But it is one of those great mysteries in life when it seems like your task list tends to reproduce on its own and items just appear overnight. With my role of Project Manager and Operations junky, for every item I would cross off, another four or five would appear in its place.

In my quest to work smarter, not harder, I started evaluating my to-do list and hunting for those inefficiencies that create a bottleneck and prevent me from experiencing that glorious moment of checking off a to-do item. I did some research and hunted for a system that filled the following requirements:

• I needed something that was simple
• I needed something that was goal-oriented
• I needed something that was portable
• I needed something that was shareable with my team

Like most productivity systems on the market, I took elements from a few different examples and incorporated them into my own. There is no one-size-all approach to productivity. Find what works for you and go from there. My system fulfills the requirements listed above and is what I use today. It follows three simple principles and has made my life easier.

Organize Tasks and Break Up Projects

The number one issue I found I had was how I was actually building my to-do list. I could have an item on my list that would take me eight hours to complete and once it was complete, I could only cross off one item when in actuality, I did more than a dozen. Plus, it was deceiving to see that I had four items on my list when it would end up totaling more than 20 action items. So I started evaluating what I was writing down and breaking up projects into tasks.

For example, “Build Project Plan for Project x” is a project in and of itself but it was a typical line item for me. So instead of adding just that one piece, I began adding a group of tasks to track my progress and get a better sense of my workload. I broke up the project by including items like “Identify stakeholders,” “Define resource responsibilities,” and “Build visual calendar of timeline” to the list. Tasks would be organized by project and I had the added the satisfaction of crossing off several to-do items as I went.

I’ve also gone back and forth on color-coding my list. One color would be for a particular client, another for process documentation, another for marketing efforts, etc. I still tend to use this when the list has gotten out of control and I need to prioritize, but for the most part I’ve abandoned this part of the system.

Maximize Delegation

I’m fortunate enough to have an excellent team that is ready and willing to pitch in when they have the availability. I’m also a control freak who has a hard time letting things go. But in the long run, I realize that delegation will make me more personally efficient.

The key with this item is to know your team and each person’s strengths and weaknesses. For instance, if I need help organizing a massive project, I’ll ask Linda for help. If I need some creative brainpower that has finesse, I’ll reach out to Erik. If I need something immediately, I won’t ask… well, I won’t mention any names.

The point is that delegation should make life easier, not more complicated and gets things off your own to-do list.

Build and Use An Accountability Model

What good is a to-do list if nothing (or no one) is driving you to get it done? Self-imposed deadlines only do so much. And delegation is only as effective as the follow up. I use the following techniques to enforce accountability and make sure things are getting done.

• Post to-do items in a public forum like Basecamp
• Perform daily or weekly reviews of to-do lists
• Schedule calls with team members to review something you’re working on (which forces you to get something done by a certain date)
• Set up reminders in Google Calendar with email alerts
• Establish a reporting schedule (quantitative and/or qualitative) to review progress
• Incentivize yourself and/or your team

Everyone who is addicted to improving productivity has their own system that works for them. Whether it’s old-fashioned (with pen and paper) or digital, a to-do list can be a daunting element of your everyday life. The key is to make it work FOR you on a daily basis.

Do you have a favorite system to make your to-do list more efficient? Share tips in the comments.

Angela Moore is the VP of Client Operations for Intrapromote and focuses on a number of operational tasks that all revolve around creating a great customer experience for the Intrapromote family of clients. Angela has been in the online marketing world since 2007 and fancies herself to be a writer and enjoys doing research on the marketing world. She also has a particular passion for team building and personnel development, much to the chagrin of her colleagues. On Above the Fold and Socially Acceptable you can find her writing about any number of things including link building (her first true marketing love), Social Media, Team Management, Industry News, Book Reviews and well, really anything that happens to strike her fancy that day.

Follow Angela on Twitter:

Follow @amcmoore

I wanted to bring attention to the other end of the spectrum; that is clients who may not have taken adequate advantage of optimized press releases as part of their content strategy. I wholeheartedly believe that online PR is not mined enough as part of a total content and link building strategy. It is not a magic bullet or a standalone that can solve all ills. I really do think that it should be combined with social efforts to get the releases in front of target audiences where they reside; whether it be Twitter, Facebook, etc. Online PR is an effective way to keep a brand visible in Google News. Intrapromote’s methodology is non-spam and has always succeeded in the inclusion of our clients’ releases in Google News.

One caveat I will pass along if you are doing online PR yourself: Check with your press release wire service to ensure that your releases will remain online in perpetuity. Some services only provide a limited time for your release to remain online. Your diligence in this area will help you gain links that stand the test of time; like the link to the 4 year old release I wrote for my client that I am looking at right now in their Google backlinks listing.

