“I don’t have time for social media” is a common phrase nowadays that you must have said or heard at sometime.

Do you feel too overwhelmed by your daily tasks to use your social networks frequently?

Social media management can be a full time job, especially for businesses that require constant social media monitoring of their accounts. Social media managers help to ensure that the brand is promoted properly, that the customers remain loyal and that the product is reaching an even wider audience. Business owners are either willing or unwilling to get involved with their social networks. Both groups feel that social media monitoring is a time-consuming process, even for the basic task of personally replying to the customers.

This is a myth. Social media can be distracting, but not time consuming if you are well organized and have a plan.

Even 30 minutes of daily use are enough:

  • 10′ Facebook: Have a look at your Facebook page. Check the posts, reply to any comments that need your attention, thank your customers. Make a personal post from time to time that is related to your brand.
  • 10′ Twitter: Check the “interactions” tab for the replies and answer to the important ones.
  • 5′ Google+: A quick look is enough, in case something has occurred.
  • 5′ LinkedIn/Pinterest (or other network): Depending on the network you are using, you can have a glance, just to be aware of what’s going on.

Don’t forget, you don’t have to reply to all the interactions and the posts. Don’t get lost in your accounts. Focus on the ones that require your personal reply or focus on questions that you know better than your social media manager. The above suggestion is just indicative of a way to spend your precious time on your social media accounts. Even spending 20 minutes on Facebook and Twitter could work for your basic social media use.

Monitoring your business brand and replying to the customers does not require much time. Social media managers are definitely here to help you with the rest, but it is important for a business owner to be aware of what’s going on in social networks.

After all, social media are part of your business marketing.

Don’t omit the word “social” out of them!