As a Social Media Manager I’m fairly sure I can say we have all been stuck in a social media rut at some point. You know… when you have your entire week planned out and your daily activities follow the same routine. YAWN! Let’s be honest, if you are getting bored with your social media pages then it’s likely that your followers are too.
The beautiful thing about being a Social Media Manager is having the creativity to coordinate and implement your own campaigns, change direction and breathe fresh life into your channels. Sometimes we all just need a little inspiration so here are my tips for climbing graciously out of your social media rut.
Try Something New
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different engagement techniques on your pages. This doesn’t mean altering the nature of your brand or dramatically changing direction but it does mean keeping your followers interested. Friday is a great day to inject some fun into your page so why not try a caption contest, #fridayfun Twitter hook or create a Friday Pinterest board for the fun stuff to increase engagement and virality. The response you will get from your fans will make you smile and remember one of the reasons you love your job!
Redistribute Your Budget
At the end of each week/month analyse your paid campaigns and see how they were received. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new graphics, altered wording, new geographical regions and demographics to see if it increases your web traffic and page interactions. You will enjoy the buzz of tapping into new markets and knowing that your changes are solely responsible for increasing a campaign’s success!
Play With New Apps
Take an hour out each week to play with new social media sites, apps and tools. This doesn’t mean that you need to incorporate them into your social media plan but it does mean that you get to see what’s new and evaluate whether it would work for your business model. It also means you get to have some fun playing the fan as opposed to the brand and hopefully gain some ideas along the way.
Set New Goals
Set yourself goals and challenges even if you keep them to yourself! For example … I bet myself a cookie that by Friday I can reach the next 1000 milestone on a particular social media page or get more than 10 shares on a post. You might be surprised, not only by how much this motivates you, but also by the rush of accomplishment you experience when you do reach your goals… and you will!
Take Time Out
Sometimes as Social Media Managers we are so busy posting, engaging and scheduling that we don’t have time to think about ways to change our routine. Just like a writer or an artist we need to nurture our creativity so try logging out of your networks for one hour (nothing bad will happen), walking away from your PC and actually taking time to think. Listen to some music, enjoy a coffee and allow your ideas some space to form. For this hour there should be no agenda and certainly no expectations but I am certain you will surprise yourself.
Were you ever stuck in a social media rut? Tweet me and let me know!