5 Easy Shortcuts for Social Media Marketing

​We all know that social media is incredibly important, but it can also be a drain on resources if you’re not careful. According to a new study by Vertical Response, social media marketing can take up a ton of valuable time for business owners. In fact, 43% of small business owners say they spend six hours or more each week on social media.

Here are five easy shortcuts to help you spend less time on social media marketing.

Recycling is okay!

One easy way to save time on social media is to reuse or recycle really good content in new and creative ways. For example, if you took the time to make a really great video, you can maybe take screenshots to be used on other social media platforms or turn the content into a podcast or webinar. Different people like to consume information in different ways, so don’t feel bad about using your content on varying mediums.

Let your fans do the work for you!

One of the best things about social media is that your fans can use your sites as a way to communicate about what’s really important to them. Take common questions or issues and post them on your page so that your fans will talk about them! All of that engagement will do wonders for your Facebook algorithm score.

If any of your fans ever post a great photo, video, or comment, you can also make that its own post! People like to be rewarded and will be more likely to contribute if they see that you respond and enjoy those contributions.

Take advantage of social media buttons!

This may sound obvious, but it’s amazing how many companies are not taking advantage of the buttons provided by social media sites. What I mean is: Make sure to integrate the “Like” or “Follow” button from Facebook, Twitter, and other sites. Instead of just having a link to your Facebook or Twitter pages, people can like or follow you from your own website, email, or mobile app without ever leaving your branded pages.

Make a calendar!

Social media can feel really daunting if you’re facing a black hole with no content every time you come to work. Make a calendar that shows special events, trips, conferences, and other things that may be of interest to your fans. If you’re thinking ahead, you’ll save valuable time each and every day. You’ll also be a lot less stressed, which is always a good thing.

Monitor, measure, and share your results!

If you’re not tracking how your social media posts are performing, you’ll have no idea what is working and not working for your fans. If posts with photos get 50% more interaction than other posts, stick with mostly photo posts! Make sure to send out updates to your team so that people can see that all of their hard work on social media is paying off. The more people involved, the less time you’ll spend doing it yourself.