3 ways to get the most of social media scheduling

a while ago, i wrote a post on the pros and cons of scheduling social media vs. organic posting. while i believe both are integral to social media success, it's worthwhile to strongly consider how you're utilizing your scheduled posts to represent you when you're not sitting there tweeting.

by using tools like hootsuite and buffer, you can plan your posts for facebook and twitter ahead of time, leaving you free write, work, explore... and not think much about tweeting up a storm. of course, you should always monitor your accounts, continue to post organically and reply/favorite/like on a daily basis, but the ability to schedule a bulk of your voice makes a huge difference.

add scheduling to your post writing routine

once you hit "publish" or "schedule", do a little more than jumping on twitter to link your post. as soon as your post is ready, go to your social media scheduler of choice and add some posts for the future - one for tomorrow ("catch my post yesterday?"), a week from now, a month from now and even six months from now. this way, you have a steady promotion of all your content - not just new posts. it's always fun to prompt your readers to look back into your archives. do this for every post you write as a part of your writing routine, and you've got promotion down the line you won't ever have to think twice about.

 

utilize holidays, special occasions & events

think outside the box for times when your post would be relevant. is it a quick, simple recipe? schedule posts around lunchtime during the week to catch the eyes of parents and college students looking for a simple dinner. is it a how-to post? schedule your tweets or facebook posts for sunday nights when people are shopping and planning their weekly activities.

don't forget holidays! there's a holiday for everything these days, so if you've made donuts, it's worth it to google and see when national donut day is (june 5th, by the way!) and set up your post to be promoted heavily on that day.

 

schedule for odd times

you may not be up reading blog posts at 3am, but someone surely is, right? consider the rest of the world and the different time zones, too. think of an audience in another country you may be missing because you only post when you're awake.

do you have any social media scheduling tips?

birmingham fashion week 2015

i was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to attend birmingham fashion week 2015! started in 2011, birmingham fashion week has grown into a fixture in the community for creativity, opportunity and a showcase of talent. so yes, birmingham has a fashion week, and yes, it is fabulous!

i attended on thursday and saturday nights and was so, so impressed. above are some of my favorite looks from thursday night's rising/emerging design stars, who are talented highschool/college students showcasing their work. on saturday night, alabama grad shan latris was crowed the winner of the emerging design stars, which made me so happy to see. there were tons of alabama students showcasing their work - but pssst, don't tell anyone, but my favorite emerging design star collection was from kayla sherman of auburn.

i also felt like this was the sort of occasion that required a selfie stick. i've recently been gifted one of these things and y'know, they aren't half bad. everyone stares when you use it, but i feel like they'll be fairly commonplace before long - whether the world likes it or not. i felt silly. but uh, hey, it's a nice selfie, i guess. not exactly an item i'll be toting around on the daily, but... you never know.

on saturday night, after shows from tribe kelley and fab'rik, the show i looked forward to most was heidi elnora, and it did not disappoint! what started as a soft, gentle bridal medley set to violin exploded into a rock n' roll party with guns n' roses and fist pumping in wedding gowns. the finale brought a beautiful gold gown and stunning gold foil makeup - a definite photoworthy moment for everyone in the crowd.

 

after the show, heidi expressed her gratitude and talked about her small town upbringing. it was inspiring to see how far she has come and what her brand has grown into! in case you didn't know, heidi has her own show in tlc, bride by design, and has enjoyed great success. it's awesome to have her representing alabama in the fashion world.

i had a wonderful time at fashion week - i can't wait to go again!

 

honeysuckle lemonade with cathead vodka

disclaimer: cathead vodka sponsored our birmingham bloggers 1st anniversary bash & provided us with some fabulous vodka to sample and serve. all opinions are entirely mine.

at the birmingham bloggers 1st anniversary bash (recap post soon!), we served this delicious, simple and refreshing crowd pleaser. it's simple to make and perfect for spring and summertime!

i've been a fan of cathead for many years. i love supporting southern brands, so it doesn't get much better than sipping on a spirit distilled by our neighbors, mississippi. i was first introduced to cathead's honeysuckle vodka at watermark in nashville, after trying it in a lovely cocktail called the southern belle, featuring cathead honeysuckle vodka and fresh peach juice. it was divine.

since, this vodka has been to go-to at cocktail joints. at collins, i often just tell them to throw this in something and make whatever they want. i always love it. it's my favorite - which is why i wanted to serve it to my fellow birmingham bloggers at our party.

