Is Twitter Worth Your Time? Here’s What New 2018 Data Says About Twitter for Marketing

Misinformation is spreading like wildfire.

On Twitter, it’s no different.

Numerous spam accounts and bots plague Twitter. They share false and misleading information, which has negatively impacted user experience.

The network is now working to correct some of these problems, but only time will tell with how the network will fare.

But if new 2018 data is accurate, then the future looks dim.

Researchers at MIT recently released a comprehensive study about “the spread of true and false news online,” which examined over a decade’s worth of data.

They discovered that misinformation reached 1,500 people six times faster than valid information.

This has marketers asking the question, “How do we counteract that?”

Some are even wondering, “Is Twitter worth using?”

To effectively use Twitter and see a return on your efforts, you need to understand how to best use the network for your long-term gain.

Twitter is much different now than it was when it first debuted in 2006. It is important for marketers to understand the network’s evolution as well as its current user ecosystem.

Despite these new revelations and the current state of misinformation, I’m going to show you how to get the most out of your Twitter marketing strategy in 2018.

But before deploying your 2018 strategy, you need to understand how Twitter has changed in recent months, so you don’t make the same mistakes you’ve likely made in the past.

How understanding Twitter’s current state can strengthen your business’s marketing strategy

I’m going to guess that Twitter plays some sort of role in your marketing strategy.

A recent study asked respondents, “Which social media platforms do you use to market your business?”

Not surprisingly, Twitter emerged as one of the top platforms.

But should it be?

Lately, Twitter has had its fair share of problems.

To start, there are bots.

A Twitter bot is “a software program that sends out automated posts on Twitter.”

Often, these automated posts are tweets. Other times, the bots will automatically respond to user messages that include specific phrases.

But is this really a problem? It certainly can be.

Although some bots can be helpful for your business objectives, there has been an influx of bots permeating through Twitter’s user base.

Now, there are a lot of them.

In fact, there are an estimated 48 million bots on Twitter, accounting for 15% of Twitter’s total users.

So how many people are actually on Twitter?

Well, at the time of publication, Twitter had 336 total monthly active users.

Compared to other social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, Twitter isn’t leading when it comes to monthly active users.

And if 15% of these users are actually bots, then that decreases the potential number of people you can market to even further.

Bots have started to impact Twitter’s user experience negatively, too.

Bots recently came under scrutiny for playing a part in spreading misinformation in the 2016 election.

Those who create bots can also program them to share spam.

A study from the Pew Research Center found that bots shared links directing traffic to sites across a variety of industries.

They also found that “an estimated two-thirds of tweeted links to popular sites are posted by automated accounts – not human beings.”

How’s that for making your brand feel more “human?”

While Twitter is cracking down on bots, many are skeptical that this will help with the increase of misinformation plaguing the platform.

After all, bots aren’t the only reason for a poor Twitter user experience.

In the MIT study I mentioned earlier, they found that humans are more susceptible to spreading fake news than bots.

Twitter might be able to lower the influence of bots, but trying to prevent real people from spreading false information is much harder.

In another recent study, 51% of respondents felt that “the information environment will not be improved by changes designed to reduce the spread of lies and other misinformation online.”

So with the influx of bots, spread of misinformation, and stifled user growth, how should marketers approach their Twitter strategy?

Your strategy needs to evolve with the platform and take advantage of Twitter’s strengths while keeping in mind its weaknesses.

Here are five ways to tailor your Twitter strategy for results in 2018.

Use Twitter for quick, direct customer service interactions and resolutions

We’ve all been there.

You need a piece of information that you can’t find on a business’ website and don’t really want to call them.

“Oh, I’ll just tweet at them, because they’ll probably reply,” you think to yourself.

This is more common than you probably think.

Investing time and resources in your Twitter customer service strategy is important for the long-term growth of your business.

Sometimes, your customers need a bit of TLC. And this is where Twitter can shine.

In fact, 85% of Twitter users said that it’s important that businesses provide customer support on Twitter.

By being responsive on Twitter, you add a level of transparency to your business’ brand. Your business will seem more helpful and approachable.

And, Dove proves it.

In 2017, Dove focused on responding to more tweets which, in turn, resulted in an increase in positive sentiment from customers.

Dove’s net positive sentiment was 41% in the last three months of 2016, and three months later, that sentiment score rose to 43%.

That’s a lot to gain with minimal effort.

You may be wondering, “But how do you provide optimal service through Twitter?”

It’s different for each company, but there are some specific strategies to maximize your responses.

