The Blog

Time Management in Social Media Jobs

Spring has always been a time for renewal and revival. Whether it’s cleaning up your house or preparing for a big summer trip, spring has always been a time to take stock and organize your life. In case you don’t know, StrataBlue is hiring a new social media account manager. What better way to celebrate spring revival than to discuss time management in social media jobs?

Time Management is a juggling act!

It’s about time, not tasks. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in social media jobs. Before you even consider social media strategy and ROI, look at the basics of the job. You’ll be using various social media sites like Facebook and Google+ to engage and update for your audience. You’ll also probably be working on paid media, such as promoted Twitter posts and Facebook ads. You could also be blogging for a number of your clients. Do you feel overwhelmed yet?

The solution is time management. You have to focus on the time you have for each task, instead of how many tasks you have. Each moment of your work day can be used to complete a task you need to accomplish. Waiting on a Facebook ad to get approved? Schedule some tweets. Have twenty minutes before your next client meeting? Get some blog research done. Once you realize how valuable your hours are in social media jobs, time management will become your best friend.

Lists are your friend. As a working adult, perhaps to-do planners and daily lists are something you remember from college. As a social media employee, you’ll need to pull that daily planner back out. I don’t care how organized your computer is, you’re going to need plain old lined paper to keep your time management goals straight. At the start of your day, write down the big items of the day. Write a blog about lawn mowers. Schedule tweets for the day. These tasks will need to be completed, but I can guarantee you they will quickly be joined by small, pertinent tasks that come up during your day.

It’s about quality AND quantity. As you become more familiar with social media jobs, you may start to notice the heavier workloads sliding your way. Or perhaps another employee will suddenly fall ill or leave your company. No matter the reason, you may find yourself with a new blog or client. You will definitely have to increase quantity, and many social media employees might let the details fall to the wayside. Avoid this at all costs. Adding new responsibilities is where time management really comes in handy. Know your limits. If you need help, there is most likely someone at your company willing to help you. Your employer would much rather help you than let client’s content suffer.

Avoid the social media abyss. It’s so easy to get sucked into social media. I’m not even talking about surfing on Facebook when you should be working. Perhaps you’re working on the completely noble task of researching a local event for a client’s social media strategy. Before you know it, you’ve spent an hour reading tweets from the event coordinator for that one last piece of information. Again, keep yourself on track with time management. If you need to research a local event, set a time limit.

What time management tips do you have for social media jobs? Please share them in the comments below!