Can there be Too Much Social Media?

  Too Much Social Media? Can You Have too much ? Facebook,  Twitter,  Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Klout, StumbleUpon,  Instagram, Did I leave one out?  Social media is everywhere.  You have no choice Facebook is a must.  You must use Twitter.  Have you filled out your LinkedIn profile yet?  Is your head spinning out of control? Well, it doesn’t have to.  Even though it seems overwhelming, social media is one of the most effective ways to market your business.  Businesses feel they should use and  become active in everything.  That leads me to ask…is there such a thing as too much social media? The answer? Yes and no. I polled some of my social media colleagues today and here is how they answered… “When I work with someone, we set up social media platforms and accounts one at a time, based on which would serve their business the best. For some businesses, one is much more beneficial than another. It's one of the ways we cut the "overwhelm" out of the thing.”- Marie Leslie  “Unless you have a dedicated social media person, you need to choose what works for you best. I have experimented with various forms and primarily use the SM that gives results.” – JoAnn Hines (www.facebook.com/packagingdiva) “It depends on your goal. If your goal is more online visibility, the more the merrier; if your goal is finding targeted clients, a smaller, more intense focus is better.”- Martha Giffen “There are people on Facebook that are not on Twitter and there are people on Twitter that are not on Facebook. There are people on LinkedIn that are not on any of the others. Being consistent with your message is important and must be carried over all platforms where you have an audience.” –Kim Garst “If we are not going to take part in that particular locus more than 15 minutes a day (we only use 5 day weeks), then we pass it by. Yes, this does mean we try a whole bunch out and then see what works.” – Roy Ackerman “It's impossible to be "active" on several social media venues at once. Sure, you can automate posts and updates, etc., but that may come back to bite you in the butt. My advice is to begin with 2 or 3 social media platforms you think you're really going to enjoy using and then add more into your marketing mix, if needed. Feel them out, take part and give consistently, see what kinds of results you experience, and then decide if you want to stick with them or move on to others.” – Melanie Kissell There is one consistent answer here – do what works best for your business (or your client). I know of a local business here in town whose social media manager has them on every single platform.  Even though it’s great to have a presence on it all, you run the risk of spreading your time and energy thin.  My suggestion is to start small – you have to go where your customers are.  If they are college age kids that spend a lot of time tweeting, start there.  If they are business professionals who really earn their business via networking, start at LinkedIn.  A band?  YouTube. After you’ve established something that works, branch out into the next platform. Own a clothing shop that is thriving on Facebook?  Slowly work your way to Pinterest.  If you take it one platform at a time, you will see what works and you will know how to more effectively manage your and your business’ time on social media. So, yes there is such a thing and no there isn’t.  I recommend you to talk with your client or any business partners (if you have them).  Figure out what works best for you and take it one step at a time. Have more questions about social media?  Read this great post.   About Mandy Edwards Mandy Edwards is the owner of ME Marketing Services, a marketing firm in Statesboro, Georgia that specializes in social media marketing for small businesses.  The local go-to person for social media, Mandy is a momprenuer and President of her local chapter of BNI – Business Networking International. For more information on Mandy, please visit www.memarketingservices.com.  You can also follow her on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter (@memktgservices).

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