Most companies direct public inquiries to their DMs if any sensitive information needs to be transferred.

And, now since Twitter’s launch of the new Direct Message features, we’re seeing brands build a more personalized, one-on-one experiences for customers.

Like Patrón Tequila.

Patrón built the “Bot-Tender” — a chatbot “bartender” — that uses Patrón’s Direct Messages that serves up cocktail recommendations based on the consumer’s preferences.

The “Bot-Tender” resulted in 39% of click-through rate to the website and 2.6% click-through rate using the direct message card.

In some instances, it might even make sense to gather additional information about your customers to better manage the issue. This could help you:

• Look up their order number to better understand the circumstances.

• 

• Let customers place an order directly like TGIFridays.

• 

In some instances, you can even set up a chatbot to accept orders with a hashtag.

For example, Wingstop uses a bot to accept orders from people who Tweet ‘@Wingstop #Order’:

Now, that’s an example of optimal customer experience that doesn’t rely on a wing and a prayer.

Also, depending on the size of their business or the number of customer inquiries a company receives, some even have specific accounts solely focused on helping customers.

For example, LinkedIn owns both the handles @LinkedIn and @LinkedInHelp.

Both channels exist for different objectives. @LinkedIn provides general updates, company news and announcements of features, while @LinkedInHelp focuses on customer support.

Both accounts are valuable for LinkedIn’s overarching Twitter strategy.

Private messages have become a popular way to resolve issues, so the platform has included a feature that enables you to include a “Send a private message” link on a tweet.

To do so, make sure your account is accepting direct messages from anyone. Begin by accessing your Settings tab.

Click the “Privacy and Safety” tab on the left side.

Check the box to “Receive Direct Messages from Anyone.”

Find your TwitterID using TweeterID and add it to the end of this link in place of YourTwitterID:

https://twitter.com/messages/compose?recipient_id=YourTwitterID

Now, you can add that URL with your own TwitterID inserted into any tweet, and the “Send a private message” button will appear directing your customers into a private conversation.

Focus on sharing video content for higher engagement with your followers

Sharing video content on Twitter isn’t exactly new.

But over the past few years, Twitter has continuously worked to evolve how your video can be shared and the impact it can generate. (They’re even teasing a Snapchat sharing tool!)

The result? Users are eating it up.

Will you deliver?

If you don’t, it’ll be costly. The stats don’t lie; video views on Twitter have grown 220x what they were 12 months ago.

But can video cut through the clutter of misinformation on the platform?

Well compared to other forms of content, the answer is yes.

Buffer tested different post types across platforms and found a worthwhile revelation about to Twitter video reach.

Upon evaluating 200+ posts, Buffer found that Twitter video performs the best in terms of reach compared to posts with links, images, and GIFs.

And video on Twitter outperforms Facebook video reach by nearly 38%.

But how can you be sure the video is factual?

Well, there hasn’t been a full solution introduced yet, but to provide more transparency, Twitter is adding a view count to the corner of each video.

While not a major fix, it will still provide users with an understanding of how many have watched and how far it spread. This can help viewers assess the validity of the source.

But what constitutes as a view?

According to AdAge, “Twitter is holding to Media Rating Council standards […] —one view equals 2 seconds of play time with at least 50% of the video on the screen.”

There’s a lot of video content on Twitter. Here’s how to make sure what you produce will be worthwhile:

• Keep it short. Twitter users are used to quick, succinct thoughts, and your videos should do the same. Research shows that 45 seconds or less is an optimal length.

• Like UK retail brand, Boden. They created short 30-second video cuts to showcase their influencer’s unique story on Twitter.

  We’re on a mission to reclaim what mum style REALLY means. Click here to meet the mums behind the campaign › https://t.co/OyTHPAbiet pic.twitter.com/0sGpJ1Bii4

  — Boden (@Bodenclothing) October 2, 2017

  Meet @AmandaOwen8, shepherdess, author, mum of nine and next in our series celebrating what mum style really means › https://t.co/yV0giuhNIK pic.twitter.com/PfoMLZP1mF

  — Boden (@Bodenclothing) October 17, 2017

• Use “content pillars.” Consider what message you are trying to convey and how the video fills that “bucket.” Two example of pillars would be education or inspiration.

• Just look at how Airbnb uses Periscope 360 to immerse viewers in a live video house tour on Twitter.