There are effective free press release services (such as PRLog.com) but like with any other marketing decision, ask questions and check out the service to see if it fits your needs. I have used a variety of syndication services over the years and am not married to any particular service; it will often depend on a client’s needs.

Tip: It is my pleasure to educate clients on how we can embed videos, attach PDFs and image files and other digital collateral material to their releases to make them more targeted and interactive. Even the news images included in the releases can be tagged with keyword-rich alt text, and offer another opportunity to optimize content that can represent that client on the first page of Google search results. Feel free to contact me at lisa@intrapromote.com if you would like to discuss our press release writing and syndication services, or please visit our online press release writing and syndication services page.

Lisa Santora is the freshest copywriter this side of the Mississippi (and quite possibly on the other side too) and we count ourselves among the fortunate ones just to know her. Lisa heads up our content optimization teams and is also among the most brilliant in the industry when it comes to Online Press Optimization and content marketing. Lisa has a knack for not only turning a nifty phrase but also making our clients smile on a regular basis.

Lisa not only knows the best uses of commas and apostrophes but she’s also an expert on sports (football specifically). We have no doubt that we lucked out in nabbing Lisa for our team before someone hired her as the General Manager of an NFL team. Lisa blogs about content marketing strategies, online press trends and other Google news on Above the Fold & Socially Acceptable.

One such Facebook change is the elevation of Sponsored Stories. Unlike traditional ads on Facebook, Sponsored Stories behave a bit differently. For example, with Sponsored Stories, the advertiser doesn’t have much control over the creative portion of the ad and the ad cannot be targeted to whomever they choose. Rather, Sponsored Stories work by applying peer pressure and influence to the mix. Because the ads are already content that a user would likely already see in his or her news feed, the ad comes across as low-pressure and friend based, rather than a hard sell for your attention.

In line with some of the other big rollouts, like Timeline for Brands, Facebook is experimenting more with the Open Graph. One of these experiments is showcasing new types of Sponsored Stories that go far beyond the simple “liking” of a business or brand. In the tests, an advertiser could promote a story about a user “watching” a particular video or “listening” to a particular band, even if the advertiser is not the owner of the app in which the action was taken.

Because Sponsored Stories come from a user’s friends, the leads they generate are far more qualified than trying to nail down a demographic with a typical Facebook ad. Just like ratings and reviews on websites, Sponsored Stories feel credible and authentic to the user, while also bringing a potential authentic fan into the brand’s page. In many cases, a Sponsored Story just reminds the Facebook user that they haven’t liked a brand yet, because they already are a customer who is interested in what the business has to offer.

As part an overall social media strategic plan, understanding the power of the Open Graph early on can be a significant asset to savvy strategists who have already invested in content marketing. Sponsored Stories, as a platform, is likely to be one of the first Facebook advertising platforms to appear in the upcoming mobile interface changes, as well, providing additional reach for advertisers and marketers.

While the Open Graph experiment with Facebook has only begun, there is no doubt that it is part of the company’s long-term revenue strategy. The launch of the Ticker in 2011 pushed businesses out of the first line of sight with fans, forcing marketers to become more creative in their content positioning and move beyond the “like.” For businesses, Sponsored Stories are a way to force themselves back into a user’s news feed without coming across as too aggressive.

Annalise Kaylor, Director of Social Media Marketing, joined the Intrapromote team in 2011 bringing with her nearly a decade of experience in the social media space. Her portfolio of work includes social media and online marketing campaigns for small, family-owned businesses, as well as Fortune 50 organizations across a variety of industries. Seen as a leader among her peers, Annalise has been featured in interviews with Mashable, Buddy Media reports on industry best practices, and in a variety of other online and print media.

Follow Annalise on Twitter:

Follow @annabelleblue

When joining Pinterest as an individual, you are given the option to follow all of your current Facebook friends and Twitter followers. Unfortunately, businesses do not have the luxury to follow all of their fans, so it takes some more work to gain a large follower base on Pinterest.

Here are 3 things your brand should be doing right now to gain Pinterest followers:

1. Link to Other Platforms

The easiest way to quickly gain followers is to post links to Pinterest on your website, blog, and Facebook pages. Since Pinterest is still gaining in popularity, adding a Pinterest button will let your readers know that you are an early adopter of the new social media trend. Linking Pinterest to existing networks is a great way to gain followers, but it is important to remember not to flood your followers pages with a million pins.

