With so much buzz surrounding Social Media, everyone is trying to chime into the conversation, even if they’re not quite sure why.

Businessperson 1: Everyone is using Facebook. We need to use Facebook.

Businessperson 2: Yes, and Twitter. We need that too.

Businessperson 1: Agreed. Open up a Facebook and Twitter some ads at our customers. Then let’s put a Blog on it.

Businessperson 2: Yes, Blogs are also things that we need. Many Blogs.

Businessperson 1: Perfect. Our Social Media strategy is really going to synergize with the networks.

Businessperson 2: Agreed.

I’m not saying that I’m a Social Media genius. In fact, one of my biggest pet peeves is when a person labels him/herself as a “guru.”  This arena is changing and growing everyday, and for someone to claim that they have it all figured out is, well, maddening. However, I do know how important establishing an online presence is, and that in order to do that you need to seriously evaluate what you want to accomplish. That said, there a couple of things that have been on my mind lately…

Prologue to a Blog

Yes, blogs are wonderful. They’re a great way to flaunt your knowledge, address customer concerns, share news and events and to show your clients that you care about what is happening in your industry. However, it’s important to know what you are using your blog for before you begin. Do you want to let everyone know how incredible your new community is? Are you looking to create a photo journal, documenting the progress of your new project? Whatever the purpose is, know it before you start. Don’t just plop one together and think that’s all there is to it. It requires you to learn as you go (What posts are people reading? What are folks talking about? Can people gain anything from reading it?), and it takes a great deal of time and effort. There, I said it.

Do You Have Time to Twitter?

Twitter is a great way to get real-time action from your clients, co-workers and everyone else on the globe at this point. It’s growing faster than the Blob in Chuck Russell’s 1988 remake and, best of all, it’s free. Well, sort of. Time is money, after all.

Twitter is what is referred to as a micro-blog because you are limited to 140 characters per post. So you think to yourself, “Great, that will be super-fast to use and it won’t be time-consuming at all. Yippee!” The problem is, in order to be a useful voice on Twitter, you need to remain active. This means posting at least a few times a day and, more importantly, making those tweets worth the read. An example of something that’s not worth the read: “I’m driving to work now.” It may be a tough style to get a grip on, but after a while you’ll get the hang of it.

I feel like these tools both require an understanding of how much time can be consumed by online efforts. For a terrific article on time management, check out this post by Amber Naslund. I will be going to see her speak at this year’s Web 2.0 Expo in New York – I can’t wait!