Social Media Tips For Moms Who Own A Businesses
It was fun to ask Cara to do this post because she's one of the few people I have met via social media and then in person. Running a consignment store I try to connect with any and all stylists, bloggers and personal shoppers. At the time I met Cara part of her job was a wardrobe stylist and I loved how she communicated online. She has the quality in social media that I connect with - authentic, genuine, interesting but she doesn't overshare and you can see the boundaries she sets in her personal and professional life. I like to surround myself with people who i can learn from - and from the moment I met Cara 3ish years ago in our short moments online or in person she is one of those people. 2 qualities she possesses that I adore are: she does one thing at a time and well and she is a very clear communicator. I love the professional journey she is on now and I asked her as a social media guru and mom to give us some tips to share with busy moms! Or just moms as I know you are all so busy. -Tamara
Cara's Social Media Tips
One of the best things about being in the Website and Social Media Industry is the ability to work from anywhere. For many moms, this can be a viable career and small business, while giving you the ability to have your babies home with you full or part time during the work day.
While my Little is too active and toddler-like for me to run my business with her asking me questions every 2 minutes at this point, I was lucky enough (and hard-working enough) to have her home with me full time until she was around 21 months old.
I did not work part-time though - I averaged around 45-50 hours per week, on top of being her full-time care giver. Fortunately for me, she was a great sleeper and I was able to get everything done during her naps and after she went to bed - usually working until 11 pm every night.
At the time I was the social media manager for a well-known band and was in charge of 17 social media accounts (usually 5-6 accounts daily), with a social fan base of over 11-12 million. That's right - MILLION. That meant every time I would post, thousand of eyeballs would see it within minutes. I had to be exacting and purposeful - not easy when you're a new mom. I once tweeted for the band and misspelled the name of the tour. That was when I realized I could not feed my baby, change a diaper, and tweet at the same time.
All this hustle required me to figure out really, really quickly some effective time management and shortcuts for social media. Here's a list of the best tools and tips I used.
1) Schedule your posts. You will not be able or available to post during opportune times. My favorite tools are Tweetdeck and Buffer.
2) Re-read and re-read. "Mom brain" is very real. Proof read everything word for word at least twice. You will make mistakes - fix it and learn from it.
3) Use the Facebook "save for later" option. This is a running content factory for me.
4) Know exactly what you need to do each day for your accounts. The checklist and structure will keep you on track.
5) Schedule time to unplug and just be with your kiddo(s). You need it and they need it. Social Media is not as important and that's okay.
I'd by lying if I said I never let my Little watch more videos than I'd prefer because I had to get a Facebook album up or an new contest launched. I did the best I could knowing that my time at home was invaluable and I was helping to support my family. I'd also be lying if I said that at the end of those 21 months of being the full-time caregiver and working until 11 pm every night, 7 days a week, I wasn't exhausted and done. As my Little got older, she needed more and more of my attention and that model wasn't sustainable.
But…I am here to tell you, if you are lucky enough to have these options, even if you only work part-time, you CAN do it and these tools and tips make it easier.
If you're a work from home mom and you need some social media advice, I'd be more than happy to help you figure it out! Give me a shout and we'll put our heads together.
