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!
I can strive for 20 minutes a day, Andy, but I think it takes a bit longer. For one, just researching or creating a decent Twitter post takes me more than 2 minutes. 😉 And I’ve yet to write a blog post in less than 8 minutes. But I think setting a time limit is crucial. I swear, this stuff is so fun it’s like a Vortex and once I’m in it, I can’t get out! 🙂
I do spend more than 20 minutes a day on Social Media. I focus on new people in my funnel and comment on their blogs, tweets, etc. to get to know them better. I find that it works, but do know that I can get carried away.
This article really made me take stock of the social media addiction of mine.
Thanks so much
Be blessed,
Donna
Donna,
That is great that you get so much out of social networking. It is a great tool, and I think people could benefit by using it more. However, for the time crunched this is a great way to get started. I started 20 minutes a day and slowly expanded.
Andy
Thanks Andy. Great little blog post & great feedback comment Donna. Cheers. Matt.
Thanks!
Thanks I got my own plan
5 min – 3 times a day @replay
10 min – daily: Building relation ship
10 min – week: creating new content
10 min – daily: reading new technology article
Shovan,
As you as have a plan that is all that matters.
Andy
I’m just getting started and I realize that you’re more likely to get positive feedback through social media than anywhere else. It seems that people are in a certain mindset and more open when they are focused on being social. Rather than having the mindset of – just another business transaction.
Also I’ve found that even people who seem inaccesible (because of how successful they appear) are in fact quite open through the right channels.
The more I get involved I realize that you have to remember that it’s a real person behind that twitter handle or fanpage. Everything else flows from there.
Lloyd,
Good to see that you are getting more involved in using social media for your business. It is definitely amazing the people you can speak with through social media. I have found it a great starting point for a number of conversations.
Andy
Nathan,
Great post. Just this week I was thinking I need to revaluate how much time I want to spend on social media. Twenty minutes a day works. 😉
Angela,
Glad that we can help you with your social networking.
Andy