12 Most Crucial Social Media Tasks to Do

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Social media will suck up as much time as you let it. Balancing social media activity with the meaningful work and relationships we have in real life is vital.

One solution is to make a to-do list of social media tasks and stick to the priorities. Here’s a dozen on my list.

1. Twitter picture

On social media, people get fewer clues about us. No tone of voice. No facial expressions that shift and change during the conversation. So for goodness sakes, replace that egghead avatar on Twitter with a photo. Otherwise, why would anyone want to engage with you?

2. Twitter profile

Yes, with just 160 characters, you’ve got to carefully choose the words to use here. But just leaving it blank shouldn’t be one of those choices. Like a faceless follower, an account without a personable description is easy to block and hardly a reason to follow back.

3. LinkedIn profile

Recent research showed that eight in ten companies included LinkedIn when recruiting. (I’m wondering if the other 20 percent are still using mimeograph machines and manual typewriters…) Regardless whether you are actively looking for work, LinkedIn is now just an extension of your resume. You need a profile there.

4. Blog/landing page

This is a really smart way for people to give themselves a professional boost. It’s pretty easy now to set up a website with the software and tools available. And it gives a platform to show your skills, expertise and volunteer work that differentiates you. So even if you don’t have your own business, setting up a landing page that is visually appealing is a great idea in a highly competitive job market.

5. Buffer

Staying up with all the tools for social sharing is almost impossible. But a few make it so much easier to pass on content that they’re worth exploring. Buffer is a fabulous tool that lets you choose what, when and where to share posts. In a few minutes you can pre-load some great stuff on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

6. Hootsuite

Another tool to use for scheduled sharing, Hootsuite lets you also select which Tweets you want to see — such as a list of people you follow or tweets that use a certain hashtag or tweets that mention your posts. Like Buffer, Hootsuite has a free version that works quite well.

7. An uber-visual site, such as Instagram or Pinterest

Sharing images and other visual content is one of the most magical aspects of social media. Either of these two sites makes that magic even easier.

8. Klout

This social site, which offers a score for people’s influence, has had — and still has — many critics. But I am not alone in believing that layering in this kind of social influence rating is here to stay. If you think about it, the concept is actually ancient and time-tested; it just seems new because it’s gone high tech. Social rank has existed since one caveman coldcocked another caveman for the last bite of wooly mammoth meat. No doubt, nearby cavewomen noticed that. And guess who found more influence among the group after that? Thankfully, our species is more sophisticated these days. Yet Klout really just brings analytics and measurement to our age-old penchant for assessing influence.

9. Kred

Kred is a social scoring tool with a different rating system. It is more detailed and transparent than Klout, telling you how many points you have, and why. Kred also has its critics. But I think it’s worthwhile to know about Klout and Kred.

10. SoMe lingo

Even if you don’t plan to be really active on social media, being conversant in the terminology is becoming increasingly important. It’s worth knowing that people have “friends” on Facebook and “followers” on Twitter. And that RT doesn’t mean real-time, route or room temperature.

11. Google Alert

This handy tool lets you set up a search that updates as mentions occur on the Internet (at an interval you pick.) You can use any search term. For staying on top of your reputation online, it’s a good idea to set up a search that alerts you when your name appears.

12. Engage

This isn’t just one task. Rather, it’s a tip that helps you get more out of social media. Using the tools available now makes it pretty easy to drop in for as little as 15–20 minutes a day, and connect with and learn from people you never would’ve “met” otherwise. It amazes me what I learn through my social media chums every day.

I’m sure some people have different things at the top of their social media to-do list. Please share!

Featured image courtesy of kk+ licensed via Creative Commons.

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Becky Gaylord

http://www.gaylordllc.com

Becky worked as a reporter for more than 15 years in Washington, D.C.; Sydney, Australia; and Cleveland, Ohio for major publications including the New York Times, Salon.com, Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, and was Associate Editor of the Plain Dealer's Editorial Page before she launched the consulting practice, Gaylord LLC. The company helps clients improve their external relations and communication and increase their influence and impact. Becky blogs about that (a few other things) at Framing What Works.