I am often asked how much time people need to spend using social networking every day (Comment Section from List of Social Networks You Need To Be On). The answer will vary from person to person, and here is what I generally tell my clients:

2 minutes- on Twitter respond to @replies and make post of the day.

10 minutes- Build relationships by connecting with at least 5 people on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn every day. Use Facebook messages and LinkedIn Inbox to create one on one relationships that are a stepping stone to taking the relationship offline. For more information on how to do this check out Taking Your Clients Offline.

8 minutes- Once a week create a short video clip with a webcam, photo of work, or write a short article or blog post. The other days either bookmark yours articles, answer questions on LinkedIn, or schedule some posts through Social Oomph(note: affiliated) in advance for days you are too busy to go onto Twitter and/or Facebook through SocialOomph.

This will vary from person to person and I already know that some people do not use Twitter or Facebook or Blog. That is why you will have to find you own mix, or if you still feel overwhelmed I help people use these services more effectively. Social networking is easy when broken down. Do not look at social networking as one big project, just something you do every day like brushing your teeth or taking a shower (hopefully you do in both cases). Let me know how your 20 minutes went today!