  Live on #Periscope360: a house tour of an amazing Airbnb in Kauai. Move your phone to look around. https://t.co/b47KHblfhV

  — Airbnb (@Airbnb) January 7, 2017

• Hook them early. Consider the first 1-4 seconds users will see as they scroll through their timeline. Make sure it pops (often through shock or awe) and lures them in.

• Drift did that with their explainer videos on Twitter. They feature a team member to capture audience’s attention and making the video feel more approachable.

  Meet Drift Email. Finally a tool that connects your outbound prospecting to your website. https://t.co/jIzaK3DbTP pic.twitter.com/240bygZVHz

  — Drift (@Drift) October 3, 2017

And if you decide to use video content in the form of an ad, Twitter introduced Video Website Card a few months ago to help make your video ads more effective.

Twitter Video Website Card ads get results, too. They have a 2x higher click-through rate and “an average 60% increase in user retention” when compared to standard video ads.

Below is a comparison between a standard mobile ad on Twitter and one using the new video website card option. This is a standard mobile ad HP Business promoted:

You can see that the video looks like a normal post. Upon clicking the video, it opens up in full-screen with the tweet copy underneath it.

Now, look at Credit Karma’s ad using the new video card feature.

The promoted post includes a “tag” at the bottom of the video with a header and the website. And when the user clicks on the video to play full-screen, they get a new experience.

The video shifts up, and a web or landing page appears. The video will continue playing, allowing the user to interact with content on the page.

Network with influencers, leads, and potential partners to forge connections

Twitter is still a place for brands and users alike to reach influencers, celebrities, journalists, and thought-leaders directly.

But only if you can find who you are looking for.

In 2018, this has become a bit more challenging for two reasons: bots and the confusion surrounding verified accounts.

How to spot the bots

Let’s face it: your follower count is a vanity metric these days. Through the use of bots, you can add thousands of fake followers to your account.

President Trump and a countless number of other celebrities were even accused of using bots.

If actual celebrities use these bots to amplify their influence, couldn’t ordinary people as well? The answer is yes.

A study exposed what was referred to as “the Star Wars botnet, which contains more than 350k bots that are centrally controlled by the same botmaster.”

Even worse, there is a whole industry behind the buying and selling of fake followers.

So where to go from here?

Well, there is TwitterAudit, a free service that allows you to input any Twitter handle. The tool will share a quality score and whether or not they see the account as real or fake.

You should also pay close attention to the frequency of tweets on certain accounts.

The team at BuzzFeed News did an analysis of its own human editors’ Twitter data and the data of several bot-like accounts.

According to the Digital Forensics Research Lab (DFRL), tweeting 72 times a day is suspicious, and more than 144 tweets per day seems very suspicious.

The BuzzFeed News team discovered one bot was hitting 584 tweets in one day.

While their editor’s tweets looked more like this:

Twitter bots are created to influence user behavior and perception. It’s important your brand is authentic, trustworthy, and human when engaging with users on Twitter.

Verified? The rise and fall of the blue checkmark

Originally, Twitter would add a blue checkmark to verify your account as a response to numerous impersonation attempts. Here is an example:

Twitter’s help page states that the badge is there to ensure the “account of public interest is authentic.”

Simple, right?

This is still the case, but the process is more open and now under scrutiny. In 2016, they announced an application process. In 2017, they suspended verification altogether.

Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance. We recognize that we have created this confusion and need to resolve it. We have paused all general verifications while we work and will report back soon

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 9, 2017

With an application process, there still is much work to be done to ensure that the wrong accounts don’t get verified.

Twitter continues to monitor verified accounts, but not at a quick enough rate.

But what is incredibly important here is that the meaning of the blue checkmark is changing.

Twitter even teased that they want an open verification process, which could help combat misinformation on the platform.

If accounts — not just influencers and celebrities — were verified, you could be more confident that the information you were reading was from a person, rather than a bot.

Expand your network

Now that you’re able to evaluate the validity of your potential partners, all you need to do to find them. The best place to start is with Twitter’s Advanced Search.

To begin, start at https://twitter.com/search-advanced. You should arrive at a page that looks like this:

There are a few Advanced Search Strategies I’d like for you to consider when looking for partners or influencers. Let’s take a look at each category:

• Words. Notice the difference between “all” and “any” of these words and use it to your advantage. “All” will limit the search, while “any” casts a wider net.
• People. If you know who you are looking for but need to source a specific tweet from them, you can enter their account and the keyword you are looking for.
• Places. This can be useful if your business is local, and you wanted to get a pulse on what people are saying about your product or industry in a specific city or community.
• Dates. This helps you narrow the search if you want to perform social listening in a certain span of time. This is great for events or seasonal products/companies.

