How Many Chores Does It All Add

May 5, 2009 · Comments

milking cows In the morning, I open up Google Reader and start by checking out who’s talking about me, my company, PodCamp, and a few other choice terms. I read a few blogs (around 700). I check on some other searches for clients that I’ve loaded into my reader.

When I’m done, I check Facebook to see who’s looking for a friend request (because they have a limit on friends, I have to be picky). I see who’s sent me Facebook mail (normally junk inviting me to someone’s dumb marketing webinar). I try to remember to check the birthdays.

I check in on my blog’s comment stream, making sure to cull out spam, and then diving in to answer questions wherever I see them. I follow some of the comment links back to the authors’ sites so I can learn a bit more about who spends time with me.

I open up Tweetdeck (or once I get re-sizable columns, Seesmic Desktop), and see what’s gone on there since I last checked in. I answer some of my direct messages, and see where people have tried to direct my attention while I haven’t been around.

I write my blog, of course. (Hey, here I am writing my blog.) I find a picture for the post. I might upload or edit some of my other media. I might shoot a quick video for a post. Basically, I have media making chores, too.

Of course, I still have email to contend with. I get close to 500 a day right now (it’s actually gone down over the last several weeks).

Oh, and my job, which is all of those things above, but not just all willy nilly like that. My job, such as it is, is to help companies decide which of these tools to use in what mix and to what end. (That’s at least part of what I do.)

These tools are powerful, useful, wonderful, connective, and they add hours to one’s day. To simply use the tools is probably just as useful as going out and buying a complete set of oil paints, some clay, and a loom and calling yourself an artist. Learning how they apply to your needs might be a prudent step before committing to using up time managing everything.

For those of you worried that this “social media” stuff adds chores and time to your days, it does. It definitely does. And yet, we find new value in it every day. Why? Maybe you’ll share some thoughts on this?

Photo credit chrisada

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  • Kind of ironic how the internet is supposed to make everything faster, but in the end, it takes up so much of our time.

    I like the comment from @jonknight - you get out of it what you put into it. And you only have to put into it what you want. Nobody's forcing anyone to read 700 blogs. There are no rules, just techniques based upon desired personal (or professional) outcomes. That's the beauty. The choice is ours.

    :)
  • Lethality
    Some people are finding real value, so they keep doing it. Some people are still looking for value, so they keep doing it. And some people are just having fun telling themselves it will have value so they keep doing it.

    That pretty much sums it up. :)
  • Couldn't agree more!
  • I concur. I was actually just thinking today about how my morning routine is ruled by social media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, etc. It's time consuming, but I'm hoping to gain some value from it as I brand myself.

    My current goal is to make the first 10 results on a Google search of my name to all be me and my sites. Still working on it. :)
  • Chris,
    I find value in it by connecting with potential clients I would not have reached elsewhere...and I firmly believe there should be time limits set for everyone using social media so that what time you do spend, is productive.
  • Sounds like my day, when I make (or have) the time. While I have questioned the hours it takes to do the chores, I find that a lot more tends to happen for me when I put in the time to make things happen.

    Sort of like real chores, I suppose. Sometimes, a bitch to do, but always better than when you put them off.
  • I think I'm getting out of it at least what I'm putting into it. So I don't mind the extra little bit of work it adds to the day, somehow it doesn't feel all that 'workity'.

    Sometimes it's even downright fun.
  • And fun too!
  • Great post. I totally agree about the added chores. Social media is actually very time consuming. But so is socializing/building a network of contacts in real life. The internet just makes it bigger, faster and more... awesome.
    My day kinda looks like yours, although it's not my job, the whole social media thing is not as big in the Netherlands (where I'm from) as in the US. So it's just about doing my own thing and using social media for both personal and semi-professional use.
    Time consuming? Indeed. But for connecting with the world it's a must!
  • Over dinner last night, I was encouraging my husband to start using Tumblr to share what he has learned these past 2 years getting his pilot's license -- what to look for in an instructor, best sites to research/shop for planes, creating good study habits, etc.... I'm actually really envious of him because he has such a tight subject focus and there's a gaping void out there for this kind of encouraging advice (unlike my blog which is influenced by whichever way the wind blows sometimes). But to answer you question about why we spend the time, because if you follow the right people, and build a community of followers it's worth every minute ou spend. I spend the time because people like you (and now hopefully my husband) want to give their time and expertise, you want to genuinely speed others up the learning curve. Which you have my friend and the ROI is immeasurable. Looking forward to you DuctTape presentation tomorrow. Happy Cinco!
  • Great post because it articulates so much of what goes through my mind and also some of the stuff clients say like "who's got time to Twitter?"
    I came to this post because I follow you on Twitter and i clicked on your link. I find that Twitter can be one of the most useful tools to gauge "temperature" of things. Its a great leveller, a bullshit filter and the fastest news source all rolled into one. RSS feeds can be useful because they wait patiently for you to come back to them, particularly when one is busy. I have a "real" job running digital production so I have to cram in my social media/Twitter/blogging/RSS reading into every evening. But to really keep onto it its a necessity and not a choice. If there is something that falls off its Facebook because its people I already know and are friends with. Substitute that with LinkedIn for the professional networking aspect and its a snapshot of any digital professional's life. Would I swap it? Never. I am the most informed person in my workplace as a consequence. And I hear about stuff long before the rest of the general public which is always fun :)
  • Tally
    lots of chores - but it beats doing the dishes or laundary
    seriously - its is the only way to keep up with the world (which just seems to be going faster)
    and it is a great way to meet people/customers/partners around the world
  • Do you get up at 5am to do all that?

