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11.17.2010

Why I Keep a Social Media Journal... And You Should Too.

Consistency, performance, lead generation, page views and return on investment. These are just some of the key metrics business owners, myself included, hope to get from social media. But how do we get there? That’s the $64,000 question. How do we know that what we’re doing is working? Especially when it comes to something as fluid as social media.

I’m not a social media expert. I simply try to help my clients develop a strategy that works for them and their business, but it has to be easy to execute. If they can’t stick to a system than what’s the point?

There are dozens of sites and advisers that promise in-depth tracking results and all kinds of complicated metrics, but most business owners don’t care about that kind of technical stuff. So what are some easy things to track, that actually provide a certain level of valuable insight?

I’ve started a social media journal and so far it’s really helped me get a thumbnail view of what’s working and what isn’t.                        
You don't have to be a teenage girl to keep a journal

So what do I track?

TIME SPENT

A social media journal helps me keep tabs on how much time I’m spending every week crafting my social media strategy. By having a developed plan, I can streamline the process so I’m not wasting lots of time on techniques that don’t produce results.

I recommend using a site like Hootsuite, that lets you integrate all your social media accounts (twitter, facebook and Linkedin, etc), so you can easily post content on a variety of platforms at once.



Hootsuite also lets you schedule your posts. I spend an hour or two on Monday morning finding content to share, then scheduling it to go out at set times during the week. It helps me keep things consistent for my followers and it saves me from having to log into multiple sites everyday.
 

TYPE OF POSTS

I keep track of what type of info I’m sending out. My preferred social network is twitter, so I’m really focused on the type of tweets I’m sharing.

There are all kinds of tweets: random thoughts, calls to action (tweets with links), re-tweets, mentions (those that include names of other users), and questions designed to get a response. Just to name a few.

SEQUENCE

How do you know which type of posts are working? A social media journal lets you track the sequence of your posts, so you can build up to maximum impact.

Maybe you’re working on a new blog post and the goal is to increase your page views. Try sharing info related to the topic you're writing about, before you direct people to your post. It’s a subtle way to whet their appetite, and it can be done in a variety of ways.

Pick a day you want to post your latest entry, let’s say Wednesday. Then on Monday post a comment to let your followers know you’re working on the new post. On Tuesday you ask them what type of info they’d like to see included. That feedback helps you shape the content to what potential customers want, plus, it gives your readers a sense of investment. When you post a link to your blog on Wednesday, your readers will be excited to see if you addressed their needs.


Make sure to mix up the type of info you share. Find out which sequences work and which ones don’t. That way you have a blueprint for success to meet your different goals.

DEFINING GOALS

A social media journal helps you define your goals. Having hundreds of facebook friends is great, but if you’re interested in generating leads you need to find ways to get them to sign up for your newsletter or e-mail list. By defining your goals you can tweak your strategy and get feedback from the public, so you can turn them into new customers.

Not everything works on every social media platform. What works on twitter doesn’t always get the same results on facebook. A social media journal helps you figure out how potential customers are interacting with you across those different platforms, so you can target people in a way that works for them and you.

IS YOUR CONTENT BEING CONSUMED?


Hootsuite lets you shrink the links you’re sharing with your online friends. More importantly, it lets you track the number of people that actually click that link. It’s a great way to see what type of posts are convincing people to consume your content. Find out what works and what doesn’t. Cut out what doesn’t work and double up the things that do.


A shrunken link via HootSuite

It’s important to realize that there are no surefire ways to measure success. It’s all about crafting a system that works for you and your business. A social media journal doesn’t have to be super in-depth, but it’s essential to have a system that lets you define your goals and figure out what’s working. Once you set a few simple metrics you want to track you’ll be able to hone your approach and turn online friends into online customers.

I’d love to know what you think. What are your goals and what social media metrics do you track?

Chris Vanasdalan is a freelance writer and part-time PR & social media consultant. He’d love to help you develop a content development strategy that works for your business. You can follow him on twitter @WriteNowIndy, find him on facebook, or on the web at www.writenowindy.com.

2 comments:

  1. Your post is very well laid out. Do you have a resource for writing posts like this? I am new to blogging and look forward to your input Chris. Thanks, Rex

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  2. Thanks for the comment Rex. I don't have specific resources. I just try to write about some of the common questions I get from clients and friends.

    I'm pretty much self taught when it comes to social media marketing, so I try to detail some of the things I've learned through trial and error or by reading other blogs.

    The biggest key is to identify the issues your target audience is dealing with and addressing those. Don't be afraid to ask what people want to read about. It's a great way to get started.

    Hope that helps. Thanks for reading. Feel free to post a link to your blog so I can check it out.

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