The results automatically default to Twitter’s “Top” option, but if you’re searching for a current pulse on a topic or looking to make connections, consider clicking the “Latest” or “People” option.

Share updates and business information with your audience in real-time

Twitter has always been a viable platform to share breaking news stories.

And even with the influx of misinformation, it still is. Why?

Abhinav Sharma, a Product Designer at Quora, attributes it to the following factors:

• A critical mass of active users that can contribute content.
• Low barrier-to-entry (you can very easily send a tweet and participate).
• Retweets are streamlined and an easy way to share content.
• Stories are succinct and easy-to-comprehend with the character limit.
• Twitter supports popular, breaking stories with “trending topics.”

Twitter’s May 2017 update showcases the popularity of each tweet in real time, providing another transparent metric to help users evaluate the validity of the Tweet.

In other words, the replies, retweets, and likes will no longer be static; you’ll see them increasing in real time.

You can also share more (280 characters to be exact) in a single tweet than ever before.

In a recent study, Twitter discovered that 9% accounts were hitting the maximum with 140 character tweets, while only 1% were hitting the limit with 280 characters.

But should you pack all those characters into a single tweet?

Research says yes.

Social Media Today reports that longer tweets actually lead to increased levels of engagement from your followers.

Now you can tell your story, share your updates, and still provide engaging content.

And if an expanded character count wasn’t enough for you, Twitter recently released a thread feature to allow for a longer narrative and more in-depth story.

Threads are useful for events with a series of updates, a how-to with a series of steps, an interview with multiple questions, and a wide variety of other scenarios.

These new features will equip your brand to present valid and engaging information to your users in Twitter’s current ecosystem.

Conclusion

Let’s face it.

Twitter has had a rough few months.

Slowed growth. Bots. Fake news.

It seems everyone is the first to criticize the network.

As a marketer, you might be wondering, “Does it still play an integral of a role in my marketing strategy as it once did?”

Our answer: yes…but only if you know how to use it correctly and exploit the network’s key strengths.

By understanding Twitter’s strengths (and weaknesses), you can still use the network to drive long-term growth for your business.

After all, your customers are still on there. You should be too.

Twitter serves as a powerful medium to provide real-time updates and immediate customer service resolutions for your customers.
They are seeking direct and transparent information, which you can easily provide on Twitter.

They type of content you share can also affect your success. Video has emerged as a leading form of content on Twitter, and consumers are eating it up.

And remember, your customers aren’t the only ones on Twitter either.

Brands are using the platform to source leads, find partners, and network with influencers like never before.

The network has evolved, too.

With the right plan in place, you can make your Twitter marketing strategy an impactful part of your business’ marketing strategy.

What tactics will you use to evolve your Twitter strategy in 2018?

About the Author: Neil Patel is the cofounder of Neil Patel Digital.

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How to Hire a Social Media Manager: A Recruiter’s Guide

These Insta-famous singers talked to us about how their hard work paid off

Ar'mon and Trey are an R&B group from post-Motown Detroit. They got their start doing Vine videos singing mashups where they received millions of views. They really made it big on social media when they started doing covers on YouTube, and they now have 2.3 million subscribers.  Now, Ar'mon and Trey are signed to Warner Bros. records, but they still actively engage with their fans on social media.  Read more...

More about Watercooler, Youtube, Iphone, Instagram, and Mashable Video

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Why & How to Switch to an Instagram Business Profile

Meet Team Sprout: Shweta, Senior Software Engineer

Sitting down with Shweta, you quickly realize that one of her of most impressive qualities is her unique ability to balance highly technical knowledge with thoughtful communication. She has a knack for taking complicated data ideas and translating them in a way that her audience can understand, whether that is another engineer or a less tech-savvy person, such as myself.

Since joining Sprout in February 2017, Shweta has used her time here to not only grow in her career, but also take on new personal challenges. She is now a city organizer for Tech Ladies Chicago, has attended her first engineering conference and is building her experience as a speaker on topics that impact women of color and women in technology. Shweta has so many fascinating stories to share and I’ve captured just a few of them below.

Name: Shweta Kapur
Department: Engineering
Started at Sprout: February 2017

What is your role at Sprout Social and can you explain what you do in one sentence?
I’m a Senior Software Engineer on the Data Ingest squad. It is difficult to boil down what I do in one sentence, but I’ll give it a shot. I am responsible for gathering data from the social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+) and importing it into Sprout’s platform so our customers have the data they need to view and engage with social messages.

