Here is a practical guide on how to publish more effectively on social media channels. Please note: I am sharing this in case others might find some inspiration; I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this post; there are other tools that might offer similar functionality – these are just the ones I am using.
This article describes a workflow for individuals. For teams that work together to publish content on social networks there are different plans from Buffer or different tools altogether that might be need to be considered (e.g. Hootsuite).
Tools used:
>>Scheduler:
This is a key element in the workflow and after looking at different tools, I have settled for Buffer which is an online service with client applications for iOS & Android, and which comes also with a plugin for Chrome. Buffer takes your posts and schedules them for publication according to a schedule that you define, which is channel specific (e.g. one for Twitter, another one for LinkedIn). It then provides some analytics for the posts that have been published. Buffer offers a free level of service as well as paid ones, that have richer scheduling options.
>>News reader apps (on mobile device)
The one that I use most of the time is News360 (iOS & Android). In this app one can subscribe to a broad range of news channels. I also use Flipboard (iOS & Android) which has the option of adding RSS feeds.
>>Optimization service:
Timing is very important in order to get better impact with the social media posts. There is quite a bit of information on the Internet advising what are best times to post on LinkedIn, Facebook etc. To optimize the timing of my posts I have used Tweriod. This is a service that analyses your Twitter audience and defines a set of times which are optimal for posting. I have then configured these times in Buffer. Tweriod offers a free analysis as well as paid ones. There are quite a few other similar services available, including one from Buffer.
Putting everything together:
First you need to create an account with Buffer and to give it permission to post on your behalf on different social networks. Then you define the schedules for publication, which are specific to each channel. Once this is set up it is time to add posts to the queue for publication.
In my case I scan the news in the evening or while travelling if I find something worth sharing, I send it to Buffer. From my iPhone this is quite simple – while in a News360 article, press “Share” and Buffer is listed as an option. Select it, and the link to the article with a short description text is shown in Buffer. I choose the channels on which it want it published, add some comments/tags, and the app will queue it for delivery.
The source does not have to be News 360. Most of the news apps have the possibility of sharing an article using “Share” (on iPhone) – and Buffer will be presented as an option. Even if this option is not available, one can create a post manually directly in Buffer, including link, text, images etc.
Image published under Creative Commons by Yoel Ben-Avraham.
Let me tell you about something I call the “ER syndrome”. A few years back, a friend of mine in the medical profession jokingly said that if you go to the Emergency Room with a headache, chances are that you will get a Computer Tomography Scan before someone thinks to give you a regular painkiller. With everyone being in the “emergency mind-set”, common conditions can be overlooked. Of course, doctors are more professional than that, and the point that I am trying to make is that in the complex world in which we operate as managers, sometimes we tend to forget about the simple things. How do we avoid the “ER syndrome”? By being well-anchored to good management practice.
#OpenCIO 