    Seriously, sometimes I forget to eat in this game, I wish I could set a nice regular structure to the whole process but every time I'm just about getting there something comes up...but that's half the fun isn't it, otherwise it would be pretty dull.
  • Social media involvement certainly is hugely time consuming but it's also extremely rewarding.
    Best way to keep you updated, to have your mind boiling with ideas and sharing with users/friends/colleagues... Your learn but you contribute as well: the perfect combination for enriching our collective 2.0 minds.

    Thank you, Chris, for all the time you invest in blogging and all 2.0 stuff
  • I keep doing it because I'm learning. I wake up every morning to Seth and Chris (your blogs are my new morning show), then write a brief blog. It is a morning meditation, and a place where I trust I can find inspiration.
  • I do likewise, although I tend to stream this activity throughout my day, probably spending too much time on Twitter.

    Why do I do this? It gives me a great sense of what is happening in people's brains that I like, know and trust. When I say "know" if I don't "know" them, my belief set is that one day we'll meet because this keeps happening at industry events and conferences.
  • I started to read this post, and had a hard time getting past the number 700. 700 blogs! Really! Not that it surprises me, but, drat! I’ve got to add about 650 to my list to catch up with you, Chris! : )

    Since I dove into Social Media, I found that I don’t have a free minute to my days, ever. But I’ve never once considered these added to-do’s “chores”, they are things I simply can’t wait to do. Why? What value? Because a) I’ve always thought myself to be a helpful person. But the truth is, before social media, I often didn’t really know *how* to help people. Now I seem to be able to help countless people with a clarity that is simply amazing b) Similarly, there was always the worry that no one would find what I had to say interesting. With social media, there’s always *someone* who finds what I have to say interesting. The rest ignore me. The fact that so many people can ignore me without a single negative consequence has turned worry into bliss. c) The simple act of sharing information and ideas on a continual basis – it is this act of *sharing* that makes it not seem like work, but something transcendent.

    Thanks for sharing what you do so well, Chris.
  • philvanp
    The great thing about getting involved in social media is that it's easy. It's just a lot of hard work. It's a lot like tracking stocks. All the data's readily available it just takes hard work to keep track of it all. Little and often is definitely the way.

    Thanks Chris, Phil
  • Good post, Chris. I liked what Phillip Ocampo (I think it was) said last week at the Inbound Marketing Summit: these things aren't time-sucks if you're deriving value from them.

    Think through *anything* in life that costs you something but returns value to you: it takes time and effort to be a good parent . . . or be an entrepreneur . . . or stay in good shape . . . or become a serious musician . . . or be active in your community . . . et cetera.

    Costs abound -- but so does value. The trick (and it ain't a trick -- it takes forethought, planning, and continuous self-adjustment) is to make sure that you're getting enough value in return for the costs. That logic applies whether we're talking about reading RSS feeds or reading Dickens novels, talking with people online or talking to our business partners face to face.
  • Thanks for this Chris, I was wondering how you managed the client facing stuff! I'm finding that when I am really active in delivery with clients, the social media activity is challenging. But then I also struggle to catch up with friends for coffee/dinner at these times as well. I think what makes the SM stuff less chore-like are the reasons noted by @bccavanaugh and Tipereth. An hour online with some smart filtering creates a much better pay off than an hour of vaccuming, dusting, ironing...so when it gets really busy I "dip", when there's more time I submerge, soak and wallow : )
  • Anne Marie
    It's a whole new layer to the traditional work-life balance. If information is power, then the powerful must be connected and engaged in the dialogue. While it takes time to be plugged in, I feel naked without my daily dose of Facebook and Google reader. It's tough -- where do you draw the line?
  • Ah the joys of learning...I see these as daily tasks. I also look for interesting tidbits to share with my team; that leads to discussions. From there we often find an opportunity for either ourselves as an agency or for our clients.

    So rather than chores, I view them as Opportunity Points and Knowledge Gain...thanks for sharing Chris!
  • Justin
    Peer-to-peer learning and access to smart people do it for me. I'm often surprised at the generosity.
  • If somethings important to you then you'll make the time.

    If social media is viewed as a chore, then that person probably isn't getting the best out of what it has to offer and should carefully re-evaluate their social media strategy. Even if (as a company) that means detailing the 'chore' to someone else.

    It's hard to get over to new clients sometimes the benefit versus time issue - perhaps it's something they have to dip their toes into and find out for themselves?