Before we jump further into what you do, can you share a fun fact about yourself so we can get to know you a little better?
I am both a mechanical and software engineer. While I have been programming since I was a young child, it was the Mechanical and Automation Engineering program in college that initially grabbed my interest. Courses taught me about everything from engines and turbines to mechatronics and robotics. However, following an internship at a railways workshop, I realized my true passion was to be a software engineer.

I still received my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, but went back for a Master’s degree in Computer Science, and ultimately took my first job out of college with a software firm.

Now switching back to work, what is one aspect of your job that is unique to your role or department?
Our engineering department generally consists of squads that focus on different pillars of the Sprout product. This includes engagement, publishing and analytics. The Data Ingest squad is unique because we are not focused on a specific pillar, but rather touch every aspect of the platform.

Ultimately, for everyone else to do their jobs, we first need to ensure they have the right data. This means my role comes with a lot of responsibility and dependencies. I need to anticipate needs and stay in constant communication with other teams to ensure I am providing the most value.

What is one of you or your team’s greatest successes from the past year?
In late 2017, Facebook changed the format for private message identifiers, which impacted how different squads were going to be able to access that data within the Sprout platform. Albeit, a small change in theory, this presented a huge challenge as it required us to not only adjust how we were going to pull in future Facebook private message data, but also how we were going to retroactively update historical data to match the new identifier format.

Most importantly, the end goal was to ensure that there would be no loss of data and little to no impact to our customers as we migrated the identifiers behind the scene.

The entire project took almost three months to complete and it touched almost every aspect within the Sprout platform. While we ran into obstacles throughout the process, our cross-squad team was able to work through them all and successfully make the switch. What was most rewarding about the project was that with more than 20,000 customers, we only received one support ticket in response to the change.

What is currently at the top of your bucket list?
Traveling to Ireland. I don’t know exactly where this desire came from, but I think the scenery is absolutely beautiful and, of course, who doesn’t want to drink Baileys in Ireland. Plus, if you turn the Indian flag clockwise and remove the chakra, it is almost a replica of the Irish flag, so I’m convinced that may have something to do with it.

Do you use any specific tools or have a routine that helps you stay productive?
As a team, we practice agile engineering using Jira, a project tracking software developed by Atlassian. Within this methodology, we work in two week sprints and focus our time and efforts on priority projects that align with our goals. This allows us, as a team, to more efficiently and effectively delegate our time to priority tasks.

Personally, I use a task management app called OmniFocus. I always have so many ideas floating around my head and by using OmniFocus I can pretty much do a braindump and quickly capture and classify my thoughts in one place. It helps me organize and prioritize without having to keep it all in my head, which also frees up space for me to concentrate on what project is in front of me.

Do you work at a standing desk or seated desk? Why?
Seated desk. I find it harder to concentrate when I am standing. I also do a lot of pair programming, which is when you partner up with another team member and sit together to tackle a problem as opposed to doing it on your own. This requires a lot of back and forth conversation as well as two screens so seated desks are typically the preference among myself and my colleagues for this type of work.

Lightning round! Answer the following with whatever comes to mind first.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: Guardians of the Galaxy

Q: Go-to karaoke song?

A: I stay far away from karaoke

Q: Favorite social platform?

A: Pinterest

Q: Salty or sweet?

A: Definitely sweet

This post Meet Team Sprout: Shweta, Senior Software Engineer originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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How to Run an E-Commerce Business As Your Side Hustle With Just 15 Hours a Week

44 million Americans reportedly have a side hustle.

It seems like just about everyone is looking to get a piece of the gig-economy action.

And it’s no surprise why.

Running a side-hustle can give you an incredible sense of freedom.

You can be your own boss, bring in some extra income, and work on projects you’re genuinely passionate about.

Unfortunately, it all takes time.

If you’re not strategic about how you run your e-commerce side hustle, it can actually feel restricting.

Growing an online business is no simple task.

But when you’re trying to balance it on top of a full-time job, it can easily become too much to handle.

However, you don’t need to give up your e-commerce dreams just yet.

If you know how to make your side hustle work for you, you can achieve full-time results in part-time hours.

In fact, you can run a successful e-commerce business in as little as 15 hours a week.

Here’s how.

1. Work SMART, not hard

If you want to be a business owner, you have act like it.

Although you may not be running the next Amazon (not yet, anyway), you need to treat your e-commerce business like a full-blown selling machine.

