According to the Nielsen Co., the time spent on social media sites increased this past year by 43%. Many are now spending more time tweeting than e-mailing. What does this mean for a business owner with a calendar packed with things to do each day?

Time management

With just 24 hours in a day, there’s only so much time that can be used for social media. Some business owners will want to devote more time to this activity than others, depending on what they use social media for.

For those looking to squeeze out more time for this activity, consider these suggestions:

  • Stop wasting time. Just about anyone can become a little more efficient in how they do things. Examine your daily activities to see where improvements can be made so you carve out additional minutes for social media.
  • Use down time for social media. If you’re in a customer’s office waiting for an appointment to start (because you came early or the customer is running late), attend to social media via iPhone, BlackBerry, etc.
  • Use tools. Employ online tools to help you be more efficient in handling your various social media venues. I use Nutshell Mail to display direct messages, follow lists, and see what’s happening on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn (it’s free from Constant Contact).

Delegation

Despite time management success, owners may not have enough time to manage all of the social media tracking, posting, and responding every day. Some activities can be assigned to others.

  • In house. Many companies are now adding staff for social media, including social media managers, corporate communications specialists, e-strategists, and social community managers. There are websites, such as Jobs in Social Media, devoted to social media jobs. Now is a great time to add to staff because of tax breaks, such as the employer’s payroll holiday for the rest of this year for hiring certain new employees.
  • Outsourced. You may not be able to justify the cost of an employee, but you may have work that can be handled by someone outside your company who specializes in such work. Learn more about outsourcing here.

Assess your social media priorities

You can easily get swept up in social media -- because it’s interesting and potentially beneficial to your business. Decide how it makes sense for your company.