5 tools to better manage your social media

Social Media can help you generate more leads, sales and clients, it can also suck your time if you let it. In order to keep your social media effective but productive, use some of these tools, resources and apps to make your life easier. Here are five of my favourites:

1. Inbuilt Facebook Post Scheduler

An awesome feature of Facebook which not many people know about is their inbuilt post scheduler. This allows you to create all your content, upload it on Facebook and have it distributed at the time and date which suits you. I use this weekly to schedule all my content for the week, which means I’m consistently showing up each day. Create your content as you normally would, then instead of clicking on the bottom right corner to post, click on the clock located in the bottom left corner. Then select the year, month, day and time you want your post to be published. You can schedule up to six months in advance.

Smartphone

2. iPhone (or Smartphone) Camera

Stock photos can be expensive! But photos increase engagement and grab people’s attention online so they are necessary. Instead of purchasing stock photos, I like to take my own images using my iPhone. The quality is perfect for online usage and it’s super easy to use. Start taking photos of things which grab your attention, as you never know when you might use them. When out and about take photos and remember you can also use items in your own office. In one of my training sessions, I talk about tracking your sales leads using a pen and paper via the phone – so of course – I took an image of my Kikki K Notepad and Pen – easy and only took me 5 seconds.

3. Pic Monkey

If you want to create your own image for social media or add something special to your iPhone images, check out Pic Monkey. This free online tool is very easy to use – just click and drag. It allows you to add boards, text and so much more. Plus they have some templates already set up for the most common images such as your Facebook Cover Image. View all the features at Pic Monkey

Flipboard being used on iPad (credit: Johan Larsson)

4. Flipboard

If you like to stay current with what your friends are doing and news stories, you will love Flipboard. It allows you to import your Facebook, Twitter and RSS feed into their handy iPad app. You can then view all this content like you would be reading a magazine; lots of white space, bigger images and full news articles. I like to use this to find ideas for content creation for my Facebook page and blog posts. You can download it for free here.

5. Hootsuite

If you are finding it hard to stick to a small amount of time on social sites each day (just for business stuff) then Hootsuite might be the answer. It’s a social media dashboard which allows you to see all your social accounts on one screen. You can see your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts all on one screen, meaning there are less distractions. It also allows you to post new content and reply to others’ comments right there in the application. It’s web and app based and they have a free account option. Find out more here.

Are you using any of these, or can you offer suggestions for a better one? I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Featured Image Credit: Johan Larsson

Natalie Alaimo

Natalie Alaimo is a social media marketing expert who teaches business owners how to build their brand via online marketing to create an avalanche of clients ready to buy from you. She helps clients via custom workshops, the Ask Natalie Academy and private coaching. Natalie is the creator of The Social Media Blueprint – Managing Your Social Media in 10 Minutes per Day.

An Australian Gold Coast local she enjoys, tap dancing, painting and spending time with her family.

Natalie is an international speaker and blogger who has been involved with companies such as; Telstra, Ray White, BNI, BWI, WNA, Keune, Babor, Self Storage Association and Starshot Photography.