Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Toronto, June 20, 2012 - Staying up to date with the world's activities could take all day if we let it. Instead, most people choose to start each day catching up on the top headlines and organizing the day ahead. An excellent plan. However, is time being spent in the areas that offer the biggest benefit to your day?

"How we spend the first 20 minutes of each day can be a recipe for success," says Randall Craig, Social Media and Web Strategist, and author of the Online PR and Social Media series, "With the introduction of social media, we have multiple ways to keep in touch with what's going on in the world. The key is to find the combination that works for you."

If it were the 1970′s, time would be spent reading the newspaper, then organizing the inbox, the box on your desk, and finally looking at the day's appointments before "starting" your day.

In the 1980′s, it would look similar, but with less time on the newspaper, and more time on voicemail.

In the 1990′s, the newspaper went away, and email made its debut.

In the 2000′s, there is no need to check email because it was checked on your BlackBerry before arriving at work.

So, in today's post-BlackBerry "social" world, how is the first 20 minutes spent each day? And more specifically, how does social media fit into it? Randall Craig offers a sampler:

1. Check your network's updates via email: Have all of your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter updates emailed to you. Try using www.nutshellmail.com and send yourself a few messages t test it out.

2. Read through your Google Alerts: Go to www.google.com/alerts to set up a "watch list" of key terms. Then each morning, review the email that Google sends you listing every web page that was added to Google containing those terms.

3. Scan your Twitter watch list: Set up a watch list of key terms using hootsuite.com. Then each morning, scan for tweets and other status messages that match.

4. Review your day's meetings: For each person you are scheduled to meet, check out who you know in common…and then give them a call. Not only does this phone call strengthen your relationship, but it often yields valuable information about the person you will be meeting, which results in a better relationship with this person too.

5. Satisfy your curiosity: On LinkedIn, check out who has been checking you out by clicking the Who's Viewed Your Profile link on your LinkedIn homepage. If you're feeling a bit more extroverted, reach out to these people and introduce yourself more formally.

Reconsider how you spend those first 20 minutes each day. While you might not add all five of these items to your morning routine, each adds specific value by connecting you more tightly – and building relationships.



Since 1994, Randall Craig has advised on web and social media strategy. He is the author of six books including the newly published Social Media for Business and the Online PR and Social Media series. You can visit Randall's blog at www.randallcraig.com.

For more information contact:

Randall Craig

416.256.7773 x101 / Randall@ptadvisors.com

Carolyn Bergshoeff

416.256.7773 x 103 / Carolyn@ptadvisors.com