Small Business | Forum « Social Media Marketing on Vacation (TOTW: 2/26/2012)

Social Media Marketing on Vacation (TOTW: 2/26/2012) (24 posts)

Topic tags: small business, social media, totw, vacation

Rich Brooks said
1 year, 3 months ago:
This morning I sat with a cup of coffee in hand and a view of Sugarloaf mountain through the window. It was the last day of vacation and I realized I had spent at least an HOUR every day doing social media marketing or responding to emails for my small business.
So much for vacation!
It got me wondering how other small business owners handle social media marketing and communications when they’re on vacation.
So, do you check your Twitter? Respond to Facebook updates? Check in on FourSquare? Leave it to your team back home? Automate some messages so people don’t realize you’re not around?
Or do you just go silent for the week because we all deserve some unconnected down time?
Would love, love, LOVE! to hear how you handle it.
And I’ll leave you with my favorite image of this week: my daughter after a full day of riding.
@rich-brooks | # | Top
Diane Bianchi said
1 year, 3 months ago:
I always check emails and social media everyday, even on “vacation” because I don’t want to miss anything, but I do try to keep it to a minimum. I can’t afford to hire someone to do it for me at this point in time. Love the picture!
@dianebianchi | # | Top
Gigi Newman said
1 year, 3 months ago:
I guess my question is: “What’s a vacation?” Around here there is never a dull moment. When I ‘m on vacation from one thing, it’s because I’m doing something else. Lately, I’ve been shoveling snow. I just knew we couldn’t get through a whole winter around here (Detroit Lakes, Minnesota) without snow. It does make me appreciate summer a whole lot more! It also keeps me working on my business when it’s crappy outside! Thanks for everyone’s expertise. I’m learning a lot about how to “do” social media. Gigi Newman
@woodsandlakemarketing | # | Top
Joan Muschamp (Fagnani) said
1 year, 3 months ago:
@rich-brooks priceless pic! I find a lot matters where I am on vacation. Being out of the country sometimes offers connectivity challenges, so I might schedule some things beforehand. A week at the beach, though usually gives me relaxtion time, and I will look in, and read a lot online as part of that. And, after a hard day skiing, sitting with the laptop or ipad lets the old muscles rest. (Of course the hot tub and a glass of wine help, too).
So yes,I do stay somewhat connected, but only respond to important emails.
@joanmuschampfagnani | # | Top
Diane Gracely said
1 year, 3 months ago:
Love the pic….
Yes we all deserve down time, BUT, our businesses would not survive and be where they are today if we did not keep up with things. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do…….. I always check emails and respond to the important stuff when on vacation. I always tweet and check facebook several times a day when on vacation also.
@dianelandisgracely | # | Top
JoAnn Jordan said
1 year, 3 months ago:
I general get ahead on blog posts for vacations, load HootSuite with posts for Facebook & my Tweets. I do check emails and Social Media while on vacation, but not as much as when I am home.
@jordanem | # | Top
Kristy C. Cartier said
1 year, 3 months ago:
@rich-brooks I generally check emails and SM during vacation though not as frequently. As @joanmuschampfagnani mentioned, it can depend on connectivity too. Also my phone isn’t made for typing a lot so sometimes I’m checking more to respond than post. The only days that I don’t really check are when I’m judging horse shows.
@kc_kreative | # | Top
Nathan King said
1 year, 3 months ago:
I generally hand over any corporate accounts to someone else to monitor while I’m away. For my personal accounts, I tweet about my vacation. No matter where I go, I do tend to spend some time (too much time, according to others) catching up on work email and Twitter.
@nathanrking | # | Top
Jason Wiser said
1 year, 3 months ago:
Vacation? Whats that? Well seriously, I agree with @nathanrking that I get some of my best human interest / non-business content while away from the desk. I do however set up some auto responders for email that tell people I am away, and let the team an hootsuite manage Twitter and FB page while away.
