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A little research of social media dashboards and analytic tools has led me to believe that I have come up with a winning combo (at least for me).  With a combination of Buffer and Cyfe I can easily schedule posts and track the fruits of my labor.  

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Let’s start with Buffer.  This very intuitive and easy to use social media dashboard allows users to connect to different social media streams.  The UI is super clean and very easy to use.  On top of the ease of use Buffer does something very cool when you start adding streams. The app will analyze the social media stream and inform the user of the best times to post to that specific stream.  You can then create and schedule posts up to one month in advance.  I am not the only one loving this app, check out this story about Fortune Magazine and Buffer.  Now keep in mind, starving artist here, I use the free version of the service which is lacking in-depth social analytics, thus the need for Cyfe.

Cyfe is a more in-depth analytic tool.  It is a little different than what a lot of people may be used to in that each stream manifests as a widget.  In the free version you can only have up to five active widgets at any given time.  The work around, and really the saving grace, for the free version is that you can delete and recreate the widgets any time you like.  Don’t be fooled when you make your first widget.  You will be tempted to leave it on overview and just go from there…DON’T DO IT.  Look through the drop down list and choose exactly which metric you want to track. Using the free version could be a little cumbersome if you wanted to track numerous metrics for each social media stream, but it can be done.  Don’t believe me, take a look at this seo-hacker post that will show you just how much you can learn from this wonderful little tool.  

Promoting your business on social media can have numerous benefits towards the success of your business. However, in order to maximize those benefits you have to use the right social media tools to promote your business. It’s good to start by deciding which social media platforms are right for promoting your business. Once you have decided which social media sites you’re going to be using you need to find out what tools those sites have to offer. For example a good tool to use that most sites have are analytics. These tools allow you to look and you post and see what’s working the best to promote your business and therefore helps you improve your posts in the future. There are also tools that help you manage your various social media accounts. One of these tools is Buffer which is a tool that helps you queue and schedule social media updates across multiple platforms. Considering these tools are just some of the things you can do to help you create a more successful business.

chandigarhppc.blogspot.com/2016/01/7-effective-way-to-promote-your.html

http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/10/21/social-media-promotion-tools

https://www.clickz.com/which-social-media-tools-should-you-should-use-for-your-business/104736/

I’m attending a class at a local college called Web Presence—my goal is to learn about social media and how to build a personal brand.

What I’ve learned: There are SO MANY tools—each offering something slightly (or drastically) different. With the help of this class, I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t use EVERY social media channel out there. I don’t have the time or desire to do so. Therefore, I will pick and choose a combination of tools that will work best for MY goals. I’ll then determine a social media strategy that will best launch my brand. 

As for the tools… my plan is to focus mainly on Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr and Instagram. These channels will work together to drive traffic back to my website (created in Wordpress).

So then… what strategies shall I use to launch my personal brand?

My first strategy is developing my personal brand statement. This statement includes what I have to offer, as well as why what I offer is better than what my competition is offering. This is called a Positioning and Transaction Statement in the book Branding Yourself. I like to think of it as a personal tagline or catchphrase… what I might use in an abbreviated (one floor) elevator pitch. 

My next strategy is time-management. I will block out dedicated time for social media and learn to use my tools as efficiently as possible. According to Social Media Today the average time needed to do this differs largely from person to person. However, I’ve chosen to spend between 30–60 minutes a day to build my brand. I will also use a calendar to help me stay on track and complete my daily tasks.

Lastly, automating my personal brand campaign will be essential for staying within my allotted schedule. Social media sites provide ways to preschedule the posting of informational content. Other tools can help distribute information from one channel to others. HootSuite is a great tool to help automate the branding process.