Staying on top of all the different social media channels can be overwhelming. Photo credit: Interaction Institute
By: Brittany Nicole La Hue
It seems like every day there’s a new social media network that you just have to join because literally all of your friends are on it. Although many networks come and go, three have weathered the test of time: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. These Big Three platforms are a must for both business brands and personal brands – but they don’t have to completely consume your life. Check out these handy social media tools to optimize and simplify your social media strategy, so you’ll have more time to, you know, waste time on social media.
An example of a HootSuite dashboard. Photo credit: AlexandraSamuel.com
Everyone knows about HootSuite, which is the dashboard that lets you schedule tweets in advance. But so few people actually take advantage of its awesome features! HootSuite is great for when you have lots to say but don’t want to bombard your followers all at once, or when you want to maintain an active online presence nights and weekends but don’t want to have to sit by your laptop 24/7. Buffer and Tweetdeck are other similar tools – once you find one that works for you, you’ll never have to stress about getting a tweet out in time again.
Another little-known tool is the lists feature that is already built into Twitter. This function allows you to create lists with different themes, to help you better organize your newsfeed. So if you use your Twitter account for both work and pleasure, you can easily create a “Work” list of work-related users. You can also use lists to filter your newsfeed into topics like news, fashion, sports or tech, so you are shown only what you want to see at any given time.
Arrange your photos neatly with tons of layout options on PicStitch. Photo credit: iTunes store
Facebook etiquette is so tricky these days. You don’t want to see all those whiny status updates from your cousin or endless baby pictures from your coworker. But deleting these people could make social situations awkward. Instead, you can use a tool like Social Fixer, which is an extension for Google Chrome. It allows you to filter your newsfeed, create tabs for your feed, hide posts and more. You can even do what I did and turn your Facebook pink (because why not?).
If Facebook is slowing down your smartphone or running down your battery, install the Facebook Lite web app. It allows for a more efficient experience so you can keep sharing…and sharing…and sharing.
An example of a photo we uploaded to Instagram using Whitagram! No cut-off heads.
Stop cutting off your tall friends’ heads and cropping photos into unnatural, perfectly square boxes. The Whitagram app allows you to keep your image’s original size and aspect ratio by filling in a white background. You can also choose a color to accentuate your photo, and then upload directly to Instagram.
If you are one of those people who will post 20 photos in a row from the exact same event on the exact same day, it’s time to revamp your strategy. Avoid clogging your followers’ newsfeeds with by making a collage! Apps like PicStitch and PhotoGrid allow you to make fun designs with your photos and add backgrounds, filters and stickers to your collage.
In General
Keep content in your “pocket” for later. Photo credit: Creative Bloq
Finally, some tips that will help you on any social media platform. One of my favorite everyday tools is bit.ly, a site that shortens long links into tiny, neat-looking links. TinyURL is another service like this. Not only does this make your posts look better, but it will help you achieve the 140-character limit on Twitter easier.
If you have trouble finding great new content to post, set up a Google Alert. You can enter any keyword or phrase you want, and when something is posted online with your trigger, you’ll get an email. Stay on top of your favorite celebrity, a competitor business or world news this way. If you don’t have time to read articles you find right away, save them to your Pocket. San Francisco-based Pocket is a Google Chrome extension (and app) that lets you save webpages and articles for later. This way, you’re not forced to stop what you’re doing and read something, and you don’t lose content either.
Maintaining a strong social media presence doesn’t have to be a full-time job, or a hassle. Let us know in the comments how these apps helped your personal or company social media strategy!
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