Written by Amanda Lam, account executive for PRSA Portland Metro account team.
Social media platform Twitter has become an important tool for connecting brands with various audiences. Not only is the platform fast-paced, but also may be difficult to manage. In order to reach and engage an optimal amount of users, social media planners must know the importance of curating a good amount of content in order to increase visibility. It may seem easy, but if you schedule social media, you know it can be quite time consuming. So, here is a list of four tabs to keep open while scheduling content on Twitter.
1. TweetDeck
The Tweetdeck vs. Hootsuite debate will never really end, but media specialists should consider TweetDeck as the primary social media management tool. Why? According to Ian Cleary at RazorSocial, Tweetdeck features a more streamlined appearance and allows you to manage multiple accounts at once. In addition, the platform is powered by Twitter, which means you don’t need to create a separate account. Plus, it’s free!
2. Bit.ly
On both Twitter and TweetDeck, links are automatically shortened once the tweet is sent out. However, you can also create branded and customized short links. Bit.ly also works great as an analytic tool because it measures how many clicks a certain link receives.
3. Google Sheets
A good tweet often requires various links, tags, and more. However, many media planners may find it difficult to keep all the components organized and accessible. A tip to consider is to create various lists on Google Sheets and having them open while scheduling social media to increase productivity. Different social media gurus may find some lists more useful than the others, but three essential lists that could be useful in managing social content include:
- Twitter handles – a list of most commonly used/ tagged Twitter handles.
- Evergreen content – a collection of links and materials that aren’t time-sensitive you can use when short of content.
- Hashtags – A log of popular hashtags associated with the Twitter account and personal hashtags created for the specific account.
In Google Sheets you can also use an editorial calendar to organize scheduled tweets. Alternatively, you could use Microsoft Excel.
4. Canva
Canva is a graphic design software that is easy to use and serves as a great alternative to Adobe InDesign and Illustrator. The design tool allows you to create simplistic and eye-catching graphics for social media. Canva even has a collection of preset templates with the correct dimensions for various platforms.
The tips above help social media specialists understand a particular platform for social media management, and specific tools and resources related to Twitter for organization.
Amanda Lam is a junior studying public relations at the University of Oregon. She is from Tigard, Oregon and enjoys dancing on the beach, sipping on vanilla lattes, and getting lost in large bookstores.