If you’re reading this blog post, there’s a good chance that you have an account on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or any of the other scores of social networking sites out there. And the fact remains that a lot of them are down right addicting.
If you’re a high school kid or someone with a lot of free time, it really doesn’t matter if those sites become your new crack.
However, for those of us - business owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, corporate professionals, etc. - who use those social technologies for business, spending countless hours in front of the computer might not be the most effective use of time.
But what do you do if you’re connected to a lot of people who choose to communicate with you using these social networking sites? Surely, you wouldn’t want to ignore them.
Doing so would mean abandoning chances to build meaningful relationships and profitable business ventures.
That’s clearly not an option. So, what do we do?
We use tools and techniques that will help us maintain a healthy balance between using these social sites and taking care of the things that matter. I’ve listed three tips (along with some free tools) that will help you accomplish this.
1. Develop a system to help you follow-up effectively and efficiently
There are two things we can do here: 1) respond to updates and notifications immediately or 2) designate two (maybe three) specific times in the day to respond.
I can’t say which method you should use without knowing your current situation, but they both have their benefits. Personally, I prefer to employ the first method. For instance, as soon as I receive a Facebook message, I will send a reply to the sender.
Not only does this prevent “message pile-ups,” but it also shows a certain amount of dedication on your part. That goes a long way in developing relationships with those you want to connect with. The second method is generally more suited for those with busy family schedules and already-crowded days.
If you work at a company, you might not be able to communicate with someone immediately. In this case, setting a time before work, one during your lunch break, and another in the evening might be the ideal solution for you.
2. Use toolbars and 3rd party clients
I swear by these things. There was a point in time where I constantly found myself wandering around aimlessly on Facebook. I wasn’t getting “real” work done and my time on the site was beginning to equate into a massive waste.
I decide to limit my time on the site and incorporate time-saving methods such as installing the Facebook toolbar on my Firefox browser. The toolbar updates immediately whenever someone makes a friend request, sends a message, pokes me, etc.
Now, I only have to go on the site when there is relevant activity. Here is the link to Facebook’s official toolbar for Firefox:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3794
For Twitter, I use a third-party client called Tweetdeck.
Using a client helps by keeping you abreast of changes and status updates via notifications on your screen and/or Internet browser.
It’s a great way to stay connected without having to constantly check on the main site which could turn into a big time wasting activity.
Here is the link to Tweetdeck (which I use) and Twirl (another wildly popular Twitter client):
Tweetdeck:
Twirl: /
3. Enable email and mobile notifications.
This tip works great for Facebook users. Just adjust your settings to send updates and notifications to your mobile phone and email address. Receiving texts on your cell phone helps keep you connected even when you’re not in front of a computer.
I’ve carried on many conversations just by using my cell phone. And when, I’m checking my email account, I can see updates arrive instantly. Plus, another bonus is that I can search through my Facebook messages using Gmail.
It’s a much more effective way to find what I’m looking for as opposed to using Facebook’s woefully inadequate Message Search tool.
So, to recap: develop a follow-up/response system that fits your schedule; use third-party clients and toolbars to increase your productivity; and use your mobile phone and email account to stay connected when you’re away from the house or just away from your favorite social networking site.
Think I missed anything? What are you doing as a business owner to stop social networking from taking up too much of your life?
By the way, welcome back to the blog. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate the support. And as always, feel free to drop me a line sometime.
10 comments ↓
Hey, D. This is very useful information. I need you to do a seminar for the older generation and some younger that are compelled to believe that facebook, myspace, and the likes are the anti-christ. Lol. Thank you for your time. Peace !
@Dearonda - Thanks for commenting. And what’s funny is that you’re absolutely right… there are a few people from older generations who ACUTALLY believe those things are the devil. LOL! But that said, I do think our baby boomers and so on would be well served by social networking technology.
Hi Deontee,
Been reading your blog posts and your videos and must say, unlike most “gurus”, you speak and write in a very simple and easy to understand language. I just installed the Facebook toolbar for Firefox and it’s really great. And yes, I StumbleUpon this post.
Best Wishes,
Shinil.
@shinils on Twitter -
@Shinil, thanks for the comments. I definitely appreciate them. And, I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t see myself as a guru
I just try my best to share what I know and what I’ve learned in the most effective (and un-boring) way possible.
Glad you’re enjoying the FB Toolbar. That thing has been a tremendous time-saver for me. Oh, and a HUGE thanks for the stumble. You rock!
P.S. You have a new Twitter follower
I designate certain days for myself and my clients for certain social networks and I use ping.fm to cross promote. What also helps me is I use each sn for a specific task.
@dee - now that’s an interesting idea… using certain social networks for a specific task. i’d love to hear more about that if you have the time. and as always, thanks for stopping by to leave a comment.
d.
Sure, d. You know how to reach me.
Hey Deontee !!
Just wanted to say thank you so much for all this great advice. The resources that you have listed are very valuable when it comes to making the most of the time that we have every day.
I have included your post on my blog as a feature post for my readers. Lots of networkers and direct sales consultants are always looking for ways to get more done and connect with more people. Your information is very valuable to us. Thanks again for the great content, the advice and the resource list.
Best regards,
Rose Mis
ps….I Digg it !!
Great post! I personally like to set aside several times during the day to reply to my messages. This allows me to stay focused while doing other tasks without having to worry about replying to a message that just came in. But I agree, each person will have a method that fits their business and style the best.
Also, great recommendation on TweetDeck, I use it and don’t know what I would do without it.
Last blog post from Eric Transue:
The system of automatically following up would not pass the exam on Twitter. It is very important who is following you and who do you follow. Some sites can make your PR lower and search engine results far from your domain adress showing. And there is also a thing on Twitter that allows you to follow only 2000 people. You can’t follow more if you don’t have at least 10% less followers. For example: If you want to follow more than 2000, you have to be followed by at least 1800. That toll makes automatically following totally useless.
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