Part Two: Space Invaders – Managing your Personal and Professional Social Media Time

This post is the second in a five part series addressing the separation of one’s personal and professional social media profiles. (Did you miss Part 1?) 

Is it wrong to access personal social media accounts during the workday? No, but it does boil down to time management and common sense. The time suck that social media sites can play in your life is no secret. How many hours have you spent on Facebook or Twitter in the last week? Not only keeping up with friends and family, but playing games like Cityville and Texas Holdem Poker as well! For many, we’re spending more time than ever at home using social media.  But what about the time it’s taking up in the workplace?

According to the ODM Group Infographic below, 77% of workers who have a Facebook account use it during work hours and 87% of these workers have no clear business case for accessing the network. This might mean a missed phone call, delayed responses to urgent e-mails and definitely means that it takes longer to accomplish routine tasks.

Most companies have now created social media policies. Have you thought about creating one for yourself to help you manage your time on social media responsibly?

A Personal Social Media Policy

So what should you think about when creating a personal social media policy? Check out the following tips for focusing your time on social media during work hours:

• Is there a business case? Social media is a powerful networking tool and should not be overlooked. Become an authority in your field on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ & Facebook!
• Manage your time efficiently – there is nothing wrong with a quick RSVP to a personal evening event, however, watch how much time you spend during work hours keeping up with your newsfeed and social games.
• With that in mind, schedule “break time” to check your newsfeeds and make that super sweet move on Words With Friends! It’s great to take that time to clear your head and relax a bit during the work day.
• Use a social media monitoring tool, such as Hootsuite, to effectively manage your time across multiple social media profiles and accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) from one single location.

Bottom Line – Be smart and don’t let unproductive personal social media time invade your workspace. #worksmart

Mary is one of Intrapromote’s social butterflies and you will often see her out and about at events around Cleveland. With an extensive background in marketing and sales in a variety of industries, including automotive and music/entertainment, Mary joined our Social Media department in 2009. A proud Boilermaker, Mary ensures that we keep our college rivalries brewing. Mary is known to walk into a Nordstrom Rack and leave them empty handed and she sleeps soundly knowing that her vast shoe collection will come in handy during the zombie apocalypse (stilettos are perfect for impaling). When she’s not battling for the mayorship of her local Starbucks on foursquare, you’ll most likely find Mary at a concert, cooking something delicious, watching football or finding the latest trends in Social Media. Mary’s thirst for the latest apps, sites and strategies keeps our inboxes full, our brains turning and our clients constantly impressed.

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