Automating Hootsuite for Status Updates and Groups

Workbook: Automation

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Automating Hootsuite for Status Updates and Groups

ð Visit http://LinkedUniversity.com/HootSuite and sign up for the Pro account.

ð Generate 15-30 unique status updates.

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ð Build a schedule in Excel (download template at: LINK TO “Schedule of Posts for Hootsuite” TEMPLATE)

ð Sprinkle status updates throughout month and change each slightly. (Remember, Hootsuite does not allow for duplicates so you have to change a letter or word in each.)

ð Upload into Hootsuite (be sure to watch training video for instructions)

ð Schedule monthly time on your calendar to develop new status updates.

ð Add the groups to Hootsuite that you really love, and want to focus most of your efforts on.

Automating Your Group

ð Do you have a clear understanding of the kind of content you want to populate your group with? If so, move on to next step.

ð Develop keywords that you can use to automate the search for content to match the criteria you defined in the prior step.

ð Set up Google Alerts (http://alerts.google.com) for each of the keywords that you have. 10 keywords is a good number to start with.

o Be sure to watch training video for the right settings for your Google Alerts.

ð Copy RSS feeds for each Google Alert, and add them all to one folder in Google Reader (http://reader.google.com) or another RSS reader.

ð Add the RSS feeds from the top blogs in your industry to this same folder in your RSS reader.

ð Schedule time every 2 weeks or so to review the folder of feeds, and add the best content to your “Schedule of Group Posts” excel document.

o IMPORTANT! Be sure to sprinkle in some of your own content from time to time.

o Also consider using some of the posts as status updates.

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Automating LinkedIn Answers

ð Visit http://www.linkedin.com/answers/ and find the categories (right sidebar) that are most applicable to your business.

ð Within each category, consider the subcategories that are even more focused.

ð Select a few that you have real expertise in.

ð Scroll down to the bottom of the right sidebar, and you will see an option to subscribe via RSS. It looks like this:

ð Add these feeds to a new folder in your RSS reader called “LinkedIn Answers”

ð Check the folder every week or two, and review the questions that people are asking.

ð When you see a question that you can really add value to, jump in on the conversation!

OUTSOURCING

ð As you are going through the process of building your LinkedIn marketing system, keep in mind those tasks that you could outsource or have staff perform.

ð Once your systems are in place and YOU are comfortable with how everything is working, now’s the time to consider an intern or virtual assistant, if you don’t have internal admin staff at your disposal.

o For more information on hiring an intern, we recommend Intern Profits:

§ LinkedUniversity.com/InternProfits

o For more on hiring an outsourced virtual assistant, we recommend Online Jobs PH:

§ LinkedUniversity.com/OnlineJobsPH