My 5 effective and simple social media tips

#1: Give yourself a chance; Give yourself a plan: I hear about how much time social media takes and that most of you do not have it. You save time when you plan your content beforehand, and know how much time you have to get it accomplished in. Time wasting campaigns happen because people don't plan out their strategy at the beginning of every month. #2: Use a tool to master your craft: Using tools such as Hootesuite, for example, allow you to get more accomplished in less time. Efficiency allows for your strategy to be more effective. #3: Only use the tools needed to get the job done If you're looking to figure out which tools to use, follow these two words: essentials only. Stop using the "extras" if they do not help you attain the goals within your strategy. #4: Tracking your social media statistics with Excel helps you excel: If you don't have a social media management program set up, using Excel or a spreadsheet can be the easiest way to keep track of your campaign progress. Create the habit of recording all the content that you publish. Doing this will help keep track of your strategy's effectiveness from past to present and help you craft your future. #5: Know where you are going; set your checkpoints Let's simplify things even more. Setting content goals alone does make things go easier. Checking your analytics and data platforms against your objectives will provide you the right direction and goals your strategy needs to head toward. Eric Wilson is the director of social media at NEREJ, Norwell, Mass.