I have to admit, I love this commercial about the daughter who thinks her parents are not very social because they only have 19 friends on Facebook but in reality, they are out BEING social. They are having the time of their lives going to concerts, riding bikes, or having dinner with friends while these kids are at home glued to the computer with their 687 friends – how ironic! It shows that we need to have a balance – just as with everything else.
Sporadic best describes how often I update my own profiles on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook but it isn’t about setting aside 3 hours every morning to refresh info or see what your friends are up to… it is about sharing a piece of your life with someone else in order to bring them a little joy as it happens. I just don’t like to become predictable while doing it! 
There is no firm rule about which is the best tactic – tightly scheduled and controlled vs flexible and fun – just match your personality type or business branding in order to be realistic and personable.
Social media is perfect for staying in touch, or bragging about someone elses’ product, talent or good fortune. We can post a Happy Birthday graphic, upload a photo of a friend’s wedding or share our political or religious views with people en bulk. We can also update hundreds of our friends or family about our lives in one click, instead of the daunting task of sending separate emails, making individual phone calls, or scheduling all those Happy Hour get-togethers (is that really a bad thing?).
BUT some of my clients are now realizing, after being “socialites” online for a year or so, that it is taking time away from what they are best at – running all the other aspects of their businesses and interacting F2F with their customers. They know they need to be consistently offering new specials or promotions in order to be “liked” but it can take a lot of time to do it right (insert big, guilty SIGH here).
That is where I come in – I am now offering to take care of those set-up details, writing content, and doing the daily or weekly postings that are too boring or time-consuming for my clients. Their “honeymoon” is over with social media but they know it is still a very important part of their marketing plan, if done right. They “get it” but are ready to hand over the reins to someone who loves doing that type of work, namely ME! I’ll be posting more info and pricing packages on my website this week so check back and see if it is anything you are interested in – for one month or one year – whatever you are comfortable with.
If you are one of those people who don’t want to totally give up on your social media marketing but want to step back and let someone else ramp it up a bit, it is OK. You are not a failure nor are you alone! You are choosing to delegate and that can be one of the hardest things to do, especially if you are a solopreneur. There are lots of companies out there who are willing and able to help you with this, so let them, or contact me. Be the first one people think of because of how you helped make their day a little brighter, in your own “social” way.
So stay tuned, stay cool, and have a great August!