    But it should never be a chore.
  • Samantha McGarry
    Chris - I find the time commitment is the main obstacle people have about getting on board with SM. As I was discovering Twitter, I was told that I need to post at least 14 times a day to build content, interest, credibility. I found that stat shocking at first. But not only is it true but I find the more you post, engage, share, the more you want/need too. It's a seductive medium.
  • I encouraged a friend to open a Twitter account the other day and the first words from his mouth were "I don't know if I have time". I had the same thoughts some months ago and it takes a bit of faith to start down the social media path. I think the key is having a goal in mind for it all. If you want to build brand, generate leads, create revenue, then you have something to measure your efforts against. After a while, you either have the results or you don't. For me, I'm glad there are results, because it does take some time!
  • I think you have voiced a lot of what so many of us feel. A lot of time is spent on social media and yes it's fun - but where is the value. Clearly some have found the value because they know how to do it. Others like me are still trying to figure it all out, squeezing it in between all the other things that needs doing. I know the value is there - besides the fun of it. Just like many trying to figure out how to connect with the right people for the right reasons.
    Thanks for all your posts I always get something out of them and so make a point to read them.
    Ellen
  • toniraebrotons
    My association executives charged me and a few co-workers with the task of figuring out how we can be seen as "thought leaders" for our industry. If that's going to happen, we need to be where the thought leaders gather, and they seem to be gathering in social media. But in my world, the buy-in is low--social media is seen as a trend or, worse, something that must be controlled, and not the powerful communication platform and community building tool that I believe it is. I am challenged and put on the defense every day about my beliefs--that's the only chore I experience.
  • 700 ?! Seriously !? You gotta be kidding me! I hardly read my Feeds these days, thanks to Twitter.

    If we see SocMed as an invstment than the time we spend on these is worth every second.
    The key is not to bog down on just 'reading', but also do something on it. Be more active.

    Thanks for the post, now I know what a 'Professional' does in their days.
  • I like this post because it sounds like exactly what I would like to be doing (most of it). The reason I even say that is because I have recently started a blog and strangely enough I love writing. In all honestly, I had always considered myself a good writer, however, I never thought that I would actually enjoy writing on a regular basis. It is to the point that I am actively pursuing making my blog successful enough to make a living off of it. Wish me luck!!!

    By the way, I am subscriber and truly enjoy the content on your blog.
  • Sharon Hearty
    It seems like many people agree with you Chris and I am one too as I get to grips with the world of social media. For me 'why' is it valuable and in Ireland we would not be as far advanced as you in the States in using this for business, but I am learning shed loads of things and the fact that people actually reach out and help you is very generous of people. I am using Twitter to try to listen and I picked this up from Tom Martin's advice recently and it is working - every day is about learning and if Social Media allows me to learn about something like your recent Thesis post or learn from what people discuss on Twitter and how communities work then it will add to my professional and personal development and that can only be good. I do think you have to be a bit disciplined in using it like we have to be in everything we do. Thanks again for your enlightening posts.
  • We find value in what we love to do. For me tending to these "chores" each day is my way of contributing and connecting. Social media's tools gives us all more reach and more opportunities for real genuine connection in ways our regular lives never seem to. It makes tending to those necessary tasks more enjoyable and fun. At least that's my take on it.
  • Social Media is a great tool for businesses and yes just like anything else, it takes time. For myself I spend many hours in a week doing SM for myself, and it has helped me find and connect with clients and make business connections. I enjoy social media, so I have made it my job and I am glad I did.
  • Social Media "chores" are important because through SM we learn from others, stretch our minds, grow, learn new things, get a free education, get entertained, learn from others we never would have met, learn ways to improve our work, keep our hand on the purlse, network, and so many other things. I'd say -- besides learning priceless new things we'd never would have gotten to learn, and being provided the best mental stimulation in the world, and having new creative ideas stimulated -- the best part of social media is to grow new relationships. No, not just to network, but to be able to develop friends for the sake of having friends, to learn what it means to be part of the human race, and to help others succeed also!

    Chris, you have taught me a lot of what it means to be a friend -- to help others -- to put others first, to say "what can I do for YOU." Not to say "What can I get out of this for me?" all the time. Giving, inadvertently has caused me to get back 100 fold, although this is not the purpose of me helping others. It does bring a lot of satisfaction in life to help others and is the right thing to do, for them and for myself.

    e cost of Social Media? A little hefty. The benefits? Priceless! So is it a chore? Most of the time, nah! Oh, and thanks, once again, for helping me to see. And for showing me one additional thing. That I should perhaps be doing my daily activities, including my Social Media activities in a more scheduled way each day. I'll be more productive and feel less overwhelmed. I'll take and learn from your example!

    Time spent doing Social Media? A little costly. The benefits? Priceless!

    krissy knox :)
    follow me on twitter
    http://twitter.com/iamkrissy
  • DT
    I agree, but it makes sense for someone who is doing this full time. For those like myself who also have a day job, these "chores" do add up and I have to prioritize. As such important things like reading other blogs and leaving comments get left behind email which is noise most of the time.

    However understanding the value of these chores do help in prioritizing.
  • Social networking brings value over time, and it's also fun. That's why we do it. It's certainly also distracting and time consuming, and you have to be very aware of how much it can distract you from "real" work.

    I think of it as I would real life or in person networking. It isn't and can't be the central core of my business. It's about an investment in time and in people that may pay off in the future. That's the main business argument for it - and it's a good business argument. You might not see immediate results but they'll come over time. On the other hand, meeting and interacting with people is fun as well.

    I try and make sure I have a planned approach, but also that I don't look at the whole process in too mercenary a way. Sure it'll help me get clients and make money in the future, but I'll also see interesting topics that may not directly relate to my work, and I'll still make the time to enjoy myself with my social networking as well as trying to maximise the business benefits.
  • Chris,
    If all of this social media stuff was just boring and had no long-term value, not many people would be getting up early (or staying up all night) to work on it. We invest our time in what we care about. I think most of these tools ultimately lead back to relationships. That's why I'm spending time doing my chores-- people.
  • My routine is similar to yours, except I brew tea and feed three cats in between the social media activities. I don't begrudge the time it takes to make my virtual rounds in the morning, which I streamlined somewhat by deciding, early on, to post to my blog only once or twice a week.

