In the middle of our busy lives we are all trying to keep up to date on what is happening with our contacts. Tweets and wall updates populate our days and we feel lost or isolated when we don't follow on each of our friends updates. Important conversations and networking opportunities are lost because we were not online at the right time. Let me help you with that!
First things first. Repeat after me: "I don't have to be online all the time". Now repeat: "I will learn to use the tools offered to keep on top of things". I know what you are thinking: If you only connect at the beginning or at the end of the day you will miss out on important information. That is true and there is something you will have to face. But on the other side, being connected 24/7 will distract you from your day to day activities and real life.
Two things to solve this: Balance and tools.
Balance is achieved when we use social media with a purpose: Don't Facebook just for the sake of it, have a purpose and a plan to use Facebook. Your purpose may be networking or making a sales contact. Your moves have to be deliberate: connect, get updates, update, disconnect. Don't spend endless hours looking at your friends pictures, or posting inane games or the results of what kind of transformer are you. Is like going to the bank during lunch: get there, do your business and leave.
All social sites provide tools to filter and control the information flow. Learn to use them. Filter content from your second cousin twice removed, allow content from that great contact in marketing. Use Tweetdeck and filter out comments about the latest Lindsay Lohan appearance.
Use social media the right way and it will be a treasure trove of contacts and good things. Use it wrong and it will fill your days with 4chan memes and "having lunch" tweets.
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