Have you ever had this happen to you?
You sit down at your desk, turn on the computer with your to-do list in hand – all set to knock out a few blog posts and then maybe work on an ongoing project or two. You start your post, and then decide to do some quick research to validate a point you want to make.
One minute you’re finding interesting information that you’ve definitely got to integrate into your post but then you notice a few mentions on Twitter you’d like to respond to…
That was exciting! Someone’s talking about you and your blog and you definitely want to take a moment to thank them.
It’s always nice to be able to thank them with more than a simple “thank you” reply, so you decide to check out their Twitter profile and you notice some really interesting tweets there – so you click on them…
Wow! That was an awesome post! Now you’ve just got to leave a comment, oh yeah, and you definitely need to retweet it, and then stumble it…and share it on facebook… (Oh, wow check out the facebook upgrade)… Now… why not Digg it while you’re at it…maybe even bookmark it on Delicious!
While you’re stumbling the post, you notice you’ve got some new subscribers – better check them out right? Oh, they’ve got some intriguing links. You read one after another… retweet… stumble…Like…Digg…Delicious… oh yeah… vote on BlogEngage!
Once you’re on BlogEngage, you hit the motherload and you totally overindulge in post after post after post.
Retweet…Stumble…Like…Digg…Vote…
Next thing you know, it’s 1:30 in the morning and your bladder is threatening to cause your body serious damage if you don’t empty it soon. You’ve been at it for hours and you’re so sleepy you can barely keep your eyes open.
Too tired to work on that post now…so you save your three sentences and go to bed. It probably won’t hurt your blog if you miss another post…
You resolve to start fresh in the morning.
Early the next morning, you turn on the computer with to-do list in hand, all set. You open up that blog post and gaze at it with fresh eyes. Yes, all you needed was a break yesterday.
Now the ideas are flowing. You add another paragraph quick and easy, no problem!
Then you get an email notification…Oh, it nothing much, just a blog update from your favorite blog. Oh, it looks like a juicy post today – better check it out…
It’s amazing how the very thing that can help your blog the most can also be the very thing that harms it the most. Over-dosing on social media can keep you from completing the most important task, which is producing quality content. Without a regular posting, your blog can not grow. A sporadic posting schedule with the majority of your time spent on social networking sites can do more harm than good if you’re not careful.
I know… it sounds crazy… like overdosing on vitamins, but just like too much iron can poison your body – too much social media can shrivel your blog – so balance is key.
Sometimes, I have to completely shut everything down except my plain text editor so that I can get things written. Logging into social networks can be like stepping into a time warp sometimes, so be careful – or before you know it, you’ll wake up in 2029 and will have accomplished absolutely nothing.
What do you do to ensure you’re not overdosing on social media? Have you ever thought about attending social media conferences? It’s a great way to learn more about using social media effectively.
About Kiesha Easley
If we pay too much attention to it, sure it can. But social media is definitely not a bad thing for a blog, we still have all the control and it is up to us if we will waste time on it or not. Although I agree with you about it being very time-consuming, butt here are some programs there like hootsuite to control all our social media activities and make it easier for us. It’s a huge time-saver.
Gary Ashton recently posted..LeAnne Constantine of REMAX Elite continues to sell Nashville real estate in December 2011
Yeah, it’s true, i too loose a lot of time with social services. But if used properly, once twice a day, they can actually help you grow a community along your site.
Social media is very time consuming, it keeps people busy, but if not careful, we might never get anything done. Being aware is the first step to prevent danger.
Really good post.
Personally when i sit down to blog, or work on my site at all. I just turn everything off. No IM, no facebook, no email, no twitter, no nothing.
That way i get a lot done. I then spend time after i have gotten everything important done doing the little things that can take up a lot of time.
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Very interesting… I’m interested in where social media goes in 2011… I’m curious is to your take on Google’s new stab at social media? (+1)
Hi Kiesha,
You know, there are those that can multi-task well and then there are those that really need structure and like you, need to shut down everything in order to work efficiently. There’s nothing wrong with either approach! :)
I know it’s easy to get distracted in this news-by-the-second world we live in. I know I definitely have a bad case of ADD. ;) Though with practice, I’ve learned to develop a system that lets me get distracted while also overdosing on social media.
