6 tips to get you started with social media.
November 7, 2014
Participating in social media is a time consuming task, and a common problem facing SME’s. You may have a vision or strategy in place, but if you have limited time or resources, this can be a challenging task.
It’s important to allocate enough resources to your social media efforts if you’re serious about using it as a marketing tool. You’ll need time and people to do it.
Here’s some tips to help you get started:
- Plan. Before you get started it’s important to decide why you want to use social media, how much time you and/or your team can dedicate to it, and what your goals are. By answering these questions, it’ll help you to stay focused, and apply your efforts against clear objectives.
- Decide which social media platforms you should leverage based on your target market, your business needs, and the time you have allocated to it. There are many platforms you can use such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter to name a few. Start by identifying which audience(s) you’re trying to reach (customers, clients, businesses), then research which platforms they use. You should also research which platforms your competitors’ use.
- Create a social media schedule. It’s important to decide when you’ll check your activity, how often you’ll share information – during the week and on weekends, and when you’ll engage and respond to conversations and enquires. If you already have a blog, this would align with how often you share your blog posts. Once you have an idea of the number, you can begin to see how much time you’ll need to allocate to it. Also remember that you’re not only posting and sharing information, but engaging with your followers, so you need to keep a regular eye on all the platforms you’re using. It’s better to start with using less platforms more efficiently, then more platforms and some get neglected.
- If you’re managing your own social media, make more time by delegating some of your existing work out. If you have a team, you may benefit from investing time into assigning some of the social media responsibilities to them.
- Utilise social media management tools. They’ll help you schedule posts ahead of time. There are a number of tools available – such as Hootsuite or TweetDeck. I prefer to use TweetDeck due to its layout and usability. I can also use it on my smartphone on the go which is ideal for me. Investing some time in finding and setting up the one that suits your needs is invaluable. On that note, it’s important that you don’t just schedule all your posts and forget about it. You should take a personal approach and respond to queries and followers, and create conversation. People prefer to feel like there’s a person on the other side of the platform, and not a software program.
- Get external help if you still struggle after you have implemented the above suggestions, or consider dedicating a member of staff to your social media activities.
Social media requires investing time, but it’s vital to create a schedule as it’s easy to get distracted and consumed by it. To improve your productivity levels, find your balance by planning ahead.
You May Also Enjoy
Residential projects remain under pressure
Infrastructure keeps UK construction moving through a sluggish spell Residential and non-residential projects remain under pressure, while infrastructure and utilities work give the industry a much-needed lift The value of underlying work starting on-site during the latest three months declined 2% and stood 18% below last year’s levels. Residential construction starts fell 8% against the…
Read More 
Homebuyers hold tight ahead of Autumn Budget
but should they wait to make their move? The latest research from Yopa has revealed that mortgage market activity has reversed in recent months, with approvals falling at an average monthly rate of 3.9% over the last four months, having previously increased by an average of 1.5% per month over the previous four months, suggesting…
Read More 
House price growth accelerates in Q2
The latest Property Market Index Review by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that the property market continued to build momentum during the second quarter of 2026, with UK house prices increasing by 1.1%, while London recorded a second consecutive quarter of positive growth. The Benham and Reeves Market Index Review…
Read More 
House prices hold steady despite impact of higher interest rates
House prices were unchanged in September (0.0%), following a -0.3% fall in August The average property price is now £298,441, compared to £298,395 in August Prices were also unchanged annually (0.0%) compared with September last year Northern Ireland continues to lead UK annual growth, at +7.4% Latest first-time buyer prices reveal what a 2.5% deposit…
Read More 
Breaking Property News 5/10/26
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Architect-founded KnowYourNest brings property scores into the home search, with a free 1–10 score and full KnowYourNest reports from £9.95 By Author Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR NestLink today launches free NestScore checks and KnowYourNest property intelligence reports for buyers and homeowners across England and Wales.…
Read More 
Gap between house prices and earnings narrows
Gap between house prices and earnings narrows – but higher borrowing costs limit affordability gains UK’s house price to income ratio falls from 7.6 to 7.3, an 11-year low, as earnings continue to outpace house price growth For first-time buyers, homes now cost less than six times earnings, falling from 6.1 to 5.9 However, monthly…
Read More