The more I dive into social media, the more I start to realize there is an endless amount of information, articles, technologies, case studies, do’s, don’ts… and the list goes on… it starts to become exhausting. I tend to get easily distracted where there are too many sites to visit. I find myself hopping from one place to the next until I can’t remember what I was even searching for. Here are some basic tips for sorting through the clutter and finding the info you need (and still be able to get some work done).
- Read Groundswell- This book does an excellent job of setting you strait on how to approach social media from a business perspective. It walks you though valuable information on not only the technology but the strategy behind it. It also has some really powerful case studies that provide real life examples.
- SmartBrief on Social Media- This daily email has been a quick way to reference the most popular topics in social media of the day. I find that I can easily skim the email to find the most relevant information.
- Follow key people on Twitter- Depending on how your using twitter (or if you’re using it at all) it can be a great way to keep up on the recent buzz in social media marketing. Find some interesting people to follow (that also provide valuable information) and check in daily. (for example, @mashable is a good one) Also, if you are tweeting on behalf of multiple accounts use tools like Splitweet into consolidate your tweeting to one interface.
- Create a dashboard- If you look at my iGoogle homepage, it somewhat resembles a command central, filled with widgets to keep me posted on all of my social networking sites, mail, blog & twitter feeds, news, docs, etc. This helps me find the information I need w/out visiting multiple sites.
- Don’t focus too much on the technologies- There will always be another widget, social networking site, etc. It can be really overwhelming. If you put to much emphasis on keeping up with each new technology, you can begin to lose sight of what the purpose for the technology is and how it can help your brand connect with its audiences.