Typically, there are two things that clients tell us when we tell them that regular blogging is an essential component of their social media campaigns:

• Social media takes a lot of time to be effective. How can we be more efficient?
• Where do I get content and ideas for content so I can post regularly?

The Dudes have talked about tools/utilities (socialoomph.com, tweetdeck, hootsuite are just a few we have mentioned) to make you more efficient.  Do a search either on this site or on google to find more.  Suffice to say that there are tools that will help you post information to your blog, Facebook, or Twitter account on a schedule and most of these will also sync up your accounts as well.  So, one post to one of these can be distributed to all of your social media profiles.

Finding content for your site!

• Google alerts and RSS Feeds
  RSS – Most sites have RSS (Real Simple Syndication) buttons that will automatically bring new posts to your email.  That saves you from having to go to a variety of sites to see if there is anything new on the site.  It fetches it and brings it to you.  RSS is great for sites that continually bring you great content.Google alerts – Google alerts take RSS to another level.  RSS gives you a content from sites you subscribe to. And that is good. But google alerts brings you back hits from ANYWHERE that you contains your keyword or term.  Want to find out about your competitor, put in an alert. Want to find the latest thing that is happening in your niche?  Put in an alert.  It is a great tool that everyone should be using and a great source of content to share as well as ideas that will come from reading that will let you create something original on your own.Don’t get overwhelmed or overloaded! While the above tools are great, you can be quickly overwhelmed if you subscribe to a bunch of these.  Here are some tips to help you out though:
  • Removed feeds/alerts that you either never look at or only rarely. If they don’t bring you value consistently, lose them.
  • If you don’t share the content or personally find value in it, remove them as well. Remember, you are trying to be efficient. Having superfluous information is just making a bad problem worse.
  • If you have gotten behind in your reading, do something similar to email bankruptcy and mark everything as read. Guilt won’t overcome you and you are starting anew.
  • If you share content from your feeds, it is important to add new feeds or alerts to keep things fresh for your website visitors.

• Twitter
  Twitter can be a great source of information and inspiration.  Twitter search can find you items/quotes/people within your niche.  The great thing about twitter search is that it isn’t restricted to just those people you follow.  Beside twitter search, you can also use other functions such as:Sometimes it is easier to use Twitter as a source of information rather than use a feed reader. The people you follow post information relevant to you. Sometimes it is from sites you don’t follow. This is great when you are watching Twitter, but lots of information goes by that you never see. Here is a suggestion to manage Twitter more like a reader and provider of information.

• Twitter lists: You can create lists either by topic or by twitter account types. (Keep social media tweeple with other social media tweeps)
  • Keep your lists small and manageable. Probably better to have a lot of specialized lists than larger generic lists.
  • If you use a twitter client, add these lists so you can review them throughout the day.
• Use a client like TweetDeck or HootSuite to set up Twitter alerts to follow keywords on a real time basis.
• Don’t forget to follow some of the people who are continually coming up in your keyword searches.
• Just like RSS, consider unfollowing those who are on your lists that aren’t “bringin it” regularly.  Think efficiency!!

• LinkedIn
  I think LinkedIn is almost the “forgotten sister” of the social media “big 3”. But it can be a awesome source of content that can be of value to both you as well as your readers.
  • Groups – Look through and join groups as well in participate in discussions about your niche. Groups provide an effective way to post articles as well as provide you with great discussions around your topic. Have you joined a group and find yourself never reading even the digest you receive?  Time to change groups or remove this from your email clutter.
  • Answers – The feature provides not only a great source of content and ideas for you to create posts with, but is also an awesome source for new business.  Demonstrate your expertise by answering questions regularly.

  Sharing content that you find!  Not a license for not creating original content!

  There are times that you run across something that you know will be of value to your visitors.  Providing that information can make your site the go to source for your niche.  If that is the case, go ahead and repost (with proper credits).

  That being said, there is a difference between someone who finds interesting content and shares it and being an aggregator.  If you either don’t have your spin on the content you are re-posting or don’t deliver anything new yourself, my view is you don’t have anything of value for me to come to your site regularly.  After all, if the content isn’t new, can’t I do the same thing with google alerts?

  Believe it or not, not doing social media right can actually harm your business.

  If you are looking for free tips or advice on how to approach your social media, go to Social Media Dudes

  Or follow our tweets on Twitter at twitter.com/johnpanico

  Finally, those are my thoughts from high atop my 2nd floor office above my garage. What I want to hear are YOUR comments.  Please leave one now.

If you are looking for free tips or advice on how to approach your social media, go to Social Media Dudesand subscribe to your newsletter in the upper left hand corner! Still not convinced that social media is right for your business? Read this and get our F.R.E.E. report on the 7 Myths of Social Media! Or follow our tweets on Twitter at twitter.com/johnpanico Finally, those are my thoughts from high atop my 2nd floor office above my garage. What I want to hear are YOUR comments. Please leave one now.

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