So your brand or business is on social media, now what? The internet can be a CRAZY place, and keeping up with social media on a daily basis can seem daunting like teaching an elderly friend how to use TikTok (or even attach an image to an email!). We’re here to make it easy for you with our list of Five things you should check off your Social Media To Do List every day:

1. Check Replies and Comments ✔️

This should seem like a no-brainer but it can get away from you. Messages start to pile up, comments can get out of hand, and you could miss opportunities to join important conversations. In the Social Media game it’s definitely not cool to show up fashionably late. Make sure you’re checking your profiles at least once a day and replying to relevant questions, comments and most of all any concerns. Don’t forget to celebrate the wins! Retweet the positive!
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Is your social presence starting to become unruly? There are tons of free and not so free options for managing profiles, comments and more. Some of our favorites are: Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Agorapulse. Even the Business Suite tool within Meta has a decent “inbox” to organize your Instagram and Facebook comments and messages.

2. Check Out the Trending Topics, Hashtags, and Audio ✔️

What is everyone talking about today on key hashtags for your industry (i.e: What is going on on #BookTok authors?) Is there a video trend you keep seeing on TikTok or Reels this week? If anything that’s making waves on social media is relevant to your area of expertise, it can be a great unexpected opportunity to gain some traction and new followers.

Use popular hashtags to help people see your content but #DontOverdoIt. That song you hear in almost every TikTok or Reel you see on your feed? Select it for your next video – trending audio will help it get seen! Notice whatever video style everyone is posting, and brainstorm ideas for how you can creatively use it to get information to your audience.

Also keep an eye on the news. Something may happen that requires you to pull a previously scheduled post. You don’t want to be in a position where a fun post selling a product goes up in the middle of a tragedy. See our post on brands and social media response after tragedy.

3. Feed Your Community ✔️

Social media is all about the back and forth exchange of ideas and viewpoints, so while it’s important to add your voice to the conversation of the day or jump on a trend, it’s just as important to share other’s thoughts. Retweet or re-share content that isn’t your own, leave a comment on a Facebook post, or spend a little bit of time each day finding someone new to follow.

Social Media does not happen in a void. No one is interested in hearing just what you have to say on a subject or, even worse, about yourself! Participate in conversations, join in on trending topics, retweet or reshare other good content that is NOT your own! Do a duet on a trending topic on TikTok. Spend a few minutes a day finding someone new to follow. Best case scenario – they notice you, follow you back, and start sharing YOUR content!

4. Keep Everything Organized with a Content Calendar ✔️

It can be difficult to come up with fresh content every day, and that’s why it’s super important to plan for it in advance. Plot out your key upcoming dates and create creative content and posts for each. Find and store useful content daily! It’s so much easier to get a good idea of all the moving pieces of your social media content when you can see everything laid out right in front of you.

Free Download! Grab the content calendar template we use with our clients every day.

5. Post Something! ✔️

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but it doesn’t always feel that way. If you have something slotted on your content calendar, then this job is easy! But if your content calendar is empty, head to some of your favorite sites and share a post, retweet a friend’s business or duet with someone you admire. At the end of the day, consistency and quality is key. Remind your followers you are there and you want to be a part of the online community. Posting daily does just that.

This list might seem overwhelming, but the more you do it the better (and faster) you’ll be! Jumping online for just a few minutes each day is the best way to make your social media presence work as best for you as it possibly can. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment with your daily social media to dos (or hey, tweet it to us!)

Are you an Author? Check out these free resources we have for you:

• Sign up for our social media for authors newsletter – We send helpful info, give out freebies, and downloads like our content calendar!
• Check out Marketing Checklist for Authors to get ready for your next release.
• Download our Ebook guide for publishing which shares red (and green) flags to look out for!