- CONVERSE: Social media is ideally a conversation.
- Reply: reply to comments made to you. Drives me crazy when I post a question only to find out that the person never responds to anyone. You may not need to respond to all questions (see the definition of “trolls”) but don’t neglect responses completely.
- CONNECT: Review recent posts by people you are connected to. Set a time limit if you find yourself spending too long on this step.
- Comment: Are there any posts that you can comment on? Answer questions? Ask questions? Say how cool something is?
- Re-Share: Are there any posts that you think other people following would enjoy reading? Local events that need to be shared? Industry news?
- “Like” / +1: Maybe someone has a great picture of a sunset or something else you enjoyed seeing but doesn’t really require a comment. Let them know you liked it by hitting that “like” (facebook) or +1 (Google+) button.
- CREATE:
- What did you do today that’s interesting? (Don’t post about your cereal unless you work for a company that makes cereal please! If you REALLY don’t have anything interesting to say, it’s ok to go a day without posting!)
- Do you have any events, milestones to share? Upcoming to announce or events you just wrapped up. Some goal you achieved?
- Do you have a photo or flyer? Visuals often draw people’s attention.
- What is special about this? Don’t just share what, share something that’s interesting and unique about it if you can.
- Is there a WWWWWH? Who, What, When, Where, Why, How.
- Is there a question you can ask? You want to engage people, remember, it’s a conversation.
If you don’t have time to do all of this, don’t panic. Just do something regularly – don’t over think it too much.
Disclaimer: We don’t want any political gaffs so when I say don’t over think it, if you think you would offend your mom or it needs to be a private post, don’t post it. Also if you wouldn’t say it to the person’s face, don’t say it.
I recommend focusing on positive “I like” instead of negative “I hate” posts and responses.
I recommend focusing on positive “I like” instead of negative “I hate” posts and responses.
Also, if your business is larger you may need more tools and to focus on more like best times to post and scheduled announcements or reminders. This is just a checklist to help get you started.
Worth repeating: Social media is ideally a conversation.