***Avoid Becoming Socially Distracted by Social Media

Let’s face it social media and all the many tools, widgets and streams can be distracting. Not only can it pull us away from our work more often than we care to admit, but it can also be a place where we can easily lose focus. When in business one must learn to focus on the task or tasks at hand and block out the rest. It is important to use social media as a part of your business, but use it wisely, be “smart” about how you use your social media sources and your time. Don’t get too easily distracted by every link that comes across your Twitter stream or every new blog post that your friends post on their Facebook pages, stay focused, here’s how to be “smart” : S – Specific. You know your niche. So stay with links and information that is specific to your niche, or your target market which will help to keep you on track. M – Measurable. Be sure the time you spend on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and other social media sites is measurable. If you have no clue how much time you’ve spent networking on these sites in a days time then, likely you’re spending too much time on this task. You need not spend unfathomable amounts of time using social media to benefit from it. Set aside an hour or two a day to purposefully network. A – Aim. Have a target you are aiming for, whether it be “promoting your latest product”, “connecting with new clients”, “sharing some knowledge” or just “relaxing and chatting.” Have an aim or a goal for the time you spend networking. R – Real. This is probably the most important part of Smart socializing. That you are being real. It will carry you much farther than anything else you do in social media. T- Time. Don’t let the time you spend on social media get sucked away. Keep up with your time and use it wisely. This smart strategy will help you to keep from chasing “rabbits” with your business. The truth is not everything out there is right for you, the things that are available for you to read, or try may be good and serve their purpose, but they might not be good for you, or serve any purpose in your business. The truth is just because they were perfect for someone else and he or she shared the information with you via their favorite social media site does not mean you have to jump on the wagon and participate or integrate a new service or idea into your existing business. You must learn to be “smart” about what you spend your social media time on. Develop a proven strategy for tackling the time you use for participating in social media and follow the “smart” rules that we just covered to make your social media experience work for you, instead of working against you.