    Yes, it all takes time but so would picking up the phone, hanging around the coffee maker at the office, reading the newspaper at my desk, and wandering in and out of people's offices to check in and catch up -- in an office setting.

    I find social media well worth the time and energy investment it takes to be present and accountable.
  • I'm a relative newcomer to the world of social media, and must admit I still find it somewhat overwhelming at times. Although I can claim my time spent on SM as 'research' for a module on Digital Literacies I'll be teaching this Summer, it's very, very easy to get distracted / go off on a tangent. Some self-discipline is definitely required.

    Much as I love all the things I'm learning, all the new avenues opening up and the interesting new people I meet this way, I do have some very real targets and deadlines to meet. Me reading blogs (or commenting on blogs, for that matter ;-) is not going to get this module organised! And on that note...
  • While social media seems like a full-time job, it can also be an incredible productivity tool. When you need to communicate with many people at a time or want to express something to a community of like-minded professionals, tools like Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn can be incredibly efficient. Social media allows you to build visibility for your personal brand, and it also enables you to stay connected in an efficient way with those in your brand community.

    Thanks, Chris.

    Best.
    William
    www.reachcc.com
  • Chores? Perhaps. But it should still be a labor of love. When it turns into something you HAVE to do then you've lost the passion. That will permeate your efforts.

    The solution is to find ways to keep things fresh and new. New contacts in the industry, or exploring an offshoot of the main business can be great motivators.

    George
  • If I look at Social Media as a chore, then I must say, it's one of those fun chores that I get to do, but not "have to" and get rewarded for. More opportunities have opened up for me to live my passion since I've joined the Social Media communities. Connecting, learning, growing, and sharing is a great chore to add to my daily life. Without doing the daily Social Media Chore, I wouldn't have found great blogs like yours, great people who I follow and learn from, divine connections that resulted in Real Life meetings and friendship and so much more!
  • partywedo
    Managing the time is a challenge. Then sorting down the content that is useful to your niche requires effort. This has stretched me as I maintain a regular job and launch a new venture.

    I find the hardest thing is to focus on a the right content. I find so many interesting things showing up in my reader, that I can be easily distracted.

    Regardless of the effort or the distractions, I have found the information from a few key thought leaders so instructive that I dare not to ignore it.

    As to using the correct tools to communicate my message outward; I am still sorting all of that out. But I appreciate the vast number of tools from which to choose and all of the great advice available to me.
  • I work with small businesses. Time is the number one reason I hear from people who resist getting in to social media. It is a great opportunity to connect to customers and build relationships. I don't get that some business owners would rather sit in their empty stores waiting for someone to show up! How is that for a good use of time? It is frustrating to watch small businesses go under while they keep running their newspaper ads in a newspaper that is losing circulation at an rapid rate. I walk in their empty stores and they tell me they just don't have time for social media, or even a website for that matter. Sorry to rant.
  • I've been thinking a lot about this lately. While my personal brand is not super sophistacted, I've been working on it since social media became a part of my life a few years back. Obviously, as many people have mentioned, value is in the eye of the social media user. I think the value add is multi-faceted depending on the person, but I think that something universally valubale is the extent at to which each individual has to think about their identity and personality. In this world it's easy to get going, run the hamster wheel and forget about some of the value we provide our world. In our profiles, bios, posts, diggs, etc. we are able to develop our personalities futher. We think outside of our jobs or daily responsibilities and are allowed by technology to express ourselves. I feel like that got wordy and a littly sociological, but the jist is, value of time spent = individual time to express ourselves.
  • After reading this post and all the responses, I am left with a question: Do extroverts post more, engage more in social media than introverts do?
  • I find that I am using some social media platforms more efficiently. I've enjoyed connecting with folks on Twitter that I can "meet" in advance of seeing them at a conference. I find it interesting how some individual's contact preferences have moved onto the SM platform of choice. I get DMs from Twitter and emails via FB from many who have simply cut back on using traditional email.
  • jimbursch
    I find it very helpful to hear how others allocate their time with "media" chores, etc. I'm having a difficult time sorting out signal from noise, and it's useful to hear how others are coping with it.

    Thanks!

    I delved into Twitter for the first time last week, and I'm finding that it introduces a lot of noise that I'm not too excited about figuring out how to filter. I've hooked up my WordPress blog to Twitter, and I have a feeling I'm going to leave it at that, and rely on my feed reader to stay in touch.

    My experience of social media is like trying to get a drink from a fire hose. Imagine putting your mouth on the nozzle and turning on the water. Not a pretty picture.
  • Chris, great insight as usual. I agree that utilizing social media adds time to one's day. In fact it adds time to entire departments and companies' days. It should. These tools are literally amazing to say the least in that now, there is a way for individuals, organizations and companies to stay in touch, interact and deliver value. The value proposition is equal on both sides in that one party gives and the other receives but are proportionately equal in reciprocation most of the time. (ie company provides great content, consumer pays attention or subscribes to the company's....'whatever'). That is the value! We stay connected and better connected with these tools everyday. As we get better at using these tools, we find newer and better ways to stay connected and provide value
  • Hi Chris,
    Well my thoughts are yes it does take a lot of time but I'm a youth pastor learning this on my own and most of the time I spend is reading and working with SNS, Websites and soon to be Blog; but most of that time is spent in the learning curve. I feel like once I know what I'm doing then it will take less time. Maybe that is the naivety of my inexperience talking?
    Anyway, I'm meeting and networking with folks I'd never have the time to build a relationship with because I work full time in the insurance industry in Texas and work the rest of the time on my new marriage and being a youth/outreach/involvedment/worship leader at our temporarily small church.
  • I stay away from most of the FB applications to save time. I find it interesting that most people who find my work around the web look for me first on FB. I have also found that by feeding my blog post titles into Twitter and then my FB status has brought me new members for my site - I would say close to 1/3 of my site members came through FB status updates.