That means creating a business plan, establishing a timeline, and setting goals – and sticking to all of them.

Let’s start with the business plan.

According to the Harvard Business Review, having a business plan can actually make you more likely to succeed.

Your e-commerce business plan sets the foundation for how you’ll run your business.

It not only outlines what you’ll sell but how you’ll sell it.

It covers how you’ll ship and deliver your products, what pathways you’ll take to promote your items, and how you’ll price each product so that you can gain a profit.

Take a look at this example of a one-page business plan from The $100 Startup.

This easy-to-create business plan for your e-commerce business forces you to sit down and think of the big picture.

Not only does it give you a direction to move, but it lays out how you’re going to get there.

Establishing this roadmap early on in your e-commerce business allows you to reduce the time you spend guessing what to do next – meaning you can work more efficiently during your part-time hours.

You can also ensure that you’re running a sustainable business, taking some of the pressure off of you as you move forward.

To create your e-commerce business plan, you first want to start with your business model.

If you’re looking to run an e-commerce business part-time, you’re probably going to want to consider dropshipping.

Here’s a breakdown of how Selfstartr describes dropshipping.

Dropshipping is the least hands-on form of e-commerce, making it the perfect option if you’re looking to reduce the amount of time you actually spend on your business.

With dropshipping, you simply act as a middleman between the customer and the supplier.

The customer orders from your store, you alert the supplier of their order, then the supplier sends the order directly to your customer.

This means you don’t have to worry about inventory or creating products.

Hover, it doesn’t work if you’re looking to sell unique products. In that case, you’ll need to work with either private labeling or white labeling.

Here’s how each works.

With private labeling, a factory makes products specifically for you. When a customer buys, it’s your responsibility to send that product to them.

White labeling is similar, except that the products aren’t entirely unique. Instead, they just come packed with your branding and logo.

Each of these options can give you more control of your products, but they require a larger time investment – which can be a challenge if you’re only putting in part-time hours.

Finally, create some long-term and short-term goals.

Document where you’d like to be in one month.

Then one year.

Then five years.

Don’t be afraid to think big when creating your goals.

Use the SMART goal method to refine your goals as much as possible.

Give yourself due dates, set metrics you’ll measure your goals by, and explain how you’ll measure each goal.

Sound obvious?

The key to a side hustle is getting revenue off the ground. So you need to set the end goal or target and work backward.

Only then can you break down your business plan, timeline, and goals into some actionable items.

Take a look at the short-term goals you’ve set.

Outline what you’d need to accomplish to make these goals come true.

Turn these into their own mini goals. Assign them realistic due dates and metrics to measure them by.

Then you’ll want to create a master calendar.

Here’s an example from Search Engine Journal.

This kind of bird-eye-view look at everything you need to accomplish for the next few weeks, month, or even the full year can help you stay focused and on task.

Using these due dates, the marketing and posting schedule you’ve established, and your business commitments you outlined in your business plan, you’ll want to lay out what you’re responsible for every day of the month.

Creating a visual like this can allow you to see not only what you need to accomplish that day, but also in the days ahead.

It can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed with responsibility while also ensuring you stay on track.

Finally, for each day, you’ll want to designate a specific time to work on your e-commerce business tasks.

You can easily add time blocking to any calendar app, such as Google Calendar.

Block out designated chunks of time that you only use for that day’s side hustle commitments.

Avoid the TV, turn your phone on Do Not Disturb, and tell your kids, significant other, roommates, or friends not to bother you.

To help you stay focused, take advantage of timers.

The Pomodoro Technique is one way to keep focused on the task at hand.

You simply set a 25-minute timer. As long as that timer is on, you’re working distraction-free on your to-do list.

Once that times up, you take a short five-minute break.

Then you repeat until your task is finished.

You can set goals for how many 25-minute sessions you’d like to complete each day, ensuring you track the time you’re actually spending on your side-hustle.

This can help you avoid multitasking, which can make it much more difficult to get things done in a timely manner.

Finally, you can keep track of your plan through using a simple CRM. You don’t need Salesforce or any other thousand-dollar options initially.

You just need something simple to start tracking your repeatable milestones or activities. Pick something simple that already works with your current setup.

For example, SalesMate has a free plugin that will sync everything under Google Apps. That means you can use Google Sheets to track deliverables, Docs to track notes, then and attach them to individual email contacts for your next Google Calendar meeting.

Nothing falls through the cracks when you’ve brought it all under one house. Especially if you can then use this foundation to start automating your recurring tasks.

