think we can all feel confident when saying "social media is here and here to stay." What we probably are not so comfortable with is juggling our social media endeavors with our personal life. I'm sure social media doesn't take away all of your personal life, but it can impose on it greatly if you aren't careful. There are probably people who haven't even begun to dabble in the social media world for fear of not having time or it taking up too much time. Great point! However, at this point in the world, you really can't afford not to be a part of social media. In either case, listed below are 10 tips to avoid losing out on life and how to manage your social media time.
1. Just Skim: When beginning a promotion, most of the first phase is conducting research and reading. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, blogs or websites, to cut down on time spent, just skim it. By doing this, you can pull what you feel is worth spending your time reading and not have to worry about the rest.
2. Use your RSS Feed: Be selective when subscribing to different RSS feeds, but definitely use it. Any information you want to catch up on will be listed there. These same rules apply to who you follow on Twitter and newsletters you subscribe to. Choose wisely and be sure whatever it is adding value.
3. Consider a Timer: If you'd really like to manage your online time, set an allotted amount of time dedicated for this. It may help to set a timer and when it goes off, you'll know it's time to move on to something else.
4. Automate whenever possible: automating can be the key to your online happiness. When you have autoresponders or auto content generators in place they can save you scads of time. An easy and quick way to implement this might be your newsletter sign-ups. There are a variety of systems that will allow you to easily automate sign-ups. Even if you have a giveaway for signing up, the system can handle this too.
5. Consolidate, don't reiterate: If you are trying to keep up with everything, your Twitter, Facebook, Squidoo and a blog, there are ways to minimize updating them all. You can do so by doing it all at once. "How?" you ask. All of these programs can be linked together so when you update one, it will go out to all social media accounts. Many of these sites can be linked together and to a main site. This main site can be your blog, if you wish. Twitterfeed is a great place where you can update your Twitter, every time you update your blog. Your Twitter can be linked to Facebook and Squidoo.
6. Develop a Routine: Dedicate a specific time for social media on a regular basis and stick with it. It should be long enough to update your blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
7. Stick to Essentials: The internet can be considered a great influence on "lost time." One second you're looking at a TV listing, and then something about how to make money online, and then possibly an ad for shoes we just have to have. Four hours later and you've found new interests in paranormal studies, cherry tomatoes and how to move to Alaska. Stick to what you were planning to do and then leave. Also, over time you will learn where to spend your time the best and it will get easier to stay on track.
8. Don't be a Follower: Many people may give you their advice on which sites are the best for what. The thing to do is to decide which social media tool will benefit your needs the best. You don't have to use them all, and if one isn't working for you, go try a different one.
9. Plan: to make sure you're spending this social media time wisely and to its full advantage, it may be good to make a plan. With your "dedicated social media time," knowing to stick with the essentials and a routine put into place, developing a list of "to-dos" and goals around these should help you to stay focused. If you're focused and determined, you're bound not to waste any time.
10. Hire a Social Media Virtual Assistant: Ultimately, if you don't feel you have time to even start a social media quest, or if you've tried and it's just not for you but you still want to take advantage of all the awesomeness that it can bring, hiring a social media virtual assistant is another option and a fantastic idea. For example, http://www.besocialworldwide.com can help you quickly, effectively, and it's affordable. Dawn at BeSocialWorldWide, can help create, manage and update all of your social media needs, which can be WAY more rewarding than doing it yourself if you feel like you're in a crunch. Cruise on over to her website and see how many things she can do to help guide your social media presence, while keeping it updated and running efficiently.
Today, for many business and companies around the world, social media is very much a part of their success. It's especially essential to any kind of promotion. Although promotion does take up time, there are ways to use social media in a time responsible manner. The secret to managing your time with social media is tracking the time you actually spend on it and making any sort of adjustments necessary.
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