    I also enjoy the "personal" connection with others on FB - it allows me to interact with my users in a way I couldn't on my site - i.e. commenting on what they are doing, latest photo, etc. I think because FB and Twitter are outside my site, it is a nice surprise for my readers when I interact with them.
  • It's all about chunking your time efficiently and finding and using the right tools to do it.

    There are times when you need to log off all external distractions and concentrate and others when the inspiration train from Twitter or blog feeds just comes rolling on through and you jump on for the ride.

    Find what works. I find first thing and last thing works for me on a 'work' day, but on a play day I can be flicking around between my readers all day because there is so much great content i don't want to miss.

    But the thing to remember is time management, don't become a slave to the content because not all of it is a must read, so if you miss a few great links...the world won't explode now will it...
  • I don't find it to be a chore at all. I enjoy it, although the number of people I follow is overwhelming and I skip a lot. The bloggers and twitterers I follow fall into two camps -- personal ones that I follow for pure enjoyment and those who work in online marketing and/or social media. Although I follow the latter so that I can bring more knowledge to the table at work, I do really enjoy reading what they have to say. I guess that means I'm working in the right industry!
  • Chris:

    Feels a lot like my mornings :) Thanks for sharing and giving an insight on how a pro does it...

    later
  • You now this conversation makes me wonder if we will see a greater integration of social media apps. With things like iphone apps, blackberry apps, and Adobe Air developing steam, I wonder if we will see programs designed to follow all of your social media outlets at one spot. Like an SM Personal Assistant, where you can go and update your twitter, facebook, linkedin, etc in one application.

    An app that could monitor everything would be a great time saver.
  • For me, the people make it worth my time. I value the connections, the learning, the offline world that this online beast opens up for us, the ways it allows me to help clients that I didn't have in my arsenal before, the extra eyes and ears it gives me for things and people I care about - I could ramble for days on why every added minute is worth it. Having the right toolbox to manage this new frontier helps though (I talk about my online toolbox a lot. I've even posted about it on Uptown Uncorked last Fall. Essential.)
  • Haha, I thought I had a big workload with 300... Eeks. Looks like I have to step up my game to be in competition with you Chris. Although to be fair, I am getting better at the whole never sleeping thing that you and Justin appear to practice. (Hoping to be fully versed in that art form soon)
  • Jim Genet
    Great info. Still overwhelmed, but can see light at the end of the tunnel if I can settle into a system for updating, contacting, following, deleting, posting, .... oh and still get my other 50 hours worth of work that has nothing to do with social media complete.
  • Hi Chris...wow...700 hundred blogs to review each day. That is a quite a benchmark! It's really interesting to read through your day and what's on your social media "to do" list. How many hours a night do you sleep? 4 or 5? I'm around that myself but haven't quite reached your benchmark :) I think that the added hours are inevitable as we each build our social networks. But, I like to think of the daily activities as less of a chore and focus on the potential and benefits of the relationships in each community. I notice the more I give to any one community, the more I get out of it in terms of real friendships and connections that go from virtual to physical. It's amazing how we adapt and learn to manage our time no matter how much we cram into a day (working harder, but smarter). Really good post. Thanks!
  • Great blog as usual Chris. I chalk it up to the cost of doing business...whether I am building our brand with a media campaign, direct mail campaign, ad campaign or now, social media, it's all time which is, of course, $$$. That said, I'm learning how to arrange my day to incorporate all the tools quickly and efficiently...like everyone else I'm sure!
  • It's interesting to see what you are up to - but the choice of the word "chore" of course has implications, doesn't it? I'm sure there is value in all that - connecting with people and information is what it's all about - but there is still the problem of diminishing returns and the fact that 80% of the value probable comes from 20% (or less) of the information and people. IS that what you find? If so you're pouring through 400 emails of little value, no?

    I would be interested to see a follow-up to this - the top 5 or 10 ways that you tame the beast of a routine you have. Obviously you don't read all 700 blogs...how do you filter? How do you look for what people are saying about you? How do you handle 500 emails - and how many of those are "XXX has added you as a friend..." notices? If you took one minute per email - that's a whole day gone - 15 sec per email is still a couple of hours!

    There must be some good tips in here.
  • I am really glad you did this post, it is the one thing that I wonder most about you! I asked several other people at SOBCon trying to get an idea of a "typical" day. Would have asked you but I was too shy. I had resigned myself to the thought that those who don't take risks don't get rewarded, but...then again, with patience sometimes they do! This was very insightful, and I really enjoyed a "peek inside". [P.S. I was that gal from SF with the Poken]. Thanks for being the quality person that you are, it comes in your writing and in person.
  • Chris,

    I spend all day 14 hours or more, on Social Media authority building and being a helpful fellow.

    Since my PPC-CPA-CPM based Affiliate Marketing business has generated a whopping $28.00 in profit since it's launch in 2008, I am trying a different approach.

