Social Media In One Hour A Day: Dave Evans

Dave Evans is a social media professional and author of Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, a practical guide to using social media in business. He is also featured in the upcoming Success Secrets of The Social Media Marketing Superstars. The following is an excerpt of his chapter. You will be able to get a brand new audio from Dave at our August 24 book release day. You can find out more about Dave at his blog: www.ReadThis.com

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Ready. Set. Focus.

If you’ve read my book, Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day you’ll know at least one thing about me: I like to take complex tasks and break them into manageable chunks.

Most people, despite what you’ve heard about “multi-tasking” are most productive when they have exactly one thing to do. Start your hour by creating a workspace that helps you focus on just one thing. That “one thing” is “work,” so start by clearing away the things that will pull you into the personal side of social media. Social media and the larger Social Web (aka, Web 2.0) is bigger than business. The Social Web is a place where people share what they’ve learned across a wide range of interests. So, on the Social Web you’ll find a blend of work and play. Avoiding “play” is your first challenge.

Avoiding the temptation to socialize is the biggest hurdle you’ll face in managing your hour a day. Be clear about your goals, and stick to them.

The Social Web is both a marketplace and a playground: Unless you can separate these your “hour” will quickly turn into a “morning” as you sink into the dark hole of social banter. Instead, when your friends want to chat, just say “no.” Here’s how to set you up for success.

An easy way to separate work from play on the Social Web is to imagine that you are walking into a professional networking party. It’s a social event, but it has a business context. Manage this hour the same way you’d manage your networking opportunities.

First, gain clarity.

There are big distracters that can get in the way of making smart use of time. Your desktop is one of them. I’m not talking so much about the physical desktop (though it certainly fits in here) but rather your computer’s “desktop.” The trick that I learned while writing was to shut down everything except the tool I was using right now. This means all of the applications that connect you to real-time streams and interruptions. Email. Chat. Twitter. All of it. Turn the ringer down on the phone, and turn the vibrator off. It’s hard enough to focus on a task in the first place, let alone when Tweetdeck is hitting you with its trademark sonar blip every 30 seconds. So, turn that stuff off. Go back to 1980, before all of this existed. Launch whatever single application you need, and open it to full screen. Seriously, doesn’t that feel better?

Second, use a to-do list.

It can be pen and paper (which is often helpful for informal notes to yourself) or it can be electronic. My favorite is the task list built into Gmail’s Calendar tools. You’ll find it in the “labs” section of Gmail. The great part of this task list is this: Not only are to-dos easy to add, setting the due-date is part of the entry. The item is automatically placed into your calendar, so each day the tasks due are presented in a centralized spot. When tasks stay current, emergencies that otherwise interrupt a productive hour don’t arise. The great thing about an organized task list, for me anyway, is that it allows me to relax. Instead of stressing out about all of the things that I have to do, I can see what needs to be done. I can check off accomplishments as I go. That makes me feel great.

I often make a quick paper list to clear my mind: When I can “see” what’s in my head it helps me to quickly organize, relax, and get on with my day.

Think about these two points: Clear your mind. Use a to-do list. You know what? They actually fit together. You can clear your mind by dumping what’s in it onto your task list.

Now here’s the connection to your social media hour: The best way to organize the hour is to quickly review your marketing plan and take note of the what you are trying to accomplish today. Look at where you stand in regard to your plan. That ought to be driving your to-do list, and in turn driving your social media program.

Here are the steps I follow in moving from my marketing plan to specific actions:

Step 1. Where am I supposed to be, in terms of my business objectives, today? If you don’t have this kind of detail–for example, if your plan has an annual goal and little else, set aside some time to refine it.

Step 2. What milestones should I be achieving, and what are the metrics that define them? Now look at your plan, and dig into it, pulling out the specific items you should be focused today.

Step 3. Then I work my plan, in order. A typical social marketing plan has three primary components: Listening, Outreach, and Response, all tied together through observation and measurement. Approach your hour in a step-by-step fashion, paying attention to these three fundamental social media marketing components.