3 Old-School Tools to Save Time on Social Media

There’s a good chance these social media hacks are gonna age me like wrinkle cream in my bathroom vanity. But I’m gonna go for it anyway because they legit work for me!

I love gadgets (and pushing a few buttons), but there are three tried and true, old-school tools I use that never go out of style. They help me save time with social media posts, writing blogs, web copy and creating Google Ads. Sure, there are techy versions but these allow me to be more nimble. Especially when my battery is at 4%. Best part? I bet you have all three of them nearby.

My Calendar: Worth the Paper It’s Printed On

You can find dozens of printable calendars on Google. This one is my favorite because it’s no-frills and has large boxes so I can write social media ideas down. Give it a try. Print it out.  Jot down any pertinent dates that matter to you or your business, upcoming events, special sales, community happenings, Federal holidays, Hallmark holidays, off-the-wall holidays (who came up with National Scavenger Hunt day, anyway? I’d like to thank them.)

Seeing ideas in one place helps inspire how I’ll post to my social media profiles for the month. It also helps me follow the 80/20 rule where I’ll share anything valuable and relevant 80% of the time and the remaining 20% I’ll show off or pitch business products, services, blog posts or advertisements.

You know what also helps? A pencil with an eraser.

You know what really, really helps? Printing on legal paper and using post-it notes to move your ideas around. That’s what I do when I’m helping understand a client’s social media calendar. I can both stare at it, move stuff around before I get it scheduled in the software. If I’m at an in-person planning appointment, this method creates a whirlwind of creativity and social media ideas. 

The Thesaurus: For Every Trick (or Hack) in the Book

My thesaurus in book form is an admirable, first-rate doorstop. But if you dig through it, you’ll find a way to describe your products or services with words that illustrate-and-illuminate their value.

So quit typing your products are “so awesome”’ and start listening to your inner-third-grade-teacher-voice. After all, she was right you know. You can do better and you should “go look it up.” I’ll admit. I keep the paper book on the shelf these days but use this online version every day.

Egg-Timer: Because Timing is Everything

Your smartphone with its messages and notifications can be distracting when using this low-tech secret weapon. So I vote you block out time and use an egg-timer instead.

Here’s what I love about going old-school on this one. You set it, you hear the clicking of a self-imposed deadline. You’re off, MacGyver-style! You have 25-minutes to save your boring social media posts or website paragraphs one valuable word at a time. Hard to get that from your ultra polite, you could download an app! But all the ones I found had lousy reviews. Why is a ticking clock so hard? Anyway, order this guy on Amazon and you’re set.

Cue the eye roll, right? Nicole, I’m not going to drag an egg timer into my office. Then at least, put your phone on airplane mode when you use this one. Or if you work from home, use the oven timer. Nothing tells you’re done like the thought, “what’s burning in the oven?”

Note: I do suggest setting 25-minute blocks. It’s how I write blogs. But more on that one for another day — my time’s almost up!

How old are you?

Kidding! But it is your turn. What new, techy inventions do you love? Maybe you have several? What old-school tools make your life easier? Anything I should add to the list? Don’t worry, I won’t ask your age, but if you look younger than me — I’ll take an eye cream suggestion too!