Does the idea of adding social media to your already busy schedule make your brain instantly shut down and steam start to come out of your ears? I hear ya. When I think about adding ONE MORE THING to my plate my stress level goes through the roof. But social media outlets are the cornerstone to helping you, as a modern DIY musician or author, connect with your audience and build your career. So it’s an important aspect to make time for. 

The key here is to find the right online tools that will not only simplify the process but save you a lot of time. 

That being said, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite social media tools that I use every day. I know there are many options and I’ve tried almost all of them. The following tools are what work best for me, so if you have others that you use, I know everyone else would love to hear about them as well! 

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY SIMPLIFY YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROCESS: 

RESOURCE #1: Buffer 

BUFFER is my absolute #1 time saving tool that I use every day. That and it has drastically helped me improve my social media strategy. First thing when I get to work in the morning I poor over the blogs that I subscribe to on my Google Reader account (which I will talk about more in a minute) and I use Buffer to share posts and articles that I think my community will benefit from. I have specific times that I have scheduled within Buffer to post to both my Twitter and Facebook accounts and it keeps a running list of posts that I want to make and it posts the articles that I want to share throughout the day. It’s brilliantly simple and a huge timesaver!  

They also have a great iPhone app so you can use it wherever you go.  

RESOURCE #2: HootSuite 

HOOTSUITE is one of the first resources I used when I started working with social media and it is still a vital tool that I use every day. For one, you can check up on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more in one place. You don’t have to bounce from one page to the next. That and you can schedule posts with links & images to post at the exact time you want them to post. It’s fantastic! It’s easy to use and incredibly helpful. But most importantly it’s a huge timesaver! 

They also have a free iPhone app :)  

RESOURCE #3: Evernote

I don’t think I can sing the praises of EVERNOTE enough. I used to be one of those who had random sheets of paper scattered around with notes, ideas, important information, etc., that I could never find when I needed them. Evernote is a brilliant resource that keeps all of your notes, lists, etc., in one place that you can access anywhere. 

It’s a great way to keep things organized and categorized as well. You have a million things going on...why not organize and keep everything in one centralized location that you can pinpoint anywhere? 

And again, Evernote has a free iPhone app...

RESOURCE #4: Google Alerts 

On top of social media management and consulting I also do digital PR for various musicians and authors. It’s important that I keep up with reviews that have been posted, articles that have gone line, and anything that I need to stay on top of for not only my clients but for my company as well. GOOGLE ALLERTS will email you (either daily or weekly) with notifications for mentions that have been made online for the keywords that you entered. It’s an easy way to stay informed and stay on top of your online reputation, which is very important. 

RESOURCE #5: Google Reader

As I mentioned before, GOOGLE READER is a fantastic way to find relevant information to share with your community or audience. I’ve subscribed to various blogs and when a blog is updated it shows up in my Google Reader account. It’s a seamless & easy way to not only stay informed but gives you a way to share content with your audience. It gives you an “at a glance” view at what the blog is about and you can either read it or not. 

In an earlier blog I gave more detail regarding how to set up and use Google Reader HERE.

I use the “Reeder” app on my iPhone, which is $2.99 and is worth every penny. 

There you have it! That is my “social media toolbox” that I use each and every day. It has streamlined my social media considerably yet keeps me active on these important sites. Some people tell me, “How can you stay on top of your social media and still get anything done?” Using these resources I honestly spend about 30 minutes on my social media every day. With a little planning, the right resources, and some dedication, it can be that easy for you as well! 

I’d love to know what social media resources you use! What has been helpful for you? 

**This post was originally published in June 2011. I've had several people ask how they should go about getting blog reviews so I thought I would repost this entry. As always, let us know if you have questions or need more information! We are happy to help :) 

Here’s a thought to consider: what distinguishes your music from being a hobby and a career is how much time and effort you put into marketing & promoting it. Are you putting enough time and energy into marketing your album and establishing your brand? 

Many musicians (and businesses for that matter) get overwhelmed by PR & marketing when they are short on time, resources, and overall knowledge of how things work. You don’t have to have a degree in marketing or PR to get reviews for your new project to get the publicity ball rolling...just some time and determination. 

Here are some tips on how to get album reviews: 

1.) DO YOUR RESEARCH: There are hundreds of quality indie music blogs out there that are open to submissions. It just takes a little bit of research. The key is to find blogs that cover your style/genre. Make a list of possible blogs to submit to and keep adding to it. 

2.) READ THEIR SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Some blogs are open to anyone submitting their album for review and some have a system in place that you need to follow. Be sure to read up on their site to make sure that you follow their instructions or contact them to see if they are still taking submissions. 

3.) READ THEIR BLOG: Become familiar with the style of music or genres that they cover before you submit your album. You’d never send a pop album to a hip-hop blog, so be sure you know what they cover before you do anything.  

4.) PROVIDE A FREE SONG DOWNLOAD: This is not only a great way to give readers a sampling of your album, but it also is a good gesture to the blogger. Bloggers are looking for ways to keep their readers coming back for more, and free songs is a good incentive! 

5.) FOLLOW-UP: Once you send them your album be sure to check in with them a week or so later. If they like your album, they will review it. If not, move on to the next blog.  

6.) THANK THEM!!: When you do receive a review be sure to thank the blogger. A way you can do that is by posting a link to their review on your blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But also be sure to email them a personal thank you as well. It’s a nice thing to do :) 

Don’t go crazy right at first...break it down to 10 or so blogs to contact and then move on from there. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back from bloggers right away...they receive hundreds of submissions/emails a day and it takes time to sift through all of them. 

It takes time...don’t be discouraged. Stay on top of it and you will see some reviews. 

A few weeks ago I met up with our good friend Rick Elias who said, “The darkest time of year is upon us...football season will officially be over. What am I going to watch now?” This made me laugh. We have many friends who are really into football and wait with baited breath for the Super Bowl, which I call “The Only Day of  the Year People Actually Pay Attention To Commercials” Bowl. That was for us non-sporty types. 

For years companies and marketers have seen the Super Bowl as the Holy Grail of advertising, which quite obviously it was. There was a captive audience who actually ran back to the TV to see what Budweiser, Coke and Pepsi had come up with this year and trying to outdo last years commercial. 

I got to thinking...I wonder if this is still true? I wonder if companies who invest millions of dollars into a 30 second spot still see a return in their investment. With social media, blogs, and other online resources, do they still see the same impact on their business? 

The other day I was perusing through my blogs when I came upon this little gem from Hubspot. It was a post called “Blogging Trumps Traditional Advertising in ROI (Return Of Investment) Head-toHead (Case Study)” Interesting...so I clicked. 

It talked about a company (who asked to remain anonymous) who invested a lot of money into a Super Bowl ad who saw an embarrassingly small amount of return in it’s massive investment. The kicker was, and I quote from the article, “The customer’s blog generated twice as much traffic as its TV spots.” 

Even though I am a big believer in social media and the power of blogging, this statement really shocked me...in a good way! As an independent artist, self-published author or small business, this information should thrill you because all of these resources and practices are available to you! The playing field has been leveled in a way. You don’t need millions of dollars to promote your product...you just need some time, planning, and dedication to free materials that can be found online.  

So go forth and build your audience!!