Social media is ever-changing. It’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by the sheer thought of trying to keep up with the never-ending updates, announcements, and shifts as they occur. While there’s no arguing that it can be daunting, it doesn’t have to be a burden. Putting the right plan in place can keep you up-to-date with minimal hassle.
We’ve found a few great ways to help navigate the shifting waters of social media and stay in the know.
Find Credible Sources
If you’ve been trying to keep up with the latest trends and information surrounding the world of social media, then you’ve likely taken notice of several key publications that you can rely on. That’s a great first step in staying up-to-date. But, let’s be honest, you probably aren’t checking those sources as often as you’d like.
Instead, make your life easier by subscribing to the publications you find the most reputable and informative. This way, the information will find its way into your inbox and you can skim over it when you find an extra minute in your day.
Take Advantage of Podcasts
An easy way to learn about what’s changed in the social media space is to catch up on news by listening to social media marketing podcasts. Podcasts vary in length and provide lots of valuable information from social media experts and influencers in the form of interviews, case studies, and rundowns of the latest news. You can listen to episodes during your commute, at home, or just when you need a break from your computer screen.
Log Into Your Accounts
It seems so simple!
The easiest way to understand how social media is changing is to see and experience it first-hand when you log into your accounts. However, if you’re using a social media scheduling and monitoring tool, you might be surprised to find how easy it is to go extended periods of time without actually logging into any of your platforms.
Make it a point to log in and look through each of your social media platforms at least a few times each week. Other than simply being the best way to make sure everything has posted correctly and is free of typos, this will allow you to discover any new changes. Something major – like a layout change will stick out immediately. But for smaller changes, you’ll need to dive further. Consider some native posting just to see if everything is still the way you’d expect.
Additionally, scoping out your competitors’ social media channels will give you a heads up on any new trends that have hit or popular industry topics that are circulating.
Let Google Dig for You
One of the best information scrapers out there is Google Alerts.
Take a bit of time to discover a few keywords and phrases that will keep you apprised of platform shifts. Once that’s done, you can set up a Google Alert for some of them. That way, you’ll get regular updates when they post content or are interviewed about social media. We recommend getting these alerts once a day so your inbox isn’t completely clogged.
All you have to do is type in your search term, select your frequency, and you are ready to go.
You can also choose to do this for certain social media terms or trends. The specificity of your search term will determine how many alerts you receive. For example, the term “social media” is written about every day, but “social media trends in North America” will generate more targeted alerts.
Dealing with social media changes doesn’t have to lead to stress or rash decisions. Keep these three tips in mind and you’ll be prepared for whatever social media throws your way.
