Social Media: How Much is Too Much?

The latest trend seems to be making sure you have a presence on many social media Web sites. Web 2.0 elements can put businesses in the driver’s seat, making it easier than ever to communicate with customers and get connected to other professionals in your field. With all of the instant gratifications in social networking, it begs the question: Can you ever have too much social media?

Tuning into a plethora of different social media channels can not only drive you crazy, but it can keep you preoccupied with friend counts and tweets, not focused on the overall goal of putting your business in the spotlight.

Here are a few ways you can optimize your social media presence:

1. Stay social. The purpose of social media is to continuously stay connected. Don’t merely regenerate content on Facebook and Twitter – keep your tweets original and comment on your friends’ walls from time to time. If you use  social bookmarking to post your blog articles, take some time while you are logged into these sites to look around at related articles. Give them a Digg or Thumbs Up. This may direct users back to your articles, giving them more readers.
2. Don’t stretch yourself thin. Don’t register for 10 different social media accounts and let them sit around for a few weeks before logging on again because you are too busy to keep up. Social networking requires some work to keep your friend lists and followers growing. Pick one to three solid social media sites you want to join and focus your attention on those. If you feel like you can handle more, then add more networks.
3. Keep the focus on your business. Remember your main goal: promoting your business and attracting more visitors. This means focusing your social networks around your company’s Web site. Put your company’s logo as an avatar on each of your profiles and provide links to direct people to your business.

Jessica Swink is a freelance writer specializing in articles about Social Media Optimization and SEO for travel Web sites.