How to Automate Your Social Media without Looking Like a Jack*

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The dirty secret of the social media world (besides outsourcing) is automation. Most of us do it. But you don’t have to look like a jack* when you do! If you share other people’s posts and then automate your posts, most people will still love you. But there are some ways to not just broadcast all the time.

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You Must Be on the Platform

That means you have to get on Twitter, Facebook, or wherever you say you are from time to time. You can’t just broadcast. After all, you’re not the New York Times. For me, that’s at least once a day, interacting live with people. Of course, there’s no law that says you need to be there. But if you don’t want to look like a jack*, get on the platform. How often should you post? According to this post from Sendible “aim for consistency, not frequency.”

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Respond to Others’ Queries

If someone asks you a question, answer them. If they share your posts, thank them. And so on. It’s important to have a presence or you’ll largely be ignored. Engage with people. Ask them questions, too. If you don’t know how to engage with people, you might like my book: 21 Ways to Total Social Media Engagement That Will Make You Look Like a Pro.

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Don’t Make it All About You

Use the 80/20 rule to share other people’s posts. Comment on their blogs if they have them. Introduce people who might have something in common. Talk to people they way they want to be talked to. You’ll be surprised that people will answer you when you reach out. Here’s some more about the 80/20 rule in case you didn’t know: Why the 80/20 Rule Works for Your Social Media.

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Being Playful is the Key

Your questions don’t have to be serious all the time, it’s ok to be playful. In fact, I really like this blog post about play: Why Playfulness Is the Key to Success in the 21st-Century. Author Zat Rana says “…play is an act of learning. More specifically, it’s a low-cost way to explore the world in order to obtain high-value advantages.”

What Makes Social Media Automation So Popular?

What Makes Social Media Automation So Popular?

What Makes Social Media Automation So Popular?

Either people like automation or they hate it. There’s not very often any in between. I think that automation can be used, but you have to be careful with it. A broadcast-only strategy will not make you social, and of course social is the important part about social media. Engagement is so critical, that I wrote a series about it:

Extinction

If Darwin was still around, he would probably bring up the many species who exist in isolation, and how they were able to survive. However, when other species are introduced to these species living in isolation, the entire game changes.

Let the strong survive.

Let the strong survive.

Let the Strong Survive

We are a social species. We need our friends to help us get to where we want to go, to help us learn, to point out when our favorite shoes are on sale, and so on. We are biologically wired to interact with others, to live with others, and sometimes that even extends to sharing the remote control.

Social Media Automation is Anti-Social

To bring the point back to automation, nobody likes to talk to a recording. And automation without any interaction is like getting a robocall. Nobody likes those. So if you do automate, make sure that you’re also engaging with people regularly.

Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should.

Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should.

Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

Of course it’s easier to automate everything. Send one post across all your platforms without customizing the language. A lot of people do it, but so what? A lot of people send direct messages, too. Most people hate them.

Bots Talking to Bots.

Bots Talking to Bots.

Bots Talking to Bots

If you’re not on social media yourself, how can you expect your potential clients to be there? Don’t you think they can tell if you’ve automated everything? Yes, they can! And they’re not happy about it, either.

How Do You Feel About Automation?

How Do You Feel About Automation?

How Do You Feel About Automation?

Do you love it? Hate it? Or are you somewhere in the middle? Leave me a comment! I’d love to know. And thank you.

 

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