Optimize the Management of Social Profiles

Nowadays managing different social profiles could became a work. But with a little bit of strategy and the right tools it is possible to maximize impact reducing the effort.

First of all, you don’t need to share everything. I usually write no more than 10 updates per week, depending on how much thing I consider interesting. My rule is: if you think that this thing/tweet/place/app/whatever is good, share. If in doubt, do not.

But then start complications… Recently I increased my presence on Twitter and I want to start publishing articles on Linkedin. It is a matter of segmentation. Different messages for different platform (and different users, of course).

The interesting thing is that generally one content could be posted in different profile, and having a strategy it is possible to optimize the impact of your work letting softwares works for you.

For example here is how it is targeted my presence on different platform (but first, a clarification: Public platforms are the one that are publicly visible, I do not need to accept some to be my friend. Closed Platform are the one I choose who can enter and who cannot)

Public/Open Access Platform:

•  Twitter: I use it for short public updates, to tweet about specific hashtag and to share piece of information that can interest a wide audience
• Instagram: I used it to post funny/interesting/cool photos that may interest a general people. I think is a cool platform.

Closed Access Platform:

• Facebook: I use it basically to share public information but also to share personal information that I want visible only for friends or people I know. This could mean place where I am, mood updates, personal thoughts, personal photos and so on.
• Linkedin: I have my professional profile and all the information regarding my work experience but I still haven’t started posting news. I will, and I’ll post general news regarding business/management and work stuff.
• Google+: I have a profile with an old email address and Google do not allow me to change my primary email address. Moreover, there are no API for integration so it requires a lot of effort to be used effectively and it is used only by a minority of people. I think it is a great platform but not useful for the moment.

It is clear that managing different streams with the right quality on a regular basis require a lot of time. I don’t want to see the management of social profiles becoming my half-time job so it is clear that a smarter approach is required.

I have tested a solution in the previous weeks and I think to be on the right way. I will refine it and adapt to my future needs but here is the full ideas.

Instagram -> Twitter -> Facebook

I automatized it: things published in Instagram goes on Twitter and things published in Twitter goes on Facebook. I used IFTT to do so, it is a great tool and allows to manage different profile creating simple workflows (to start there are a lot of recipes shared by other people to try).

Twitter -> Linkedin

I created a workfow that post every tweet with a specific hashtag to Linkedin.

Now when i need to publish something I just need to think at which level publishing and publish accordingly.

Still, there are some space for improvements. I discovered Buffer, it is an app that allows not only to decide in which platform publish from a single and simple interface, but also allows to distribute the flow across all the day.

I usually read news in a bunch from my RSS reader (on the iPhone I use Reeder, it is simple and clean) and being able to select some interesting articles and let Internet working for me seems really interesting. I’ll try buffer in the following days.