Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to independent jewelers, teaching them how to use social media to market. Here’s a quick video testimonial of one of my attendees and newest Social Edge members – click to watch.

And here’s my plane ride to the event from Albany to Boston – it was in a 9 Passenger Cessna and I was a little scared but it turned out to be a beautiful ride. I sat right behind the pilot! Click to watch.

This Week’s Focus: Saving Time.

I know that one of our most valuable resources is our time, and as a retailer who’s wearing several hats, it can be hard for you to find the time to put into social media marketing.

Using social media to increase your online exposure, build relationships and drive web and/or foot traffic is a must-do to compete and succeed in today’s digital world. To help you save some time while still being present online, here are three time saving tips.

1. Create a Content Repository. Have you ever sat in front of your computer wondering, ‘what the heck should I post today???” Sitting there trying to think of something creative can waste time, and when we feel the pressure to post, we often publish something that isn’t very engaging.

Instead, block 1-2 hours on your calendar each month, open an Excel Spreadsheet or something similar. Then step into the shoes of your customer and start writing posts that would relate to them.

80% of your posts will be engagement posts so ask questions, give tips, talk about quirky holidays, share funny or inspiring photos and share OPC (other people’s content like quotes, graphics, blog articles, local news, etc.). The remaining 20% of your posts will be about what’s going on in store that coming month.

Find content, write content and ask staff if they have anything to add like a good questions they were asked this past week or their product recommendations. Then store everything in your spreadsheet, which I call a Content Repository.

Note: if you need to create custom graphics for posts your publishing like product collages or images with quotes that are branded to your store, you might need another 1-2 hours/month. Use a tool like Canva.com or PicMonkey.com to save you time, or outsource your graphic design needs on Fiverr.com, 99designs.com or to someone local.

2. Schedule ahead of time. Once your repository is filled out, take another 30-45 minutes and schedule posts for the next month to the networks you use like Facebook, Twitter or Google+. At the current moment, you cannot schedule to Instagram and you must use a 3rd party site like ViralTag or ViralWoot to schedule on Pinterest.

Note: if a tragedy happens or you’re posting real-time status updates and photos, check to see what’s already been scheduled because you may need to reschedule a post so it doesn’t publish during a bad time or publish soon after posting something in real-time.

3. Download Mobile Apps. Most likely you’re not sitting in front of your computer all day long. You’re probably on the floor working with customers, training staff, stocking shelves, merchandising, talking to reps, cleaning the store, etc.

To quickly respond to questions or comments posted on your social media outlets, download the mobile applications for each social media site you use like Facebook (download the Facebook Page Manger for your store page), Twitter or Hootsuite, Google My Business for Google+, Pinterest and Instagram. Turn on push notifications for these apps so your phone notifies you when someone posted on your profile and/or pages.

In addition to responding quickly and easily, use the applications to upload real-time content like new product arrival pictures or videos, staff photos and pictures of happy customers.

For more time saving tips, tools and strategies consider joining Social Edge. Join by July 31st to receive $250 off an annual membership. Learn more by clicking here. 

If you found this tip helpful please share it with a retailer friend.