I recently found myself in a situation where I no longer had time to continue social media marketing activities for my own business.  All I had time for was keeping up with the needs of my clients.

My number one priority shifted to helping take care of my mom who recently had heart surgery.  Fortunately, my sister and I both have home-based businesses so our schedules were the most flexible.  Other family members who pitched in had to take time off from work.

What I found is that it was all I could do to help with my mom and take care of my client’s needs.  There was no time left for social media marketing for my own business.  I had no time to monitor my social media profiles, write blogs, post resource links or use any of the other online marketing channels that I typically use.  I was the one saying, “I don’t have time to do social networking”.  That is a statement I hear from people all the time.  Well, now I’ve been there…said that!

What I learned is that it was possible to find, write and schedule content for client’s that had a social media strategy and content plan.  Well, then why couldn’t I handle my own social media marketing?  Because I’ve never created a formal content plan for myself.  I’ve always kind of flown by the seat of my pants; writing blogs, posting links, commenting, etc…when I “felt” like it.  I stayed on top of breaking news on viruses and new social media features, etc…and I would post about those as they happened.

Could I have continued my own social media marketing if I had had a formal content plan?  Quite possibly!

So, what am I going to do now?

• Rethink the type of content I want to publish.
• Try not to feel like I have to stay in touch with breaking news as it happens.  (After all, I can’t be everywhere all the time.)
• Create a formal content plan that spells out the type of content I will post (videos, blog posts, resource links, etc…) and which days of the week each type of content will be posted.
• Use Hootsuite or a similar tool that will allow me to schedule my posts in advance.

If I had had the type of content plan I just described, I believe I would’ve…at least in part…been able to continue my own social media marketing even during a time of greater family need.  By the way, my mom is now progressing nicely and hopefully very soon she will be feeling better than she has in years!

Do you have a social media strategy and a content plan?

Have you ever been in a similar situation?  If so, how did it work out for you?  I’d love to read your comments…

Kimberly

P.S. - I consult & train businesses on how to promote their business on the internet and get found! Subscribe to this blog via RSS Feed or Email so you don't miss any Free Tips! @KimberlyYow

There’s a lot of buzz about social media marketing and how it can help you build your network, generate leads and strengthen your personal and business relationships. Now Google has taken another step toward integrating social media in their search results via “Social Search”!

Social Search enables Google account users (who are signed in to their account) to search on a keyword or phrase and see relevant results from their social circle of Tweeps, Facebook friends, etc…

You can use this new beta feature to your advantage in your career.  If you consistently post high quality content on your social media profiles, that is relevant to your industry or area of expertise, your content will show up in the Social Search area when people you are connected with on Facebook, Twitter, etc… search on applicable keywords.

Here is a video from Peter Kolat that explains how Social Search works:

Social media marketing is a great tool for building and maintaining your business network. And, Google’s Social Search is just one more reason why you should consistently post quality articles on your social media profiles.

Pepsi has purchased t.v. advertising spots during the super bowl for 23 straight years!  So why skip the super bowl lime light now?

According to Sean Gregory’s article in Yahoo! News:

Instead of pouring millions of dollars into a Super Bowl commercial, Pepsi has started a social-media campaign to promote its “Pepsi Refresh” initiative. Pepsi plans to give away $20 million in grant money to fund projects in six categories: health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods and education. People can go to the Pepsi website refresheverything.com – which can also be accessed through Facebook and Twitter – to both submit ideas and vote on others they find appealing.

You can bet that Pepsi’s decision to skip super bowl advertising this year was not a quick and easy decision.  If a company like Pepsi is willing to take the risk of launching a very large social media campaign, in lieu of super bowl advertising, you can imagine that they’ve conducted research, looked at the ROI from every direction and are convinced of social media’s value.

What about you?  Are you using social media to market your business?  Are you convinced of its value?  Do you think Pepsi’s social media campaign will be successful?  Sound off below…

Kimberly
MarketingThatsEasy.com

Did you notice that you can now rearrange your profile modules on LinkedIn?  Look at your profile in edit mode.  You can rearrange, by dragging and dropping, any section that you see a plus sign next to including Summary, Applications & Experience.

Kimberly Yow
MarketingThatsEasy.com

Seeking marketing pros for a collaborative online marketing campaign. I am specifically looking for people who are willing to participate in a joint venture of guest blogging and posting on social media sites (a.k.a. Tribe Syndication).  If you specialize in any of the following, please express your interest in the comments section or use the “Contact” button above to get in touch with me.

Pros needed in the following areas:

• branding
• email marketing
• PPC & banner advertising
• video
• podcasts
• PR
• graphic design
• promotional items
• mobile social media
• article marketing

Thank you in advance for your interest.

Kimberly