As with Twitter, I struggle against the streaming life line and I’ve developed defenses to avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer depth of content. I scan the news feed two or three times a day and only respond to the messages and comments that catch my eye.

I frequently feel like I’m not using Facebook and Twitter effectively and worry that I don’t give back to the communities as much as I receive but it is hard to balance the time allocation. It can be difficult to justify the time spent because I can’t track the return on investment as easily as I can the dollar-for-hours work I usually feel like I ‘should’ be doing instead.

How do you manage your social media time and avoid feeling like you’re either missing opportunities to network or spending too long watching the Facebook feed or Twitter stream?

One tip I don’t recommend if you’re using for business purposes, however, is playing a lot of Facebook games or using those apps to send gifts, flowers, prayer cards etc to friends. When you use them, it shows up in your timeline. For people using Facebook for business interactions and networking, it may diminish your credibility or professionalism in the eyes of others. Second, some of those apps send notices to your ‘friends’ with invitations to play. If a client is following you on Facebook, it can get tedious and sometimes downright annoying to click “ignore” on those little notifications.

I have successfully met several new clients through Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and other web 2.0 media. I invite folks to follow me on my social networking sites; you can find the links on my own website, Seven Oaks Consulting, to each. All are welcome. I post a lot of articles on marketing as well as links to my writing projects.

Great article!