How Much Time Should I Invest Into Social Media?

How Much Time Should You Invest Into Socia Media Marketing?

Let’s start this article with: How Much Time Is Your Audience Spending on Social Media?

As social media outlets become a normal part of everyday life for internet users (AKA – Your Audience!), it’s also become the most time-intensive activity online.  The TNS “Digital Life” survey of internet users around the world found in September 2010 that on average, surfers spent 4.6 hours a week on social sites, compared with 4.4 hours on email, the most common internet activity. 

Even though the survey confirmed that email is used more often, the amount of time spent on social media sites surpassed email for the first time, ever.  The growth in the US and across the globe has continued, with more than 61% of frequent internet users globally having a profile on a social network. 

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

It means that according to the above trends and research, your prospects are changing their online activities.  Just as email took over the standard communication of “snail mail”, social media has now become the outlet users are spending most of their time on.  The time to brand your business using social media IS NOW.

While there is no ‘formula’ for how much time you should spend on social media marketing, you need to analyze your audience.  What are they interested in?  Can you offer them specials, or updates on services you offer?  Is there a charity event that you are planning that they can engage it?  Is there some tidbit or useful tip that you could share that would be valuable to them?  While daily updates may irritate your audience, at least a weekly update of some sort would prove not only useful, but also keep them looking forward to the next post.

Next Week: How To Keep Your Followers, Fans & ‘Likes’ Engaged