@jasonwiser | # | Top
Thomas Flügge said
1 year, 2 months ago:
Although my “vacation” habits might not be that healthy, I do go offline for one week in summer and for one week around Christmas each year. “Offline” means I do not take any laptop or tablet with me. For my mobile I turn all notification and localisation services off.
I am doing this for a specific reason: This is the only chance for me to step back once in a while, enabling me to gain some sort of external view towards my online habits. Since I am breaking up with the usual constant stream that keeps me away from rethinking my strategies, I return to my desk with the feeling of starting afresh. Sure, one week is not that much, but it helps.
@ecumenix | # | Top
Debbie Lynn Butler said
1 year, 2 months ago:
@rich-brooks I hope you have many wonderful memories of your vacation–including those your picture captured.
When I am on vacation (or have a family emergency), I schedule material I have drafted ahead of time for myself and my clients. A true vacation for me involves a good book (the kind with real pages) and fun activities, not being online.
@debbielynnava | # | Top
Nancy Castillo said
1 year, 2 months ago:
It depends where that vacation is. I just got back from 10 days in the Caribbean. Even though I could’ve paid for hours & hours of internet, I decided against it and let 1) email go unchecked, 2) Facebook go unresponded to, and 3) blog comments left unanswered.
In advance, I had 3 blog posts publish while I was gone and about 5-6 FB status updates go up.
If I am on vacation in the US, I check email, respond to FB comments and post as well, and try to answer blog comments. In all cases, I try to do some advance work, but looking back, you can always tell “something’s a little different”.
@nancycastillo | # | Top
Mari Peterson said
1 year, 2 months ago:
@rich-brooks I go completely offline. If I’m in the country on vacation I check my email but only respond if it’s an emergency or to let them know I’m out of town, nothing more than that. If I’m out of the country… not a thing. My partner has no technology and I mean none. No cell phone, email, computers. He doesn’t own any of it or use any of it but is very successful in business and has several businesses. I’ve watched him over the years and his time off and our time off are essential to recharging, getting new ideas and just having our time. I figure if he can get away and not be bothered by even cell phone calls, I can, too. I like it cause we are not interrupted but the best part is, I truly feel recharged when I get back.
@maricochran | # | Top
Ann at greenoak said
1 year, 2 months ago:
i have a worker who is also the facebook admin with me……she can do everything and get ahold of me by phone if necessary…. i wouldnt want to leave my facebook blank for 2 or 3 weeks…. last time they ran a little the owners gone deal….
i check in on everything tho….but not nice to post to indiana from a sunny warm vacation….
@annfurnivall | # | Top
Cherelle Leong said
1 year, 2 months ago:
I plan ahead and escape completely. Well I try to at least.I prepare blog posts in advance and let my status reflect I’m escaping for a while. Then on vacation:Day 1 – I keep looking for my phone that’s been safely stowed away. Day 2 – I keep feeling like I’m missing something…but by…. Day 3 – I am so relaxed and busy enjoying my vacation that its a case of email? what email? If I don’t switch off neither does the rest of my OC brain. And I do return to work energized and full of new creative ideas.
@cherelleleong | # | Top
Ferris Stith said
1 year, 2 months ago:
Since I “am” the social media for PostcardMania – I don’t really have anyone to rely on to cover for me when I’m on vacation. What I usually do is get all my Tweets, general FB posts, etc. pre-scheduled (I use Hootsuite for this) that way regular updates are happening and there’s no lull on our profiles. I always bring my work laptop with me for emergencies only. I don’t usually check my emails unless my boss texts me about something urgent. However, at the end of each day I will logon to each profile to make sure whatever leads who contacted us about services are responded to in a timely manner and sent over to our Sales area – otherwise we could lose the lead and that pretty much defeats the whole point of my job
And of course I use the Outlook auto-response to let people know I’m out of the office until said date and I give them my colleagues’ contact info – which she’ll usually call or text me if it’s something urgent.
