 10-day break in Hawaii, my profile-building efforts quietly fell to the bottom of my priority list.
And yet. When I stepped away from the cacophony of “influencer” updates, tweets, group discussions and recommended expert reading, I noticed a pattern. The posts I appreciated most were:
- interesting and engaging
- helpful
- research-oriented
- judiciously chosen
- brief
So, I’ve decided to follow my own advice. I’ve created a publishing schedule for my preferred social media platforms (The Bellwether Blog, LinkedIn and Twitter). The point is to build my consulting practice through the “Bellwether Strategies” brand and align it with what my connections have told me they are actually interested in hearing about.
Each month, I’ll analyze the statistics from my blog and social media profiles to guide my content strategy and online activity.
Note the last activity in the schedule. I also need to balance social media with other marketing activities that work well for me – presentations, events and lunches.
I plan on spending three hours per week using social media as a tool. I know that other consultants spend a lot more. But this seems realistic and manageable combined with my other efforts.
The balance of strategy, branding and client work can be a challenge for me. I sometimes feel like I’m advising clients to ‘do as I say, not as I do’. Time to set a better example.
Check back to see how this might work for you. I will share observations, updates and anecdotes as I implement the schedule. Wish me well!
