Navigating Social Media

Being a Social Media Admin on my day job does not mean I know anything about social media. Everything I know I have had to learn. And, I don’t need to tell you that navigating social media is a challenge. To learn about every social media tool available today…takes time. But learn, one must. The question is, “How?” when time can be so limited.

We all experience it. The lack of enough time. Juggling life’s hectic schedule of a day job including chores, paperwork, family and friends, and even a pet is challenging enough. Then, when one adds into the mix surfing the worldwide web; writing, self-publishing, and marketing a book…plus writing the next book; and, building a network of relationships – not necessarily for the sake of promoting a book (to do this would be too hard, overwhelming, and no fun at all) but for the love of people and sharing one’s message of inspiration, encouragement, and wanting the best for others.

So, how does one start? Good question. Especially when one’s life is already hectic and filled to over-flowing. But, I think I have an answer for this. Time management. I know. I want to laugh, too. When I was much younger, I would look at that term and wonder what that even meant. Now, though, after coming this far in the self-publication field, I believe more than anything to be successful one needs to manage one’s time.

What this means to me is having a schedule. Yes, a schedule. So, for a good part of my life, I keep two calendars. In one, I write down everything because I am over-compulsive and have been making lists since I learned how to write. On the other – my smart phone, I keep only key dates and appointments. This is so I don’t overbook myself.

Because it has been difficult finding time to write and promote books…not to mention work in fitness and adequate sleep, I learned to schedule my writing time just like I schedule my bill paying time. So now, I am scheduling in learning about social media. Once, I scheduled in my social media learning time, I made a list – in order of priority – of what I needed to learn. On this list, I wrote all the social media platforms that might be useful to me – from Facebook to LinkedIn to Instagram to Twitter to Pinterest to Goodreads and more. Most of these I already had an account with. I just needed to fine-tune or tweak them toward being a Social Media Admin, Creative Writer and/or a Published Author instead of whatever I was trying to be or do before.

So, think of what you need your platforms to do for you. What do you want them to say about you? What do you want your message to your readers to be? Do you want them all to say the same thing across the board? Or, do you want each one to represent one element of yourself or your creativity? The ideas are endless once you start. The key is to not let the fear of change keep you from updating your blog, website, Facebook (or add a page just about your book, art, music, etc.), Pinterest, etc. Learn to let go of what is not working for you. Trust me, if you need it, it will either be in the archives – or, you can create it again.

So, what am I planning to do now? I am planning to make my list even more intense, as detailed as possible, as this is a serious and very important part of the journey. I want to capture every social media platform I might need to take full advantage of. I am also making sure to place dates on my calendar with specific blocks of time for specific research to include reading, audio, and video learning. Yep, I’m one of those persons who has to read it, hear it, and see it. Once learned, it sticks with me, and I can teach almost anyone about it.

I know, it seems like a lot of pressure. All these blocks of time. All this learning about platforms and ways to navigate the social media world. Just remember, every little bit we learn makes us better at whatever it is we are trying to achieve. Besides, if you need to rearrange your calendar or blocks (of time, of learning), you can always move the block to another day – or just skip it. The point is to block out time, so that you don’t forget to take time for learning. When you look back at your calendar, and when you find yourself easily using your new skills, you will see how far you’ve come in learning more about social media and all the ways you can promote your product, your goals, your dreams.

I will continue this subject in future blogs. Anything I learn on the subject of navigating social media, I will certainly share with you, especially any neat tips. But, it may take awhile. As you know, life is busy.

Lastly, before I sign off, I make sure to block out time for fun, rest, and nurturing. Tonight it is a self-pedicure and Colorstreet nails*. Taking care of oneself is important to one’s success. Without nurturing, no amount of learning about anything will matter much. So, block that time for learning about social media to promote your product, but also block time for taking care of self. You are worth the investment.