2. Harness the power of automation

Unfortunately, you can’t just hit pause on the e-commerce business while you’re away at your day job.

Even though you’re not there to keep an eye on it, it’s still running.

If you’re not providing some solutions for your customers, you may lose them.

However, using automation tools can allow you to run your e-commerce business while you’re unavailable.

Automation works like a robotic assistant.

It can take over some of the tedious, daily tasks that you need to perform yet may not have the time to do.

It can also work for you in the background to sell, provide customer support, and monitor shoppers while you’re focused on other tasks – like your full-time job.

Automation is frequently used in e-commerce marketing and sales to schedule social media posts, send emails, and even respond to customer questions.

You can take advantage of all of these systems with your own e-commerce business.

Let’s first take a look at email automation.

Here’s a breakdown of an automated campaign from Automizy.

Not only does automation allow you to send out email blasts to large groups of people at one time, but it also allows you to share specific messages depending on your user and what actions they perform.

For example, you can send a welcome email when you gain a new store lead.

Let’s say you have a pop-up on your site offering a discount to users who submit their email address.

In our example, this would be the “Fills out Form” box.

Using automation, you can automatically send a welcome message to this customer – even if you’re far from your laptop.

From this example, you can also see that the next steps your campaign takes will depend on how the customer reacts or responds – without you needing to manually check in.

You can also use automation to send out reminders of an abandoned shopping cart.

Here’s an example of an abandoned cart sequence from MailChimp.

This can help you make a second contact with interested shoppers, increasing your chances of getting new purchases while you’re away.

Another way to automate your emails is to send a post-purchase follow up.

Following up with your shoppers after they’ve received their purchase can help you keep customers happy while showing you care about them.

However, to track and send these messages manually can be incredibly time-consuming.

By automating, you can schedule your follow-up message to get feedback or provide customer support without even needing to hit a button on your end.

Email isn’t the only way you can take control of automation.

Automation can also be used for your social media platforms.

You want to be posting on social media a few times a day.

However, when you’re busy at a full time position, it can be difficult to sneak away to get a Tweet or Instagram post ready.

Automation allows you to schedule those posts in advance, so you don’t need to worry about them.

Here’s a look at how Sprout Social, just one of the many social automation tools out there, allows you to schedule your content.

This calendar view allows you to see what you’ll post, what time it will post, and the platforms it will be shared on.

Once a week or every couple of days, you can craft your social messages, schedule them into your automation tool, and wait for them to get set out.

But you’ll need to be careful when using automation on social.

You want your posts to seem like they’re thoughts, blending right into your audience’s timeline.

If they seem too robotic, then your audience will be quick to notice, and they won’t engage.

Take these comments on Instagram, for example.

While they may seem innocent enough, these kinds of low-quality engagements are usually powered by a bot.

For the most part, these comments are fine – but they do have some potential to get you in some awkward situations.

Evan LePage at Hootsuite tried to use Instagram automation to boost his online following but ended up commenting “Damn!” on a bride’s photo – not the best impression you want to be giving.

Bot tools that automate likes, comments, and follows can also get you in trouble with different social platforms.

For example, bots violate Instagram’s terms of use, meaning it could get your account shut down.

Instead, focus on creating unique, organic, and personality-packed posts specific to your audience.

Take a look at these Instagram comments in comparison.

The user 1wanderlustsoul picked something unique in the image, commented on it, and asked a question.

This kind of real engagement can show your audience that there is a person behind the accounts and you’re prepared to get to know your customers and clients.

One final automation tool to cover is chatbots.

When an online shopper makes a purchase, they want to know exactly what they’re getting.

This means they’ll probably have a question or two that need to be answered before they pull out their credit card.

Unfortunately, if you’re only available for your e-commerce business a few hours each day, this can leave shoppers waiting long periods of time before they get a response.

By the time you answer, they’ve moved on to a competitor.

Chatbots can help you solve this problem.

Here’s an example of a chatbot from HelloFresh.

A chatbot can be there to answer basic questions, provide feedback, and handle certain requests while you’re away.

Shoppers can use a chatbot to complete purchases, get recommendations, or even get updates on an open order.

Using a chatbot can help to take some of the pressure of off you.

In HelloFresh’s case, they were able to increase incoming messages by 31% and decrease their response time by 32%.

This means more satisfied customers without needing extra time from you.

Chatbots can also alert you to when there is a situation that they’re unable to handle.

