Social Desire

By Kat French on Nov 14, 2007 | Reply

I’m glad it’s not just me and my poor organizationally-challenged brain that’s struggling to keep up with social media and the rest of my workload/life.

I had a moment yesterday when I realized I was in danger of becoming so “interconnected” that if all my various social media identities crossed paths at once, I’d create a wormhole in the web…

By Maki on Nov 14, 2007 | Reply

Thanks for sharing, Shana.

I guess the best way to do this is to figure out which social media service gives you the most ROI and cut out the ones that tend to be time-sinks.

As a marketer, I spend the most time on social news sites like Digg + Reddit because they help me to grow my websites or serve potential clients the best. You’ll also get to develop the skills of writing good headlines as well.

Some communities need constant engagement to understand them properly while others don’t. Twitter, Mybloglog, Facebook, Stumble and Sphinn and sites that are good for networking but they are easy to master/understand so I wouldn’t spend too much time on them.

The articles you linked to are good but they focus on too many things within a short span of time. Sometimes you don’t need to do so much.

Take the time you spend on them and explore other social media channels for traffic/attention. You might find something else that fits.

By Mark Pilatowski on Nov 14, 2007 | Reply

Excellent article and a reminder that I need to look at how I spend my time. I am afraid th actually look at my daily routine like that because it would look very similar with a few of my clients social networking sites thrown in for good measure.

By Patti Fousek on Nov 14, 2007 | Reply

Wow. I just realized I’m a slacker.

From what you’ve posted, I think you’re managing your time quite well. If only I could be as structured. I tend to get stuck in a cycle where I read posts way more than commenting or posting - which obviously isn’t working. Seriously, I can read posts on Sphinn for hours and not get anything else done.

By Risa on Nov 15, 2007 | Reply

Hi Shana, nice to meet you. I was at the IMNY Charity Party in NY a few weeks ago. If I knew you then, I would have liked to say, “hello.” I am a web designer and work-at-home mom, too, with 3 kids, 3,6 & 8. Although my tasks are different, my schedule is similar (as I type this now at 12:30 am). It’s funny that you’re writing about how social media is taking over your life - I need to get social media into my life. It’s non-existent, yet I understand that it is so important. Maybe soon I’ll be commiserating with you, although I can’t imagine at all how I can fit one more thing into my schedule. There’s so much I HAD to get done today for one of my own sites, I should stay up to 3 am…ah but my husband misses me. I like your writing style and look forward to reading you more.

By SexySEO on Nov 15, 2007 | Reply

and you are still alive?!

By Lee on Nov 15, 2007 | Reply

Your schedule sounds a lot like mine. The 1 to 3 am bedtimes are not bad it is the 7:30am wake ups by the kids that get you. The one thing I have found that helps is to take a whole day away from the computer once a week and be with the family. That kind of pace will burn you out fast.

By Sam Freedoms Internet Marketing Controversy Blog on Nov 15, 2007 | Reply

Thanks for the look into another “net victims” world. Very touching. But best be careful. If your 4yr old accidentally tries to explain to strangers that mommy “stumbles” and “sphinns” all day long, you might find yourself in a substance recovery program. ;p

Thanks again for the peek inside,
Sam

By Sam Freedoms Internet Marketing Controversy Blog on Nov 15, 2007 | Reply

Let me know if you take the plunge. It might inspire me to go, too.

By mike b - geeks on Nov 16, 2007 | Reply

~My Schedule~

Wake up 6:29am (PST) –> 9:29am (EST)

SPINN and STUMBLE 1 minute before Shana wakes up and begins!!!!

Muuuwwwaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!

By ttrujillo@supernerdio.com on Nov 19, 2007 | Reply

Social media is hard to keep up with!!! I am going to check out that 30 min. plan.

By ses5909 on Nov 20, 2007 | Reply

oh how I can relate to this! I am supposed to getting some things accomplished right now, but here I am…leaving a comment on your blog!

By speed yeoh on Nov 26, 2007 | Reply

I think the 30 minute plan is wonderful. I have never setting the schedule. I follow my desire where I want to go.

By Mariobox on Dec 3, 2007 | Reply

Shana:

Great post. I think you are trying to do too much on any given day. When you go to the gym, they recommend that you work on your upper body one day, and the lower body on another day.
Then, they also recommend to rest for a day or two.

Try applying the same logic to your schedule. Instead of researching posts, writing posts, reading blogs, bookmarking pages (and sometimes doing some of this activities twice a day!) try splitting them up: write posts one day, bookmark pages another day, research posts another day, etc. And then, set aside one full day to do nothing related to the web.

The world is not going to come to an end: your blogs won’t disappear, your audience is not going to go away, nobody is going to get upset if you don’t stumble or digg some pages, etc.

Slow down a bit or you’re going to get sick.

By Josh Hall on Dec 7, 2007 | Reply

4 hours of sleep?? OMG. I’d die.

“early to bed and early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy and wise…but socially dead”