Top Three Thursday: Social Media News You Can Use

TTTPearsWelcome to my Thursday feature. Here’s where I link three useful and interesting articles from excellent information sources all about social media and marketing subjects.

As you know, changes are always happening in the world of social media. We have a lot to keep up with!

Fortune recently highlighted some changes to the Facebook world in, “You Can Now Raise Money for Yourself and Friends with Facebooks New Charitable Tool.” Now you no longer have to be tied to a specific organization, but can now donate at will. Facebook keeps churning out new features to keep people on the site longer and expand the ways it is currently used.

Mashable talks about effective branding and marketing in their article, “Why Great Design is Key to Landing and Keeping Customers”. They outline what a great design looks like and how to keep your audience engaged in your business. These design techniques can be easily translated to creating social media visuals as well.

Adweek created a great list of ways to turn your social media audience into shoppers of your product. In their recent article titled, “5 Ways to Turn Your Social Users into Social Shoppers” they break down how to better connect with your audience on social and make a profit in the process.

See you next week with another edition of Top Three Thursday: Social News You Can Use.

Melody Jones is your social media aspirin. She helps take the pain out of social media for you! Check out her services and see which one can reduce your social media pain the most.

The Daily Writing Habit – guest post by Erin Cell

 

If you are like me, you know you need to be creating content on your website and social media platforms; however, it’s much easier said than done. Right?  If you struggle with consistently writing content, here is a simple daily habit you can implement to keep you on track.

Step 1 – Think Like a Writer

You may be asking the question, how do I think like a writer?  First thing you can do to start thinking like a writer is to read books on the topic.

Here are some recommended readings:

  • “The Power of Habit” – Charles Duhigg
  • “On Writing” – Stephen King
  • “The Artist’s Way” – Julia Cameron
  • “Writing Down the Bones” – Lori Goldberg
  • “Bird by Bird” – Annie Lamott

Step 2 – Write Every Single Day!

manwritingSeriously, this means setting aside the time to write every single day. Schedule this time into your calendar and don’t push it off. There are many tools you can use to help you with your writing. Try using Evernote, Google Docs, Notebooks, or even voice recorders.

 

Step 3 – Create Writing Rituals

Creating writing rituals should be specific to what works best for you. Some people need a special quiet place to work, while others prefer to have music in the background. You may want to grab a coffee, tea or water.  The trick to writing rituals is to find what works for you and try to re-create it whenever possible.

 

Step 4 – Schedule Writing Time

calendarandpencilThis means actually setting the time aside to really commit to writing. Put 30 minutes in your calendar daily and don’t push it off. Most people find writing first thing in the morning or last thing at night works best for them. Determine when you are most creative and schedule your writing time then.

 

 

Step 5 – Read, Read, & Read some more!

openbookThis may seem counter-intuitive, but the more you read, the better you become at writing. If you don’t like holding an actual book in your hand, there are so many options available. You can use such tools as Feedly, Pocket, Kindle, and of course audio books if you prefer to listen. If possible, try to read a minimum of one book per month (more if you can find the time!).

To begin the habit of writing daily, open a new document and name it “Morning Pages” or “Evening Pages” if you are a night owl like me! At the top of the page, write “I commit to write 30 minutes every day for one month.”  Then DO IT!

These daily writing tips were presented by Heidi Cohen at Social Media Marketing World 2016. If you’d like to get weekly reminders from Heidi, send an email to IDidIt@ActionableMarketing.Guide.

 

About the Author

Erin CellErin Cell

Erin Cell is the Founder & CEO of Socially Powered, LLC. I have been helping business owners “Power Up” their online presence since 2012. Socially Powered understands every business is unique & has different social media needs. We work together as a team to create & establish a social media strategy that works for your business.

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Do What Makes You Happy

What makes you happy?

I often wonder why we don’t do more of what makes us happy. If you love to cook, do more of that. Maybe you love hot air balloons – make it happen. Perhaps what makes you happy is spending an entire day with a good book and some sweet tea, uninterrupted.

What makes you happy?I’m guilty of not doing enough of what makes me happy. I’ve noticed that when I do make it a priority, it makes whatever else is going on more bearable.

What does this have to do with social media? We can all use social media in pursuit of that happiness. Follow your favorite chef, join an online group of hot air balloon enthusiasts so you can connect with like-minded folks, or join a Facebook book club. Of course you want to do all of these things IRL – In Real Life. What social media can do is enhance your experience by keeping you connected with your passion even when you can’t enjoy it in real life at that moment.

What make you happy? Share in comments!