So close to being done!! In fact, you already know all the basics to getting set up to market online. I have nothing left to teach you!! Well… almost nothing. I am sure that after going through all of this information, there have been times where you have felt overwhelmed with all of the new knowledge and the mountain of tasks I have given you to do.
Right now I would like to solve that problem for you by giving you a basic plan of action to maintain all of the accounts and websites you have set up for the long haul. Your online reputation must be constantly maintained by consistently adding value to your communities and content for your readers.
This may seem like a lot, so below I have given you a place to start. You must make your schedule work for you, not the other way around. These are simply my suggestions, you can start here and adjust your action plan however you like.
Also, this does not include any marketing campaigns that you will be working with, team training or anything else that is specific to your own business.This schedule is simply a guide for maintaining your online presence – this is not a comprehensive list of what you need to accomplish to grow your business. You will have to create that for yourself.
If you are more of a visual learner, I have attached a sample Calendar of what your action plan might look like when it’s finished. Take a look at Resource section 3.
Below I have listed all of the tasks that you should be accomplishing on a daily basis. On an average day this will take me about an hour to do, most of that, however, is reading. So you can see how this can be made to be very flexible and maintainable.
· Facebook: You want to log in to your Facebook account every day. Check any new messages and respond, add your new friends to your welcome video and reply to any comments you have. - Est. Time: 5 minutes
· LinkedIn: You want to also log in to you LinkedIn account every day to check messages and new requests to connect. Respond and move on. - Est. Time: 5 minutes
· TweetDeck: I use TweetDeck almost exclusively. I hardly ever log in to my actual Twitter account. I go here to check all of my direct messages. If there are any requests to connect on Facebook I will take a moment and add them there as well. I also use TweetDeck to post to my Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts all at once. - Est. Time: 5 mins. (Note: I post one or two “organic” tweets a day through TweetDeck. This would be whatever is relevant to that day, a new post I wrote, something interesting I found online, etc. However, I have several scheduled posts that go up automatically each day using Twaitter.)
· Read + Comment on 5 or more blogs: To start off with I would recommend you have 20-30 blogs that you follow and comment on regularly. Schedule it so that you visit each blog once a week and leave a valuable comment. – Est. Time: 25 mins.
· Read + respond on a forum: I suggest taking part in at least 5 or 6 forums related to your niche(s). Go to each forum at least once a week to post a valuable response to a post and be active in the community. - Est. Time: 10 mins.
· Learn Something New: Lastly, make sure that every day you are investing time into your education. This can be through your company’s weekly webinar, training materials you have purchased, or even from the blogs and forums that you read. Make sure you are always taking notes when you learn interesting or valuable tips.
You can use these as follow-up emails and blog posts later on! I find that if you are really being active in the communities you are a part of, and not just going through the motions, learning about your trade comes quite effortlessly. You should decide how much time you want to invest in your education each day and stick to it!
Besides the tasks that you will be completing every day, there are also tasks you need to work on throughout the week. If you have a planner or calendar you use, I recommend scheduling each task for a particular day and write it down, so that you always know what your tasks for that day are ahead of time. This breaks up what seems like a massive amount of work into small, manageable steps.
· Write 2-3 Blog Posts: You should be updating your blog regularly. This is how you will develop a loyal fanbase. You can use this fanbase for guest blogging leverage and to market your affiliate links and opportunity to. It’s almost like having a second list!
I would suggest setting aside a half hour each day of the week to work on writing a post. Since it takes me about an hour from start to finish, if I do that every day I will reach my goal for weekly posts. And don’t forget to be using Posterous and AHS with your blog posts! - Est. Time: 30 mins.
· Post on a Forum: You can also reformat your blog posts to start your own thread on the forums. Make sure the content is relevant and valuable to that particular community before posting it.
· Write 1 Guest Blog Post: Each week you should also set some time aside to write a Guest Post for another blog. Choose which blog you would like to write for and pick a topic that you can easily write valuable and relevant content specifically for those readers.
When you’re done submit it to the owner of the blog! If it is rejected think of it as a bonus for you, now you can use that excellent post for your own blog or a forum. You can also always submit it to the blogging site we discussed before. - Est. Time: 2 hrs
· Add new LinkedIn Connections: Another thing you need to do TWICE a week is add new connections to your LinkedIn profile. Pick two days out of the week and add some connections. - Est. Time: 15 mins.
· Manage Twitter Connections: Also pick TWO days a week to add new Twitter connections. Don’t forget to use Twitter-Karma to unfollow the people who don’t follow you back! I usually do this on the same day because it’s easier to remember. – Est. Time: 20 mins.
· Add new Facebook Connections: And last but not least, TWICE a week you should add new Facebook friends, and remember to watch out for a flood of new people to put on your welcome video! - Est. Time: 15 mins.
· Write 2 Newsletter Emails: Finally, you should be sending out regular newsletter emails to your list twice a week. This is just like your blog, you need a consistent flow of content to keep that relationship solid. Don’t be afraid to reformat blog post content for your newsletter, but make sure it’s not the exact same post!
You will want it to be different as not to offend those who are both blog followers and newsletter subscribers, or you could lose their business.
And finally, there are some things that you should be doing on a monthly basis to maintain your online presence. First of all, you want to be sure and maintain/update your self-branded website at least once a month. Click around, be sure all your links works and the formatting looks good. Set one day aside to work on this because, like any worthwhile tool, your website will need some minor maintenance here and there.
Also, there may be a new header or color scheme you want to add, but if you never actually set aside the time for it, you might not get to it. So it’s just good to have one day of the month where you work on it specifically.
Also, we should be maintaining our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts daily, but we also cannot neglect our other social media outlets. Every time we post to Posterous, it updates those for us, but there are just some things that Posterous cannot accomplish.
For every networking site you have you should choose a day of the month to log in and update your profile, add friends, check messages, etc. This will make all of your social networking more valuable and ensure that you are sending a streamlined, positive message with all of your online sources.
Take these suggestions and turn them into your very own action plan! By setting small, daily goals you will empower yourself to implement the knowledge and skills you have learned, which is the only way to succeed. Continually adjust your schedule as you learn more and become more efficient in your marketing techniques. And be sure to check out the last section for a congratulatory gift!