Don't Let Social Media Become Overwhelming!

Social media marketing has become an important element in a businesses marketing strategy but getting established on all of the sites can seem overwhelming. I know for me, giving Cybertary a presence on all of the various social media sites has at times seemed endless. There are so many good sites and so many reasons to be on them. Cybertary is on Facebook, I am on Linked In, Cybertary has a blog and a presence on other sites, but there is still more. I need to tweet three times a day, search out niche sites, keep the blog updated; put out status updates….it is a job all by itself!
What I am finding works for me is to set aside 30 minutes per day to post status updates, read and respond to group discussions, and catch up on the news on Facebook. I will admit I haven’t started tweeting much but as I get organized on some of the other sites the tweeting will come. I take advantage of sites such as Ping.fm to automate where I can. What can stop me is figuring out what to write. Does anyone really care what is going on in my day? I know I am knowledgeable in my field but can that translate into 140 character messages? From talking with other small business owners this is an issue we all share. How do I contribute to the social media world without coming across as just trying to sell my services? I think the answer is balance. Mix it up a bit – talk about the fun project you are working on or the entertaining networking lunch but blend it in with tips on how to work virtually. What I am finding is as I stop judging what I write, the text comes more easily. Social media can be a wonderful business tool and a lot of fun so take a breath, put fingers on the keyboard and start typing.