    Being helpful and commenting on FriendFeed, Twitter, Facebook, SocialSpark, Techcrunch, Mashable and a trillion other Social Media sites.

    I have built up my Twitter followers to 1800+ the old-fashioned way. By interacting with follower's profiles and then following those I find intriguing or appealing. I do not auto-follow, and use www.followunfollow.com periodically to unfollow those not following me.

    I had to re-follow you which is ok, I'm a small fish in a very large ocean, and my turn to be followed by the guru's will have to be patiently satisfied.

    I enjoy reading about the success of others, and once I determine my 'brand? I will make a bigger spalsh in thsi web-pond.

    For now I am seeking full-time employment to pay my bills, a challenging task during these non-capital expenditure olympics.

    Respectfully,

    Nicholas Chase
  • ron_miller
    Much like you, I build social media into my day. It's part of what I do, therefore I don't necessarily look at my social networking activities as extra work. In fact, I find over time that I often get article and blog ideas while working my social network sites. What's more I have formed business relationships through these tools. I promote my work and stay connected to folks I'm interested in and care about. These tools actually help me do my job better.
  • There is plenty of value. That is why our websitehttp://www.hfbadvertising.com is 500,000 Alexa rank and getting better. I tell my clients all the time but all they want is instant success. No success is instant. Want instant make rice.
  • While I spend all day in social media, in a similar fashion as you do, I don't expect others to get as deep as I am. It's my passion, my love and I enjoy it everyday. This is the culling point -- passion.

    Just as there are folks like us who love to connect and facilitate connections between people; there are others who are passionate about stocks, puppies or knitting. It's all about doing what you love to do, even if it's for just you.

    Connecting with your audience could mean at Starbucks, online chat rooms, message boards, Facebook or LInkedIn. It depends on where your audience is and where they are going.

    I love the transparency on your 'chores' in social media.

    ~Joseph
  • I don't think it adds chores. I find it more interesting to connect through a social network then it is to connect through email. I need to write more in my blog but I am gaining content more everyday and I using my knowledge to help grow a growing community. I guess I find this fun instead of a chore. I am excited to be working for fwix.com and I hope to pass the word on to everyone. I am happy to being what I love and I might wind up in San Fransisco in the end.
  • Sure, it's a lot of time. But the exchange is that you are spending no time and no dollars on marketing your business. Your social media efforts ARE your marketing. Plus, it's a lot of fun. That makes the value equation look a lot better, at least to me.

    I think characterizing it as a chore is misplaced (and probably purposely so, since you're the king of the challenging headline). As they say, if you love what you do, you'll never work another day in your life.

    There's no question that even with tools like Seesmic Desktop and more and more coming online all the time, drinking from the social media firehose isn't for everyone. I believe the data is skewed by non-browser usage, but I don't totally discount the recent study concluding that a lot of people bail on Tweeter after 30 days.

    Just like cross-country running, Thai food, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, social media immersion is not universally attractive. It's a lot of time, sure. But I think the real challenge is the number of touch-points. As you reference in the OP, you check at least 7 distinct "inboxes" or streams every morning. That's intimidating.

    My fear is not that the labor is too much of a burden, but that it spreads people out to a degree where it's not fun any more. And when Facebook (and Twitter) stop being fun, people will stop hanging out there. And when that happens, the need for companies to reach people via those mechanisms will be diminished, and we'll be on to the next phase.

    That's why I'm such a supporter of your philosophy of picking your spots. Very few of us are Brogan-esque in our ability to juggle so many balls, and I'm not sure if this post encourages that behavior (setting up inevitable disappointment), or warns against it in a subtle way.

    As always, still mulling.

    Nice post. It's always the seemingly straightforward ones that get the ideas flowing. To me, that's your true genius.

    j
  • I had a client asking me about how effective social media would be for his business. I advised him that social media is a different beast for each individual (including companies).

    I think the key is to determine who the target market/audience is first, and then develop a social media strategy around the result of that analysis - whether the target audience is B2B, customers or both. For example, a B2B company could be wasting valuable time on MySpace when instead they should be focusing in on LinkedIn instead, etc.

    There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution as far as social media networking for business goes, in my own opinion of course.
  • We adapted to cell phones, we adapted to email, we adapted to text messaging, all after the same complaints. Resistance to social media is borne of resistance to the 24 hour workday. This is a global economy and on some level, you must be "on" all the time. Social Media is a not a "hour a day" commitment, as I get asked, but of course a round the clock baby needing nursing, just like cell phones and email and text messaging.

    If you're not seeing value in it, you're not doing it right, in my opinion. I can't think of many businesses that couldn't get value from social media, and I usually say, "Social Media is the ONE marketing effort where the ROI is directly proportional to the investment you make. Invest more=get more."

    Unfortunately, like all marketing efforts, it requires a creative mind to figure out HOW to leverage the platforms effectively. Many people stab ahead into social media without a plan. Value may happen organically, but you'll do better with a plan.
  • Why? A great example is you, for me.

    SM, and all the tools I use/ things I read/see, allows me to have a real, live, *genuine* sense of who a person is--in work, in play, in life in general. And so all that I've seen of you gave me a sense of who you are, and HOW you are in the world that I never could have gotten simply from a web 1.0 site that told me about you.

    Having access to reading your posts, your tweets--all the ways you show up in the SM landscape for me--gave me an idea of who I was going to meet this past weekend at SOBCon. And you were exactly who I thought you'd be.

