Social media can be one big headache for an entrepreneur. I know this is true because I do this for a living (yeah, I know!) and many business owners and professionals come to me for advice and my services. One of the biggest questions I get is “How do you have time for this?”. Honestly, that’s a good question. Unless you do this full-time (which I know you don’t really want to), it’s hard to keep up with the demands of social media.

My advice for entrepreneurs is that you shouldn’t be spending more than 6 hours per week on social media. If you’re spending more than 6 hours per week, you’re making it complicated and doing way too much. The bulk of your time should be spent creating social media posts and using small pockets of time for management and engagement. So, to help you save time, here are my 5 favorite social media tools that help with creating social media posts, just making the process MUCH easier, or getting more traffic back to your social media profiles and pages. I know you’ll love these!

1. HootSuite (Click here to check out HootSuite)
This is my #1 go-to tool for social media management. One of the best things about HootSuite is that it has “Suggested” posts, making it easier to have content ready to go! I also love using the app when I’m out and about because I can manage my accounts for engagements or post that “spur of the moment” photo to my social media accounts. There’s a reason why it’s one of the top social media management tools. 

2. Edgar (Click here to check out Edgar)
This is the newest social media tool that I’m using. Although I use HootSuite for scheduling, this is a great scheduling tool as well. I won’t spoil it for you but Edgar allows you to upload your social media posts and it distributes it evenly within categories, allowing your audience to see new content and not the same posts all the time (besides, isn’t hard to keep track of what you posted last week anyway?). I love using Edgar as a social media content management system. 

3. Canva (Click here to check out Canva)
If you’re not using Canva for your social media images, you’re making it hard on yourself. 90% of the images I create for social media are made in Canva. I love this tool because it’s web-based, there’s no software to download, and it’s super easy to use. Believe it or not, I’m Graphic Design certified and I do use Photoshop from time to time. But it’s so much easier and faster to make an eye-catching image in Canva! The biggest reason why I create my images with Canva is that it has templates for most of the social media platforms. Want a new Twitter cover image? Need an image for a Facebook ad? Canva’s got the templates with the correct dimensions so you don’t have to guess!   

4. Bit.ly (Click here to check out Bit.ly)
I know it’s disappointing to see Bit.ly on my list because it seems that the WHOLE online marketing world uses it. I added Bit.ly to my list because it is one of my favorite tools to use but also I think a lot of people really forget how useful it is. It has many uses other than shortening a long link for convenience. One of the ways I use Bit.ly is to track the clicks on my Facebook Ads. Why? Unfortunately, Facebook counts every interaction on your Facebook Ad as a click to your link so you never really know how many people ACTUALLY clicked on your Facebook Ad. Enter Bit.ly: now I never have to wonder how many people clicked on my Facebook Ad.

5. Google On-Air Hangouts (Click here to learn more about Google On-Air Hangouts)
I’m sure you’ve been hearing about Google Hangouts in general but did you know that it’s a GREAT way to build your visibility to get clients? Think about it: Google Hangouts is a tool created by Google, the #1 search engine in the world. When you record a Hangout, it’s can also be made available on YouTube, which is also a tool created by Google and the #2 search engine in the world. If you want clients to find you, Google Hangouts is a good place to start. I know many online marketers use Hangouts for weekly shows and even webinars. Personally, I use Google Hangouts for 4 hour livestream workshops. I love this tactic because I’m giving great content and it’s something that I don’t have to do every week, just once a month or once per quarter.

Sorry for the short list because there were many tools that I could’ve added but these are my favorite ones for now. I hope you enjoyed my Fab Five Friday list of my favorite social media tools. Let me know which ones you’d love to try by commenting below. Also, do you have a favorite tool that’s not on my list? I’d love to know that too!