Today, I’m heading far away from here to help a client create a manageable workflow for their entire social media program. Like all of us, they’re scratching their heads, trying to figure out where they can fit one more thing into their already demanding schedule. And in the back of their mind, they’re probably scratching their heads, and asking, “Why am I doing this again?”
Because they have to.
Interestingly, while doing research for them, I found this graphic on the time it takes a business to manage their own social media activities.
With all the tasks broken down, it’s easy, but still surprising, to see how much time goes into each phase of the social media workflow. And each and every step is tedious, requiring a great deal of focus. (Is this newsworthy? Am I offending anyone? Does this message align with the corporate objectives? Am I “engaging” my audience?) And no pressure here — it’s just that every move you make will be visible by everyone, and can have permanent repercussions if you get it wrong.
Now, bringing this home, is this how much time you spend on your own personal social media activities? Maybe you do? Or maybe you think you should spend more time? Sometimes I feel this way — the pressure to connect more. For the gift of reaching out to someone to let them know you care.
Ah yes, now I know where the time goes.