Today I realized that social media managers are one of a kind. We need to be organized and focused in our work while facing temptations and distractions every day. Almost all productivity articles talk about blocking distractions. I, for one, have downloaded apps that will block out distractions but the problem is, I work on these distracting platforms and channels.
We live and breathe social media. We eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between. We stay on top of the social trends. We work on multiple tasks. The online reputation of our clients lie on our hands.
So how do we stay productive? I’ve been asking this to myself for a while now since it’s hard to find articles that helps us social media managers be more productive.
So I’ve tried different tips and hacks and today I want to share these to all my fellow social media managers:
Create a daily, weekly and monthly goals for your clients
I’ve been watching a lot of Rachel Aust’s videos and I got this tip from her on creating daily, weekly and monthly goals. I don’t really have daily goals but I have a daily to do list. It’s a list of all the tasks that I need to do in order to reach my goal. My monthly goal is a sum of my weekly goals.
Here’s how my daily to-do list looks like:
Comment on at least 5 posts in #productivity.
Like and follow pictures in #Mumpreneur.
Post twice on Instagram.
My weekly goals look like this:
Gain 500 followers on Twitter for Goal Step.
Increase engagement by 30%.
Publish one article on the blog.
And my monthly goals are:
Gain 2000 followers on Twitter for Goal Step.
Increase engagement to 50% from last month.
Publish 4 posts on the blog.
Create a work-life calendar and be consistent in adding entries
I use a lot of calendar apps for both work and personal reminders. The problem is, I can’t keep up with it. What I found was, no matter how great a calendar is, if you are not consistent in adding in entries or keep up with it, it will never work.
What I do now is print-out a calendar (I found a really nice free downloadable calendar online) and write all the important dates on the calendar, every first day of the month. I keep it on my desk so I can easily see it. If you have a hard time remembering or you’re traveling, copy the entries on your phone calendar and set an alarm.
Be efficient and manage your time well
Being efficient as a social media manager is very important. You can easily be drowned in tasks if you don’t manage your time well. As someone who travels a lot, using scheduling platforms like Hootsuite and SproutSocial really helps. It doesn’t only save you time and effort but it also ensures that the pages you manage are still active even if you’re not online.
Be updated with the trends for each social media platform
I read somewhere that the only thing that’s constant is change. And it’s true even for social media platforms. Algorithms change. Policy changes. System gets updated. Strategies you’ve used before might not work for the accounts you handle today. Read the news. Stay updated. So you will stay on top of your game.
Focus on the social media channels that suit your clients’ businesses
Being productive is not just about getting the job done. But it’s also about contributing to the success of the company, brand or individual that you work with. Ask your client who their target audience is, do your research and find the social media channels where they hang out. There’s no use tweeting all day if your client’s target market isn’t there.
Declutter your desk and your digital space
Here’s another useful tip I learned from Rachel Aust and that’s to declutter your desk and digital space. I honestly removed all the things on my working table and leave only my notebooks, journal, sign pen and laptop. I will add some decors in the coming days but in the meantime, I’ll keep it clean and tidy as it is.
Clearing your desktop at the end of the day is also a must. I couldn’t count how many times my desktop has been full of files to the point that I couldn’t identify what my wallpaper was. Not even exaggerating. As a social media manager, I have to create, save and upload different files every day. Whether it’d be videos, images, documents or presentations, sorting them out before you end the work day will help you start afresh the next day. If I need to keep a file, I create a folder under the name of my client or the project I’m working on so it will be organized and I can easily find it.
Identify your distractions
Whenever I read articles about being productive, cellphones and social media are usually the top distractions at work. When you’re a social media manager, you need to be on your mobile phone and social media so limiting mobile use is not applicable to us. What you can do is identify your distractions first and create a plan on how you can limit them.
One of my distractions is watching a movie or a series. While I can work and watch at the same time, I find that I take longer than when I’m focusing on my tasks. So I came up with rewarding myself with my distractions. On my daily to do list, whenever I cross out 2-3 tasks, I reward my self and watch one episode of a series or a movie. However, there are times when I’m so focused at work that I finish all the things I needed to do.
Change your workplace once in a while
We’ve all heard this before. And it works. You don’t have to leave your house to change your workplace. Go to your kitchen and work from there. Lounge in your living room and set up your home office. Need some sun? Go out of your house and do a picnic style workplace. The ideas are endless, you just need to be creative.
But if you want to leave the house, cafes are always a good idea. Just make sure they have a good internet connection.
Get up, move and exercise for at least 20 minutes
Sitting all day can cost you more than you think. It’s not good for your body and definitely not good for your overall health. Aim to squeeze in at least 20 minutes of exercise. You don’t have to kill it in the gym, a simple 20-minute walk would do wonders if you’re consistent.
Right now, since I have my health goals, I make time to go to the gym every weekdays so I include it in my schedule.
Last but not the least, sleep!
If you haven’t watched Arianna Huffington’s TED talk about why you need sleep to be successful, you should watch it right now.
