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
International buyer slowdown one of Prime London’s biggest challenges
The latest survey of UK prime residential agents by AgentWise has found that many believe a slowdown in international buyer activity to be one of the biggest challenges facing the market today, whilst many have also noted an increase in the number of clients looking to explore property opportunities overseas rather than the UK. AgentWise…
Read More 
Housing market hit by £21m increase in fall-through bill
The latest Fall-Through Index by the House Buyer Bureau reveals that the number of property fall-throughs across the UK increased by 9.8% during the first quarter of 2026, resulting in an additional £20.9m in costs to the housing market compared to the previous quarter. House Buyer Bureau analysed the latest data from TwentyCi on the estimated…
Read More 
Is UK Construction Stuck in a Rut?
Glenigan data for Q.2 shows construction performance weakening further, dashing hopes of recovery in H.2 2026 The value of underlying work starting on-site during the past three months declined 15% and fell 38% below last year’s levels. Residential construction starts fell sharply, dropping 31% against the preceding three months and plummeting 52% compared with…
Read More 
Home sellers have a 24-hour patience threshold
Survey shows that the age of instant communication has reached estate agencies New research from Street Group suggests Britain’s home sellers have developed a “24-hour patience threshold”, with the vast majority expecting estate agents to respond, provide updates or take action within a day at virtually every stage of the sales process. The survey of…
Read More 
Lloyds House Price Index for June 2026 – Thoughts from the Industry
The latest Lloyds House Price Index for June 2026 shows that: House prices increased by +0.2% between May 2026 and June 2026. Annual house price growth increased slightly to +0.6% in June 2026, up from +0.5% in May 2026. The average UK house price now stands at £299,330. Thoughts from the Industry Nathan…
Read More 
House prices edge up in June as borrowing costs start to ease
• House prices rose +0.2% in June, following a -0.2% fall in May • Average property price now £299,330 compared with £298,812 in May • Annual growth up slightly to +0.6%, from +0.5% in May • Northern Ireland continues to record the UK’s strongest annual growth at +7.4% Nations and regions house prices Northern…
Read More