In my previous post, I shared the tricks I use to limit the time I spend on my blog and reading RSS feeds in order to accomplish more, connect quicker and make myself more visible with less work and time.
Now, I will cover the second half of my bag of tricks, focusing on what I do to spend less time with Twitter and Facebook without missing out on anything vital.
Check In on VIPs: When I start work in the morning, Twitter is one of the first places I check-in for the day and do a quick scan to catch up. I have been using HootSuite since I reviewed the new release last month and have found that the columns/tabs feature streamline my ability to separate out the people I want to follow more closely and keep an eye on any tweets mentioning me.
Keep it Open: I am very lucky to work concurrently on two computers (Mac and Windows machines). This allows me to keep HootSuite running constantly without interfering with other work that I am doing. It’s always open and takes me just seconds to look over and refresh the screen.
Search Constantly: I have a tab in HootSuite dedicated to searching, so there is no extra work necessary when its time to run though my standard search terms.
Ignore It: This is where the discipline comes in. I can easily find myself distracted if I attempt to keep an eye on Twitter activity peripherally, so I force myself to ignore it for large chunks of time to focus on work. I let myself peek in throughout the day, but probably spend less than three minutes total actively engaged in Twitter each day.
Scan the Timeline Quickly: If you have a lot of friends on Facebook, there may be a lot of noise to wade through. Once a day, I use less than 30 seconds to take a quick look at what people are posting, their status updates and any other information that may catch my eye. I don’t check it throughout the day.
Create Conversations: My main goal on Facebook is to use my own blog posts and the posts of others as a jumping point for good conversation. This means I almost always will take time to respond to comments on my wall and respond to others who post things of interest to me. This takes a lot less time than reading through everything everyone posts, and allows me to create real and genuine connections.
Respond to Requests/Emails: Also only once a day at most (I don’t do this every day), I will go through and respond to all friend, group, and fan page requests. This is also when I read email and respond to messages. Although I get email notification when I have a new message or friend request, I resist the urge to login and take action immediately. I probably spend about two minutes, two or three times a week to stay up-to-date.
So, there you have my 15 minutes of social media time. And it works for me! Do you follow a similar routine? How do you stay current with your social media activities without losing your focus? Share some of the time-challenged social media tricks you have up your sleeve!
Alyssa GregoryAlyssa Gregory is a digital and content marketer, small business consultant, and the founder of the Small Business Bonfire — a social, educational and collaborative community for entrepreneurs.
