Are You Organized Online?

We’ve heard - and maybe even hired professional Organizers - for the sole purpose of getting our life in order. From cleaning out closets to re-grouping books, from adding new shelves, boxes and dividers to piling our belongings into keeps, give-aways and discards - we’ve heard it, we’ve done it (or at least meant to do it) and we’ve seen the benefits of having things organized in our lives.

Question is - are you this organized online? What does that mean? We belong to social networks, have different email addresses, maybe a variety of websites, use “oodles” of programs to make things easier, maintain blogs, podcasts and add videos. Just HOW organized are you? Think you could make improvements? Follow these simple steps and get organized online!

1.) Make a list of:

• all the networks you belong to
• all the email addresses you use
• all the websites you update/maintain/market
• all the video and podcasting sites you use
• all the feed aggregetors you use
• any other online site/program/activity - and ask yourself if you know all the passwords!

2.) Divide your list in personal and business - or both if applicable (I’ll leave the personal sites/networks/etc up to you to decide…we’ll just discuss the business use.)

3.) Take a look at all your sites (this includes everything you do online) - are you:

• Consistent from site to site (Do you present yourself the same from site to site?)
• present the same message in a professional manner (Who are you and what is your business?)
• have completed profiles (If not - complete all the missing ones.)
• provide valuable information (Give more than you take? Participate?)
• target the same audience? (Can your prospects see you on different sites and know that you’re talking to them?)

4.) Choose the sites that benefit you and your audience the most - there is no need to belong to EVERY new site.

5.) Timeblockas to how much time you will spend on each site and on what days. (Online networking especially can take over ALL of your time if you’re not organized.)

6.) From there, make this into an editorial calender - by deciding what topics to address - on your sites, on your blog, in your videos and/or podcasts. Give yourself additional time to respond, leave comments and ask questions. You don’t just want to post information everywhere - you also want to respond - ie converse.

7.) Once you’re this organized - ask yourself prior to joining a new site - will this be beneficial and will you have the time to do what’s neccessary? (Just having a profile on a site will not bring your customers running…)

8.) Follow your editorial calendar, participate, be involved, provide information, dont’ just make connections, but introduce people, be consistent. And keep in mind - this is a long term effort!