@ferrisstith | # | Top
Abigail Gorton said
1 year, 2 months ago:
So, do you check your Twitter?
>No
Respond to Facebook updates?
>Yes
Check in on FourSquare?
>no
Leave it to your team back home?
>Not quite – I am still the email hub and delegating takes time to do it effectively. So I spend time each day adding explanations as I forward things,.
Automate some messages so people don’t realize you’re not around?
>yes
Or do you just go silent for the week because we all deserve some unconnected down time?
>That would be one of the advantages of a job. I have a business. I wish I could just dump it and run for a week. But no…
Would love, love, LOVE! to hear how you handle it.
>Auto email response. Plan to not start anything new. Respond to day to day maintenance as it comes in.
@abigailgorton | # | Top
Judith Gotwald said
1 year, 2 months ago:
I keep up with my blogs, but I leave my cell phone at home. I find that to be the most intrusive invention.
@judithgotwald | # | Top
E N Brown said
1 year, 2 months ago:
Vocution? Vacotion? Volcano? What?
@supereb | # | Top
Emille Wolstenholme said
1 year, 2 months ago:
Summer vacation has no internet access even by mobile, so I limit to occasionally checking emails when in signal range, the rest will wait, and I do have auto respond identifying that there will be some delays in getting back to people. As for FB or Twitter, I will probably use Hootsuite this year.
@emillewolstenholme | # | Top
Stephanie Barnhart said
1 year, 2 months ago:
Soooo funny because I myself was on vacation last week and thought the SAME THING!
see my blog post about it here:
wwww.onlinemediamarketing.wordpress.com
However, when I go on vacation, I turn my phone OFF. I completely disconnect for a few days. I leave someone in charge of the office in case of nuclear meltdowns, but I need a few days to decompress. And trust me, it is WORTH it! Try and see how amazing it feels to not check emails every second! It’s hard at first, but I started when I went out of the country and decided to leave my phone in the States. I had my fiances stuff in case I needed to log-in for emergency, but GUESS WHAT! No emergency. I planned ahead, everyone was aware, I had a mediator in place…
We are all entitled to some down time – try it!
@stephaniebarnhart | # | Top
Pat Chiappa said
1 year, 2 months ago:
I’m a strict vacationer – that means no work whatsoever. No phones, no blogging, no e-mails, no social media. Sure we miss a ton of stuff, but what we gain from totally unplugging is priceless. We have a good biz, and our clients know our lifestyle (we talk about it in our financial planning practice) so they get it. We aren’t in the type of biz where emergencies happen, (except when the stock market was on a roller coaster) and as far as missing out on new biz – oh well…
We’re going skiing next month for 4 days and will let all our clients know in advance that we won’t be available.
@pchiappa | # | Top
Shari Stauch said
1 year, 2 months ago:
Preschedule what I can and give myself 45 minutes in the a.m. With morning coffee and then can forget it for the day without anxiety… Hint tho… Slam the laptop or iPad or iPhone shut after your designated time… My friend and I started playing on our laptops one morning before heading to beach… Then she took a call, then I took a call… And a few hours later we realized how stupid we were being.
@sharijstauch | # | Top
Romy Singh said
1 year, 2 months ago:
Yeah! Very Interesting Question. I often worry about my facebook, twitter, status and the emails that i get while i’m enjoying myself. But i have list of tools which makes my social media marketing work quite easy while i’m on the go.
1- BufferApp – Makes Tweeting very simple while we are on the go by scheduling it.
2- TweetDeck – makes my life easier on both facebook and twitter.
3- Email – For email marketing i’ve to give some dedicated time daily to see that whats new in my inbox. and if any email needs reply then just hit reply button type some words and shoot it.
At time of holidays we can use some social media tools to make our social marketing works quite easy and low time consuming as compared to daily social marketing when we are actually in into.
@romysingh | # | Top