Posting a pin to Facebook and Twitter once or twice a day (at most) is a great way to let them know you are on Pinterest. However, if your Facebook page and Twitter profile begins to look like an extension of your Pinterest page, it might be time to step away from Pinterest. When pinning an image to Pinterest, you are given an option to post on Facebook and Twitter, only choose this option for those amazing pins that everyone needs to see. Like these!

2. Utilize Searchable Captions

A great way to increase the strength of a pin is to add a searchable caption when re-pinning. This becomes a missed opportunity when an account does not change the caption to reflect their company’s relevant keywords to make it searchable to their target market. By using keywords often used by your target market, it is more likely that your Facebook fans and Twitter followers will come across your pins using the internal search feature. Not only can you add searchable keywords into captions on Pinterest, but you can also utilize the hashtag function in the same way that it is used on Twitter. Including hashtags into captions make your pins searchable for a wider audience, who may be unfamiliar with your brand.

3. Link to the Correct Page

One of the most frustrating things that I’ve encountered on Pinterest is when links do not follow back to the original source. There is absolutely nothing worse than looking for a recipe and not being able to find it because of a poorly placed pin or an inactive link. When pinning content (especially if it is from your own website) make sure that the pin links back to the page where someone can get more information. By pinning from your website, you are hoping to drive traffic to that specific page. Making sure that the pins go back to the correct page on your website will make it easier when others re-pin your content as well.

Looking for Pinterest tips? See my prior blog: How To Create A Unique Brand Image on Pinterest

Happy pinning!

Is your brand missing opportunities to capture followers on #pinterest? ow.ly/9c4qc#socialmedia

— Intrapromote (@intrapromote) February 21, 2012

Katie joined our fun-loving Social Media team in 2011 as a specialist and she’s been adding to the fun since her first day. A natural Community Manager, Katie has been rocking our clients’ worlds with her intuitive approach to social communication and general expertise.

Katie loves sunshine and beaches (although we’re all pretty sure that she’s secretly jealous when the rest of us are experiencing a blizzard). She has been known to dig up some pretty sweet treasures during her geocaching expeditions.

On Above the Fold & Socially Acceptable, Katie blogs about up and coming trends and tools in the social media space but we wouldn’t be surprised if she expanded her content interests as the months roll on.

But if your brand is truly a global one, how are you making sure that you are effectively communicating to your global audience?  Making assumptions that most people outside the US and Canada speak English, or that translation services are good enough, may not be the best route.  Sure, optimizing your site in English and then translating your content effectively is better than nothing.  In fact, if your brand has certain resource constraints, this may be all you’re really able to handle.  However, let’s look a little further, and think about some options for your brand if you do have the resources.

1. What are the primary search engines within your non-English speaking target market(s)?  Like the US and Canada, Google is still the top search engine for many other countries.  If so, then that makes the process much easier.
2. Does your target market have several distinct dialects?  If so, can you pinpoint a geographical area from which most of your consumers are based and nail down that specific dialect?

Let’s look at Brazil and Russia as examples, answer the questions above for each, and recommend a strategy for multi-lingual SEO:

SEO Strategy for Brazil

• Portuguese is the official language of Brazil
• The southern region, where the two major cities Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are located, speak a different Portuguese dialect than other parts of the country.  This southern region is where a large number of our client’s customers (and potential customers) reside.
• Google is the search engine of choice for Brazilians.

If you, or your Search Agency, don’t have the language expertise, we would suggest finding an agency partner who has direct experience performing Portuguese language keyword research and content optimization.  You know your client, and know the overall strategy, so being the strategic lead is still recommended.

SEO Strategy for Russia 

• Russian is the official language.
• Yandex is the search engine of choice for Russians.
• Optimizing for Yandex is a bit different than optimizing for Google.

As with Brazil, we would also suggest finding an agency partner with direct experience performing Russian language keyword research and content optimization.  However, since Yandex is the search engine of choice in Russia, that agency partner should also come with experience optimizing for Yandex.  Once again, you should still command the strategic lead for the client with support from the partner agency.

At Intrapromote, we have experience partnering with other agencies (when we need to) to tackle SEO strategy for a multi-lingual and foreign search engine campaigns.  Let us know how we can help with your global SEO strategy.

Caleb “Handsome” Dann is one of our SEO Strategists and wow, can he strategize. With his ever trusty sidekick, Violet the terrier, he routinely makes plans to take over the world (one moustache at a time).

Caleb knows only one speed when it comes to his SEO proficiencies: warp speed. And we’re happy to be along for the ride. He’s also one of our Star Wars geeks who thoroughly enjoys trivia contests. And good beers. And fashionable facial hair.

Follow Caleb on Twitter:

Follow @CalebDann