Productivity Do’s and Don’ts for Social Media PR

We are delighted to once again have Robby Slaughter, Founder of founder of Slaughter Development, a productivity consulting firm, as our guest blogger. Robby, the floor is yours!

Every small business is either constantly working to build its public image or suffering from a lack of PR management. The greatest challenge is often just finding the time to keep a campaign moving. Even worse, in today’s fast-paced world of social media, it may seem nearly impossible to stay productive.  How do you keep on top of social media PR while still getting everything else done?

Most importantly, do build a social media PR strategy and follow it closely. If your plan is one Facebook status update per day, and one Twitter conversation with a journalist each week, create a chart and give yourself gold stars as you make progress. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, but with a definition of everyday success it is possible to move forward.

Don’t overschedule messages. It’s okay to have some of your social media messages set up on a timer so that they go out without you having to be online at the same time. However, if you’re not around to answer the reply, you look like a phony.

Do share what you have accomplished. A key aspect of growing your buzz is showing off your latest projects, even if they are not yet complete. People love to taste the soup while it’s still on the stove, so don’t be afraid to give out links to your fans, friends and followers.

Don’t share if you have nothing to show. The most annoying PR message is a hollow promise. If you’re hoping to launch something but can’t let the audience peek behind the curtain, it’s best not to say anything at all. Doing so is a waste of effort and highly unproductive.

Do share the same content at different times and with different audiences using different text. In fact, write several versions of your announcements all at once, and then schedule them for distribution. This helps to broaden your reach while making it less likely that you will annoy someone by sending  them the same message, word-for-word.

Don’t blindly auto-broadcast to different mediums. Modern technology makes it possible to duplicate a status update from Twitter to LinkedIn to Facebook and beyond. Although this seems like a timesaver, a set-it-and-forget-it approach can backfire. Think carefully about each message before a broadcast to ensure it makes sense on every network before a broadcast. If the tone doesn’t work everywhere, customize before distribution!

Do allocate time to research new tools. Twitter is great, but once you learn about Hootsuite, Tweetdeck and SocialOomph you’ll never go to www.twitter.com again. Mark time down in your calendar to research new software on a regular basis, with the understanding that you might not find anything worth using.

Don’t jump on every new network. You can’t keep up with every fad, and your job is to use tools that have lasting value.  You can’t be productive if you don’t learn to master what you already have.

Do read industry blogs. You’re not the only person in the world trying to leverage social media for public relations without spending 90 hours a week doing so. Learn from others by reading and connecting.

Don’t try to do everything yourself. Ask for help. Draw upon your fans and customers. Hire a public relations firm to assist you in developing and executing a productive social media PR strategy.

You can become more efficient and more effective in using Internet technologies to manage PR. Use this list of what to do and what not to do as a guide.

What are some of your favorite do’s and don’ts for social media PR? We’d love to hear from you!