How To Manage The Social Media For Your Concierge Business In Just 20 Minutes/Day
Being present and active in social media is important to keep your concierge services front and center with active clients, reach out to potential customers, and move the name of your concierge business up in the search engine rankings.
But, how do you keep your social media efforts from either 1) swallowing all your time or 2) being so hard to manage they’re left to wither away from inattention?
Here’s a realistic solution to make sure your social media efforts will work for you as you build your concierge business. Best of all it only takes a 20 minutes per day commitment from you.
FOCUS!
Facebook. Google+. Instagram. My Space. Blogging. LinkedIn. Flickr. Foursquare. Twitter. Yelp. YouTube. The list goes on and on. Everyday the streets of social media are getting more crowded. If you’re going to get results in 20 minutes each day, you must focus on the social media vehicles that can actually help you reach your goals.
Choose two, no more than three, social media networks you can concentrate on. How to choose? Go where your potential customers are. If you’re doing corporate concierge work, your best bet may be LinkedIn since it reaches business professionals. If you’re targeting young mothers Facebook is probably the place to be.
KNOW THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE
As a personal concierge you know how important it is to maximize your time executing tasks by using tools that minimize your efforts. The same is true when you update the social media for your concierge business.
Number one in my bag of social media tricks is Hootsuite. With Hootsuite you can link up to five social media profiles so you can interact with your friends and followers easily. If you want to post the same message on all platforms you can do it with just one click. You can also schedule your posts for specific days and times. Set up the message and voila! it appears—even if you don’t log in.
Do some research to stay abreast of new social media solutions as they’re developed.
ROUTINES ARE MAGIC
As you’re busy executing tasks and doing errands and generally being at your customers’ beck and call, you’ll have less and less time. This is the paradox of being a small business owner. The more successful you become, the less time you’ll have to build your business. The solution is to commit to a routine. Commit to updating your social media every day at the same time every day. It’s been proven that repetition can actually stimulate your brain into being more creative and productive when you follow a set routine.
NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON A GOOD IDEA
Ideas for your social media will come and go and flit through your consciousness at some of the oddest times. You may be driving and see a billboard that crystallizes a perfect blog post for empty nesters downsizing. Or you might be doing some grocery shopping for a client–spot a special on paper towels–when the light goes off and you think of an offer you need to post on Facebook. Take a few seconds and either jot the idea down on the handy notepad I know you carry with you at all times, or add it to the notes you keep on your Smartphone.
Don’t rush home to put together the blog post or the Facebook post. Rather, wait for one of your 20-minute sessions per week and add your ideas to a spreadsheet or word document that you keep and consult when it’s time to update.
IF YOU BUILD IT MAKE SURE THEY COME
In addition to using social media to solidify your existing relationships, it’s also an opportunity to build your list of contacts.
Again, make building your list part of your weekly routine. One 20-minute session/week is all you’ll need.
Search for customers on Facebook and LinkedIn and invite them to connect with you. If you’re on Twitter, look for people who are following your competitors and connect with them. And, of course, promote your social media in your day-to-day activities. Include links to your social media in your email signature. Make sure your website includes Facebook and Twitter widgets.
Commit to 20 minutes each and every day, preferably at the same time each day. You’ll find it’s plenty of time to manage your social media—as long as you’re diligent, focused, lay out a routine, and make it easy for others to follow you.