Get Organized. The only TIP you'll ever need! Easily organize social media accounts with an index card system. Whether you manage your own accounts or have a multitude of clients you manage for, this is an excellent and inexpensive way to make yourself more efficient.
You can purchase the following four items at an office supply store or online for under $10.
The first item you'll need is a storage file. The index card file I illustrate in my diagram is a standard black plastic card file that snaps shut. It stores and organizes cards, plus holds cards upright for hands-free viewing and costs only $2. On the other hand, you can get as fancy as you want as there are various styles available, such as a locking card file that will cost you around $11.00.
Subsequently you'll need color coded tab sets. The ones I found are lettered A to Z however, you can flip them around and the back of the tabs are blank. You can easily write on the tabs with a permanent marker. I use these tabs to specify Monday, Tuesday, etc.
The 3rd item is a pack of index cards made of a durable card stock and ruled on one side. I use these for everything including note taking at meetings and seminars. They are a good deal easier to sort through than a random notebook. I always keep some cards with me just in case and men can carry these cards easily in their shirt pocket.
Lastly you need color coded index cards, which you will use as a title card for each social media site or task such as; reading email, updating blog, writing an article.
Let's get started by creating a weekly spreadsheet in Microsoft Word (or similar) or on a piece of paper. Dedicate your tasks according to a time of day and how long each task will take. For instance, the first thing I do each morning is read my favorite online news sources and a few Social Media News sites. I allow about one half hour for this from 8 am to 8:30 am. I have discovered this keeps me on task and I don't get sidetracked. The next thing I do is open my three email accounts. Of course I receive email throughout the day also but I always make a point to check it first thing in the morning and allow myself plenty of time to follow up.
When you have completed the spreadsheet, transfer those tasks one at a time on to the index cards. Please note: If you edit your Facebook page five times a week you should make five index cards and file them behind each daily tab. When I first started using this system I tried getting around this by making one card and moving it from day to day, but that was not a successful method for me. It's much easier to flip to Tuesday and have the cards already in place. Here is an example of what I have written on one of my index cards: (9:30 am) 1. Reply to comments 2. Post status updates (9:45 am) 3. Reply to comments on client pages 2. Post status updates. I go down the list and stay on task always making sure I don't run over the time allocated. Then I flip to the next card.
SEVEN ADDITIONAL WAYS TO USE THE INDEX CARD SYSTEM: What I have found to be a wonderful thing is the usefulness of this system for more than the daily task function. I also have sections to organize other things I'd normally have to memorize or keep on a notepad such as:
1. Useful websites. Bookmarking websites is fine and I do this often but sometimes I've forgotten why I have a site bookmarked or I fail to remember it completely. I have so many social media sites that I like to keep nearby.
2. Passwords. I do have most of them fixed in my memory or saved online however, some of my passwords are real doozies and those are the ones I need to have written in ink and locked away in a convenient place.
3. Notes. I attend seminars and meetings with a neat stack of index cards in my purse (guys can carry these in their shirt pockets). When I get back to my office I go through the cards and file according to subject or toss.
4. To Do ASAP. I try to take care of this list within the week.
5. Future projects. I know we'll all have some time to get around to this one day.
6. Ideas. Another reason to carry cards with you.
7. Client files. I like to keep certain notes on my clients, sometimes a time card and a to-do list for their future needs.