    And THAT's why I keep reading and writing. That's why this SM "stuff" is worth doing for me. It's like having access to the ultimate backstory--which is where I usually find the magic is, anyway.
  • dbifulco
    My mornings look a lot like yours - with the addition that I always make time to read your blog because you always have interesting things to say.

    Like today, for example...yes, I agree that social media takes an investment of time. And, on some days, I mutter under my breath about how much time it takes. But, every day, I make new connections and learn new things. Every day I see a tweet or an update that tests my theories or stretches my thinking in some way. And, that's pretty darned valuable!
    Debbi
  • Social media in general is just a framework that allows us to better communicate. How we use these tools, how efficient we are, how we measure benefit are all the same things we should already do, now we're just using this new framework. This enhanced 2 way communications framework.

    I see the value of the truly good Social Media consultants when they can help integrate the new framework in to the old. Sure they have to justify their existence through data (usually sales), however once the benefits are realized beyond the hype it's clearly worth it. The good consultants make the integration of this framework realistic and less painful, because it will be painful to some degree, as all change is...

    The customers are finally getting their voice and hopefully the companies are listening. Resulting in passionate followers and superior products / services!
  • dhutson
    Thanks for sharing this, Chris. I've only been blogging for about three months and tweeting even less, so it's enlightening to get a sense of your routine. My "day job" is not in social media, it's more traditional communications and PR, so it's a bit more difficult to justify the time and integrate stuff like what I'm doing right now into my work day. But I firmly believe that, even though my organization isn't quite ready for social media, I've got to be if I'm going to help it make that transition.

    So here's my unsolicited request: I'd love to hear (or get referrals to) more case studies involving organizations making the transition from social media-stupid to social media-savvy. It's incredibly helpful to watch over someone's shoulder as they successfully deal with the issues that we're all dealing with (or will deal with soon).
  • Yes, it takes time each day to use these tools, and even more time to try and learn the new ones that a popping up all the time, but If you do not make some time to learn them, you cannot know if they will benefit you or not. Can you imagine trying to run a business today without a computer? What would have happened if you would have made the decision not to learn about and incorporate computers into your business?
  • While new to social media (receiving/learning end for now) I would say thta the time spent is nothing less than anything else worthwile. I meet some very interesting people, some not so interesting but then there is the knowledge factor.

    Beyond my wildest expectations. Unlike meeting people in person (which is still good) while traveling, shopping, working or whatever, SM has a built in invitation to stay connected.

    Just need to balance the books a little and start spending a little more time on the giving end of the ledger.

    But, now, there is even help here for that too.

    Peace.
  • michelep
    I agree social media adds chores, consumes time. If we successfully learn to apply those tools to our advantage to create a web presence that delivers value to our community, then our commitment and dedication become rewarding.
  • It adds a lot of time to my day but I don't regret a minute of it. I get to learn something new every day. I get to meet people I never would have before and everyone adds something of value.
    I found out I like Blogging. I am terrible at it but I like it.

    Hope the Summit was good for SOBCon09. I work there and I heard you killed it on your session.

    You were the one person I really wanted to meet and of course not only did I not get to meet you but I cut you off on the elevator coming into the building.

    I know, I suck. I got a call on my phone telling me to get upstairs as fast as I could. I saw you talking to someone in the lobby and I blew right past you thinking there will be plenty of time later.

    I got to the elevator and hit the door close button only to see you come just into view...... It was a tough start to the day.
    Then of course there was no time later and I was the guy that was so rude he could not wait 3 seconds to hold the frikkin elevator door.

    Sigh. Next time you are in Chicago let me know. I am buying your pick. I will get Liz to come too I owe her a couple as well.

    Gd night.
  • As I am a non-profit blogger (did i just invent a new term?) the value for me is not in terms of the improvement of SEO stats or reaching out to my client base. For me it's about establishing meaningful relationships within the online community that give me so much in return for my effort that it no longer seems like a chore, but rather a positive habit :)
  • It's a massive burden, ain't it? Well it would be if you don't get the right filters on your feed readers and get into a procedure that means you don't have to sift through loads of crap. This takes time to put into place, and I find it is particular to our idiosyncrasies - the way we like to personally work. I am not sure there is a one-size-fits-all approach, but it sounds like you've hit on a pattern that is optimized for your style.
    Thanks for the inspiration Chris!
  • Great post! (I think everybody is just about to find the answers precisely to these questions.. ;)

    Yep, it sucks. There's lots of hype about social media, and it's impossible clearly to figured out the step-by-step implications. Taking into account the recent nature of fragmented, decentralized world, one thing is sure: You can't ignore it - you have to participate, otherwise will find yourself miles behind.

    The real art is to aggregate, analyze and divide. To identify a value among the noise. Implement effective strategies, thus fish where the fish are. Find the niche where is the community you want to reach. Ignore the rest. Because, it sucks. Or - it might..
  • The main challenge is to get organized: social media interaction is so instant and everywhere that I tend to suddenly drop everything to react to a comment, a post, a tweet, and so on.

    You need to react quickly to remain relevant but at the same time cannot let it take over your entire day... slowly, slowly, I am perfecting the art and will get there soon ;)
  • I just had this conversation the other day. I have this little task list that follows the morning routine with my children. Some days I think "Is this social media stuff turning into a chore"...then I realize that it's the connections I make that inspire me every day.

