Save time and money using social media tools to gain audience insights, create scroll-stopping visuals, plan your content, and schedule to multiple platforms at once.
As the platforms and algorithms ask more of us, the tools help us keep up.
Understand audience needs with social listening tools
In years gone by, the only way to know what customers thought of you (or your opposition) was to stand on street corners and ask. Now, you can read and easily analyse what customers say about your brand (or the competition) from the comfort of your living room.
This magic is called social listening, and these tools operate in the background of all our online and social media activities. Boost your business by using them to:
- Track what people say about your brand – and course correct if needed.
- Find out which accounts influence your ideal customer – then reach out for a collaboration.
- Identify topics and hashtags as the trend begins – to become an early adapter.
- Discover what your audience dislikes about your competition – then solve the pain point by making your business different.
Social listening tools offer a range of different information collation, analytics, and complimentary options, such as scheduling. Consider these to begin:
- Hootsuite – offer a free 30-day trial that can be great for getting a one-time pulse check on your business and your competitors.
- Google alerts – a free tool that monitors Google searches and sends you alerts on your brand name or other keywords.
- Sprout social – an all-in-one social media management tool.
- Rival IQ – specialist in social listening and analytics.
Fast-track planning and brainstorming with generative AI (ChatGPT)
A place for everything and everything in its place…
I’ve cautioned against overusing or misusing generative AI tools, and I still do. However, programs like ChatGPT can save you a lot of time brainstorming ideas – if you remember that your audience wants your take, not the generic version ChatGPT throws at you.
What does it mean to personalise ChatGPT’s suggestions?
Chat GPT prompt:
Make me a 7-day social media calendar for a chocolate maker focussed on unique techniques and how to be creative with chocolate at home.
Suggestion for Wednesday (direct from ChatGPT):
Post Title: Tempering Chocolate Made Easy
Content: Share a short video explaining the tempering process, why it’s important, and how to do it at home with simple tools.
Hashtags: #TemperingChocolate #ChocolateSkills #Bakingtips
Personalise it to reflect:
- My ideal customers are locally based in Canberra (local hashtags)
- Susie’s Chocolates are about approachable and relatable tips (not just easy)
- Susie’s business mission is to make chocolate more popular than ice cream (so #chocoholicsunite is her catch cry)
New personalised version of the post:
Tempering chocolate, the Susie way. I remember how scary it was when I first started tempering chocolate, but honestly, if I can do it, so can you. #temperingchocolate #canberrafoodie #chocoholicsunite
Visual: short video explaining the tempering process, its importance, and how to do it at home with simple tools.
ChatGPT saved me an hour of brainstorming, and because I was satisfied with its suggestions about which to do as infographics and which to do as videos or stills, I saved time making decisions too – leaving plenty of time to rewrite the content with my own spin.
At least it would have… if I owned Susie’s Chocolates instead of The Social Nest 😉
Stop the scroll and boost engagement with great branding and visuals
I know most of us would love to have a branding specialist, videographer, photographer, and graphic designer on staff working for us full-time, but while we shoot for that goal, there are some great DIY tools help us get there.
Video editing apps
Apps like In-shot make editing video for social media accessible to all. You can film and trim your videos and add text, music and other effects, all from your mobile phone. And unlike those you do straight into Instagram, In-shot lets you use your videos on any platform you like.
Graphic design tools
User-friendly tools like Canva can make a graphic designer out of you too (almost). Take advantage of its branding option to save your brand colours, font and logo so it’s at your fingertips to create templates you can update and edit over and over. Content has never been this easy!
Save time and boost consistency with scheduling tools
If you love creating content when the mood hits but forget about it for the rest of the month, scheduling tools are for you. Scheduling tools collate all your social media channels into one location, making it easy to manage campaigns across platforms and monitor your topics and even the stages of your customer journey to keep you balanced.
Most scheduling tools also offer:
- Creation tools
- Easy team collaboration options, including manager approval flows
- Social listening and analytics
- Post time optimisation
When looking at options, consider the combined social listening and scheduling original that is Hootsuite, the simplicity and value of Loomly, or the self-proclaimed AI-driven CloudSocial. But honestly, read up on a few and sign up for a trial before you buy. The best option is always the one that best meets the needs of your unique business.
With all these social media tools available, we understand how fun it can be to manage your own, but if you’d prefer to make chocolate or kick a footy with the kids, book a free intro chat today.