You can then jump into these conversations or return messages to customers who might be looking for a more detailed response – ensuring everyone gets the information they need.

3. Get your audience to do your marketing for you

Marketing is all about connecting with your target audience.

While there may be list after list or guide after guide of appropriate ways to market your e-commerce business, none of it matters if your target audience isn’t paying attention.

When you’re trying to run a full-time business in part-time hours, every minute is precious.

This means you can’t waste time with marketing tactics that are going unnoticed.

However, you can work around this by curating content from your shoppers.

Take a look at Aerie’s Instagram page.

Mixed in with their professional, branded images, they have content from their shoppers.

Not only does this mean Aerie marketers can save some time producing new content, but they also get their shoppers involved – making the process more exciting for them.

They also partner with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) to help raise awareness about eating disorders.

By supporting a cause, they’re able to gain free publicity that can garner even more attention from shoppers.

Asking your shoppers to show off using your products or items through a unique hashtag can help you enhance your marketing strategy without needing to add more time to production.

You’ll also want to get picky about the way you promote your products.

There is no reason you need to be on absolutely every social media platform.

As an e-commerce business, you want to consider which can bring in the most traffic that will ultimately convert to sales.

Think about who your target audience is and where they’re most likely to spend their time.

For example, if you’re trying to attract women between the ages of 18 and 29 in urban areas, Instagram might be the right platform for you.

However, if your audience is more women between 30 and 49 in suburban areas, Pinterest might be a better target.

Focus your efforts on these platforms while ignoring the others.

If your audience doesn’t use Twitter, don’t waste your time writing and scheduling tweets. Likewise, if they’re not using Instagram, don’t waste your time.

You want to focus on getting the message in front of your audience in the most efficient way possible.

Another way to do this is with affiliate and influencer marketing.

Affiliate and influencer marketing are similar, although they work a bit differently.

With influencer marketing, you’d pay a celebrity, blogger, or another individual with a large following to talk about your products on social or their website.

However, they must post that the content is sponsored.

Here’s an example of a sponsored Instagram post from Chris Pratt and Michelob Ultra.

This can help build trust and get more traffic to your e-commerce store.

However, affiliate marketing works by allowing other individuals to sell your products for a cut of the profit.

Here’s an example of an affiliate post from blogger My View in Heels.

For every item they sell, they’d make money.

This encourages them to push your product, giving you additional marketing channels that you don’t need to work for.

For an e-commerce store owner looking to grow their business with minimal time investment, creating an affiliate program is a great option.

Affiliate programs are also great for smaller store owners.

Because you only need to pay for each item the affiliate sells, you can maintain a high ROI and reduce risk.

4. Outsource whenever makes sense

Sometimes, you just can’t do it all.

And that’s perfectly fine.

You shouldn’t try to do it all – especially when you have limited time.

Stretching yourself too thin can leave you overworked and stressed while the quality of your store suffers.

If you’re unable to give something your full attention, consider outsourcing.

Hiring a virtual assistant is one way to take some tasks and responsibilities off your plate.

Here’s a look at some virtual assistant profiles from Upwork.

Outsourcing the tasks you don’t like doing, you’re not good at doing, or you just don’t have the time to do can not only save you time but increase your bottom line.

When deciding what to outsource, first take a look at the tasks you struggle to complete.

If you don’t know how to write successful social media copy, outsource it.

If you don’t have the skill to take high-quality images of your products, outsource it.

If you can’t create product videos in the time you’ve allotted for your side hustle, outsource it.

Choosing to hire a professional may be more costly than just doing it yourself, but it can actually help you bring in higher returns.

With better quality copy, images, videos, or other forms of content, you can attract more shoppers and sell more products.

Take Justin Alexander, bridal collection retailer, for example.

He chose to outsource development of his website.

By hiring developers to work on his site, he was able to create a high-powered page that attracts over 30,000 visitors per month.

While it may cost more money in the beginning to outsource a project, it can also bring you higher returns on investments.

Not only will you have a better finished product, but you’ll have more personal time to focus on your career, family, or hobbies.

Conclusion

Stop thinking you need to hustle just to have a side hustle.

It’s totally possible to have a full-time career, side gig, and social life – you just need to be strategic about the way you go about it.

By using proper planning, automation tools, and scheduling your time appropriately, you can see your e-commerce business take off – even if you’re only able to dedicate 15-hours per week.

What side-hustle tricks have you found to get more done in less time?

About the Author: Neil Patel is the cofounder of Neil Patel Digital.

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