    Emails are my least favorite (but I would rather read them than check voice mail). I have, however, pared it down to email, Twitter and FB. I cut out just about every social site that I rarely have time to go to because they are just too time consuming. I do spend time reading blogs and try to find a new one several times a week. I need to get better at Stumbling, Digging, etc but I do like to RT on Twitter....seems to spread the word about other people's hard work quickly.

    I'm just the "little guy" (or girl?) but I do value my social media connections, so the tasks aren't so much of a chore...it's just part of my day.
  • This was great to read Chris.

    The time investment required for social media is something that not very many people consider worthy because oftentimes they can't see any tangible results (think newspaper ink when it comes to PR) and don't understand the power of something that is viral / airborne (think swine flu? Hah.)

    I like to think that I get a little better at doing these chores everyday - at first it was a matter of taking things in, then it was about eavesdropping on conversations, then about identifying opportunities, then about coming up with ideas, then about engaging in conversation and then about putting my two cents in.

    Come to think about it, these all happens simultaneously. But the chores are definitely the only way to keep up and get to play.
  • Indeed it adds chores, and value...if doing the right chores. Example: today I noticed something changed on one of my LinikedIn connections, I reached out and ended up having an hour conversation which led to a discussion about joint venturing together. What started as a "what's new" discussion turned into a possible "win-win" for both.

    Discipline is key, when you got that cornered Chris, please DM me :-)
  • Man, I found this discussion to be more entertaining than the actual blog post! (No offense, Chris.)

    Creating a footprint on the social Web takes time and effort. But it's a long-term investment. The more legwork you put in early, the greater the dividends. I find lots of value in my network, but I put a ton of work into it.
  • These kind of things do take up a lot of my time, but I always find it's good to get the important stuff done before any of this. I normally leave it until I've got everything else out of the way!
  • Carla Marie Ciampa
    Hey Chris! I couldn't agree with this blog MORE! The internet was supposed to facilitate everything, but now it seems like we've added layers and layers to muck up it's simplicity.

    It becomes a job just keeping yourself on peoples minds; never mind the task of inventing and reinventing yourself for different platforms and methods of connecting. Or how about the hours required to stay on top of the constantly developing technology?

    I've always considered myself fairly smart but I have to admit even with your GREAT advice and guidance I'm STILL feeling lost.
  • Life is full of chores and there are some chores better than others.

    I like the set of chores, although smaller in scale for me than for you, that the social media space is offering me!

    Like I told @ev, Evan Williams, Twitter CEO at a tweetup several weeks ago..."Thanks for re-making this old guy! It is fun helping, selling and marketing via Twitter!"
  • Adding social media "chores" has allowed me to connect with a great number of people that I had either a) lost touch with; or b) never would have found. It's absolutely extra work to make time for my blog and Twitter, but the resources and the rewards are impressive. My job doesn't require use of social media tools, but it's helped me in numerous ways to keep in touch and connected with people in my industry as well.

    I also wanted to mention that your blog (along with others) are what inspired me to create my own blog and to connect to Twitter (@jaremy). The chores that you do each and every day truly help to inspire others and create change, and for that we should all be grateful :-). Thanks for all that you do, Chris.
  • Well, for me it's about making connections. I don't find that I can recall someone I've met on Twitter if that's the only place I've met them. But for example, someone I met through Twitter came to one of my presentations in Seattle (shout out to Maya!) and now that we've made a face-to-face connection I will remember her, what she does and our conversations on Twitter will be more meaningful.

    I was just catching up on the 1000+ posts in my Google Reader and I realized that someone else I'd met on Twitter had blogged about my book in two of his blogs. (I almost missed noticing these b/c I was traveling and I'm a mom and I came home to total chaos...you get the picture). So, for me, the fifteen to twenty minutes I spend on Twitter a day can turn into meaningful connections. I will remember these folks now because we expanded beyond Twitter, where for me things are usually happening so fast, I can't remember what's what and who's who.

    As for Facebook, I catch a lot of news about fellow writers there that I might otherwise miss. A lot of them are not on Twitter and I love having our own little online club on Facebook. I have connected with old college and high school friends but mostly I use Facebook for writing-related stuff and I have made great connections that way.

    In fact, it was via Facebook that I connected with Joe Wikert and then wound up at O'Reilly Tools of Change Conference and got to hear and meet you. See what I mean? These social networking tools are amazing.

    Now. Have people been shockingly rude to me on Twitter? Have they passively aggressively taken down an Amazon review of my book when I didn't respond in a timely, warm and fuzzy manner? Yup. It happens. But for goodness sakes, I'm a human and a mom, and my day job sometimes involves very consuming deadlines, so I do the best I can and try not to take it personally when someone is hostile towards me.

    So, needless to say, it ain't perfect. I'm not even doing a half-way decent job juggling it all. But when a connection happens, and everything works out, it's like poetry. And that, is why I'll likely keep coming back. Even as unanswered messages sit in my inbox.
  • It does seem a lot of work but it still beats being a desk monkey for someone else. 700 blogs is a lot though - how much of those blogs do you actually absorb? I subscribe to less than 20 and even then I still delete more than I read.
  • I think the value is in affirmation and attention. We thrive on people talking about us, agreeing with us, questioning us, interacting with us.

    Attention fuels our need to put out the next post or status update hoping someone will comment on it, RT it, or DIGG it.
  • Great post! Seriously, sometimes I forget to eat in this game, I wish I could set a nice regular structure to the whole process but every time I'm just about getting there something comes up...but that's half the fun isn't it, otherwise it would be pretty dull.
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