5 Ways to Save Your Business From Social Networking Enthusiam

Posted by Edwin on Jun 9, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

Q: Where is all this networking taking us and do we really need it?

A: Nobody really knows and probably.

I just tweeted a private message to the world when I though I was using Google Talk with a friend. It’s the equivalent of hitting reply all instead of send on a sensitive email. One thing’s for sure – all this social networking stuff is extremely distracting and it’s time a set of rules was drawn up. Email alone distracts me from doing my less interesting jobs. We ought to log out of pop-up talk-n-tweet programs when actually working. I’m pretty sure I’m losing a good hour per day. I know you are, too.

Tweeting (joining Twitter.com) is becoming more useful to small businesses by the day. Pro-bloggers tweet almost 5 times per day. It’s part of their stay in your head business strategy. PR firms are already coaching new businesses in the art of social networking. The number of followers you have roughly equates to people in your shop. You’ve got 140 letters in which to pitch your product and you can include links. Go! . . . Ah. It’s all too much. We need to ignore the hype and get on with servicing our clients.

I suggest we live our freelancing work life by certain rules and regulations.

Tweet-Talk Contract Between Me & Myself

I, _________________ , promise to . . .

1. log out of all pop-up talk and tweet-like programs during office hours
2. allocate 15 minutes each morning and / or afternoon for tweeting
3. allocate 15 minutes each lunch time and / or afternoon for email
4. switch all social networking alerts ON after 5pm weekdays
5. use Facebook, Tweet, G-talk, Skype or Tumblr liberally on weekends

Lord help us when Google Wave arrives late 2009. I predict, my little Monkeys, that nothing at all will get done.