One of the biggest complaints I hear about social media is the sense of overwhelm people feel.

“It takes too much time.”

“How do I know how to spend my time online more effectively?”

or “I’m just totally confused and overwhelmed – I don’t even know where to start!”

So…I want to share some tips and strategies that I use which help me stay organized (most of the time) on social media.

1. Set your priorities! What do you want to accomplish online? If your goal is to sell your products, then you need to create posts and strategies to drive traffic to your sales page. (this could include doing free webinars, sending your newsletter, etc.) If your goal is to get more followers on your Facebook page, then you need to engage more there. If you want to get hired to speak at events and conferences, then you need to be engaging on LinkedIn.

2. Know where your ideal clients are! Every platform has different types of users. So, be really clear on WHO your ideal clients are, and then go to the right places. (e.g. If you want to connect with professionals, organizations and media then you should be on LinkedIn).

3. Schedule your time online. Each day I set a timer for myself when I go onto Facebook and LinkedIn (these are the two platforms where my ideal clients are). So, I spend about 20 minutes in the morning on Facebook. Here’s what I do when I’m there:

a. Going into the groups I belong to (and my own group “Social Media with Heart”) and respond to questions, offer assistance and connect with people.

b. I read my Notifications and see who has mentioned me or shared my posts. I’ll check out the mentions and respond to them, and thank people who have shared my posts (I tag them in the thank you so they know I’ve recognized their help).

c. I post an update on my business page (or better yet I’ve pre-scheduled them – see my Notes below).

Then I LOG OFF!

I’ll check back and repeat the process on Facebook later in the day. I usually check in live at least once during the day (e.g. I’m at an event and I’ll upload a photo).

Then I head over to LinkedIn and set 20 minutes on the timer, where I’ll:

a. Check the Home feed. I will Like, Comment and Share posts from people in my network. I make sure to tag people in posts so that I am creating engagement and connection.

b. I add a post – usually a comment about a great article I’ve found (and I add the link to the post). Other times I link to my blog or something of interest on my website.

b. Then I look at my Messages and respond appropriately.

c. I then look at the Invitations to connect and see if I want to accept them. They have to fit into one of three categories (Joint Venture Partner, Client or Media). Be CLEAR on who you  want to connect with. You don’t have to accept every connection. When you do connect you need a strategy to make them VALUABLE connections not just numbers. You can learn more about my LinkedIn system here.

When I’m done on LinkedIn I LOG OFF.

Weekly Tasks:

I set aside about 30 minutes to pre-schedule my Facebook posts. I usually do two pre-scheduled posts a day (one in the morning, one in the afternoon). I also pre-schedule one post a day on LinkedIn.

I spend 30 – 45 minutes finding great content online that my ideal clients would like. I then save the ones I want to use on my Facebook page or LinkedIn for when I’m scheduling posts. I use Evernote to save the posts I find. It’s a free tool you can organize into files for different topics.

Monthly Tasks:

I spend about two hours (all at once or broken into smaller chunks) to create graphics for my posts. I download FREE, royalty free photos from Morgue File and then edit them (add words and brand them with my Facebook URL or website) in another free tool called PicMonkey. I have a video on my YouTube channel to show you how to use PicMonkey. 

I hope these tips help you get more control over your own social media. I’d love your comments below.