Social media is a powerful marketing tool and it’s important for small business owners to employ social media marketing. But realistically  how much time you should spend depends on whether you’re being productive or not.

Many successful marketers are spending 6 to 10 hours a week on social media endeavors. How much time you spend should be something you decide. The important thing is to set aside some time each day to devote to productive time on social media. (Note: Playing Farmville on Facebook is not productive time for most people…sorry)

Regardless of how you decide to manage your social media the important factors to consider are:

Prioritize — You can start small, you really do not have to be everywhere at once. Figure out where your target market is, and be there! However, it is highly advisable that at the current time you are on Twitter and Facebook at least.

Remember this could change. The number of social media platforms is mind boggling, is growing every day and as we know, what is hot today might not be tomorrow. (Think MySpace) It is very important to target and prioritize your market as much as you prioritize which networks you will be a part of.

Here are some examples of some popular networking platforms  currently–

o       Facebook.com

o       Twitter.com

o       LinkedIn.com

o       Ning.com

o       Bizsugar.com

Even if you choose Twitter and Facebook you don’t have to do it all today. Start one at a time and spend a few minutes a day on each getting to know the system. Once you know that system and have a system in place, add another, and so on. The important thing is to get started.

Before joining any social media networking service consider the following:

Why do you need it?

Who uses this service?

Why do you want to use this service?

Is your target market here?

Target — If you want to maximize your social media marketing strategy you need to pick the right social media to use. You can’t use them all, and you really shouldn’t. Pick the ones that are most used by your target market. If your target market is not using that particular platform, don’t use it. When it comes to online marketing for online businesses, small really is better.

If you are unsure about how to target your market, ask yourself the questions: Who is my ideal client? And no, it’s not everyone! The smaller your target the better. Then you will know where you should be in terms of your social media marketing strategy. Understanding your market is one of the best ways to get organized, save money, save time, and become more effective with your overall marketing strategy.

Be Flexible — What’s in today, will be out tomorrow. Stay aware of your surroundings. One way to do that is to keep track of your analytics to make sure that what you’re doing is having the desired results.

Organize — Just like the bookkeeping in your business you must keep your social media efforts organized in order to be efficient. There are a multitude of ways to keep organized. From the paid services like HooteSuite, SocialOomph, or SproutSocial, and to using free services like TweetDeck.

Another option is to use a Virtual Assistant and or Social Media Manager, but no matter what you must get organized. Remember to play to your own efficiencies.  If you’re not good at something, let someone else do it.

Here is a quick checklist of Final Considerations

Strategy — Plan your social media marketing strategy, define your goals, and know your target market.

Consistency —It’s the old “tortoise and the hare” story. Keep a regular pace for the long-term because consistency over the long term is the common denominator to success when it comes to social media marketing.

Outsource — Either via automation or a Virtual Assistant, get help, and you will reap the rewards.

Testing Processes — Try more than one method so you can compare your results and know what works best.

Measuring Results — Check your analytics, test your efforts in order to create the best systems that will get the most return on investment. (ROI)

To Your Success!

Kate Wilber

The Marketing Momma

PS Disclaimer:  The link in this blog post is an affiliate link and if you decide to purchase from it I will make a small commission.  Thanks!  Just remember I only recommend products that I use myself and feel would be beneficial to you and your business!