 

cathead honeysuckle lemonade

• 1 part (1 oz) cathead honeysuckle vodka
• 2 parts lemonade, freshly made or simply lemonade brand
• splash of club soda or prosecco, optional

combine all ingredients in a glass or cocktail shaker. serve over ice.

the splash of club soda or prosecco gives the cocktail just a little fizz, which i prefer. this drink is also incredibly easy to make in batches and can be served in a large drink dispenser at a party or outdoor bbq. simply follow the same ratios. enjoy, y'all!

this post is a part of a little mini linkup! check out the other posts below for more southern themed cocktails using cathead vodka.

 

the southern lady from bethcakes | honeysuckle vodka collins from hey there sunshine

birmingham bloggers: one year

i talk all the time about birmingham bloggers, how the community got started and how much it means to me. i get asked frequently if birmingham bloggers is my full-time job - and no, it is not. and though the work to keep the community running as well as it does is essentially a second full-time job, i wouldn't trade it for the world. i like the hustle.

in a year of experimenting with this community, i have learned so much, not only about myself but about the amazing people who live, work and create in birmingham, alabama - and i've learned that we have an incredible stock of fabulous, talented people here. browse the birmingham bloggers members for only a few minutes and you'll find a vibrant, thriving voice that represents birmingham so well. i am honored to be able to give these folks a platform to connect.

the future holds a lot for this community and i am thrilled to see where it takes us. we've got events planned through august, and so many ideas for late summer and fall going forward.

tonight, at the nest in avondale, we're hosting the birmingham bloggers one year anniversary bash. we've been fortunate enough to work with a handful of wonderful sponsors for this event to put together a delicious spread of food, cocktails and goodie bags for our members. everyone was asked to wear purple - so of course, i went and got a purple gel manicure and spent way too long trying to find the perfect purple dress, which are surprisingly difficult to come by...

this party is about rewarding y'all for being awesome folks. i cannot wait to give away these prizes. and don't worry, there will be plenty of photos and a recap post very soon.

my friend and co-founder, beth, made this beautiful birmingham bloggers birthday cake, so check out her blog for the recipe! and though we won't have it at the party tonight, we loved having our own little mini celebration. having co-founder molly in athens has been a bummer and we miss her so much (you should see our group texts...) - but we are so happy she'll be joining us for the one year celebration tonight.

countless meetups, 160+ members, new friends and many fun collaborations later - birmingham bloggers is a year old! here's to many, many more. see y'all along for the ride.

5 birmingham favorites

well hello! april has been a quiet month for this blog (more on that in my next post on wednesday) but i'm happy to say things are starting to settle down and i'll be back to regular posting very soon!

having lived in birmingham for almost 2 years, i've got my go-to spots. i could endlessly list our james beard award winning eateries, trendy coffee shops and beautiful outdoor spots, but i figured i'd list the five places i actually frequent on a nearly weekly basis. i have so many favorites that i adore, but these are the places that i find myself most often (and picking just five was really, really difficult!)

01. railroad park - now this is a given, but if you aren't spending time at railroad park, what are you doing? my favorite thing is to take a blanket and picnic to railroad around sunset (and maybe some wine? shhh....) and enjoy the weather.

02. collins bar - kinda don't know what i'd do without this place. our cocktail scene is just getting started, and collins is boldly blazing a popular path. stop in and let the bartenders know what your favorite spirits are, and they'll whip you up something custom. there is no menu!

03. melt - what started as a grilled cheese food truck has now blossomed into a brick & mortar restaurant in the heart of avondale. i'm at melt way too freaking much. their cocktails are divine and the seasonal menu is always rotating with fresh ingredients. my favorite? the buffalo chicken melt and a matilda loaded cocktail. matilda is the name of the food truck!

04. moss rock nature preserve - aside from ruffner and oak mountain, moss rock is my favorite for a simple hike on a breezy day. the entire trail is covered so you can stay cool in the shade, and the boulders in boulder field are beautiful! i love the creek and waterfalls along the trail. this is definitely worth the drive down to hoover.

05. o'henry's coffee - do you realize how hard this is for me? picking a coffee shop? i love all birmingham coffee offerings, but o'henry's has my heart. it was one of the first coffee shops i started frequenting here in town. the o'henry's in highland park opened just as i moved to the area. additionally, i founded birmingham bloggers with beth and molly at o'henry's, hold nearly all of my meetings there, and have ruled their cold brewed iced coffee the best in town.

birmingham folks, what are your top 5 local favorites?