Just a matter of finding out what works best for you. :)
Cheers for the article!
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your article is good and very true, I agree with you and this article was helpful for me..thanks!!
Hi Kiesha,
So so true! The dangers of social media! I spent very little time on the social sites for the same reasons you pointed out.
Thanks for the reminder.
All the best,
Mavis
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Hey Kiesha,
You are right on point! How many points have I fallen into the scenario you painted in the opening lines? I have lost count.
It was until I disciplined myself to just close my social network sites everytime I want to do some other more important things online did I start seeing a lot of progress being made.
So many people have revealed the same thing afetr chatting and I tell them the same things you say above.
Very valid post here, Kiesha!
Take Care!
Tosin
…fear is the passion of slaves!
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Social Media can undermine productivity in so many ways, no different than people at work wasting corporate time on Facebook and such. It is a distraction especially to bloggers who leverage it as an effective communication and interaction tool as well.
I am myself guilty of losing too many hours being distracted by one article or tweet from a blogger after another, the only good thing is I usually leave a comment and least get a backlink on the articles I read!
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Hi Justin,
I’m still guilty of this at least a couple days a week, but for the most part, I give myself a time limit. I feel bad sometimes that I don’t get to socialize and network as much as I want, but there just aren’t enough hours in a day. Got entirely too much writing to do for that :D
Yes, it pays to make sure you do not get caught up in it or you get nothing done. I tend to this type of work in the morning (unless the weather is going to be bad and then I am off mountain biking)and then I can get outside for some fresh air. but I do love the fact i can chose my work hours.
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Ha ha ha…omg, this is the craziest blog post ever!!!
I am suspecting you have a hidden cam somewhere in my flat cause you described exactly what I do all day long.
It’s 1 AM now and I am still going from Facebook to Twitter to Digg etc etc….
Well, at least I am gonna digg and tweet and…and… THIS POST :)
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I have to agree that while social media sites can be very valuable and good for a blog, they can sometimes cause some headaches. Getting distracted when writing an articles is often a problem for me as well. That is why when I start writing, I am closing all sites, emails, feeds and so on.
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It’s not the social media, it’s how you use them.
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:) you are right social media can be addictive. I have limited myself to max. 5 h per day for twitter, facebook, digg…etc.It’s good to stay updated but it’s wrong to spend your life in front of the pc/laptop.
Happened, when I was trying to study, that’s why I eventually turned off my computer. Good to know to make a schedule and stay with it. I mean if you should write an article for example at 2 pm, you should write it, not tweet or anything else that would distract you.
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Hi Ary,
Scheduling a specific time to do things is definitely a great way to go. I find that I don’t necessarily have a problem with starting the task at the set time, the problem is actually focusing and sticking to the task without veering off.
Everyone I know has been there and done it. This is such a great read for anyone needing advice on managing the social networking time. I loved your analogy about the vitamins.
Kiesha I seriously see you becoming a very popular bloggers soon. Wait what am I talking about your already popular!
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Hi Brian,
Thanks for stopping by! LOL! Popular? Who little ole’ me? I don’t know about that but, I certainly trying my hardest! :)
This is really good because it’s so true.
It used to effect me more than it currently does.
I do two things to prevent myself from getting so distracted and being able to get work done.
1. I have multiple workspaces with my OS. I use Ubuntu. So I only have certain things in certain work spaces to help my eyes from wondering around wanting to check out things I shouldn’t, at that time.
2. I tell myself I have one thing to GET DONE. And then I can MOVE onto the next thing to GET DONE.
May not work for everyone but so far has for me.
The only other two I would add are the two very simple… Almost stupid simple ways I do it each day which I mention more on my blog post today and they are… Plan and Do.
Simple but when implemented effectively can be time savers, a lot.
Thanks for sharing! :)
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Hi Eric,
Thanks for sharing your tips, taking it step by step – one thing at a time is definitely a great way to approach work tasks.
Getting my focus on is one of the hardest things to do in the online world. For sure, I get distracted just like this! Setting specific times for putting your energy into supporting other blogs (commenting, tweeting, stumbling etc…) is key to success of course… managing my time is a challenge! thanks.
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Hi Daniel,
Time management can definitely make or break a blog. I found myself struggling quite a bit this week, but sometimes, that’s just life.
Hi Kiesha,
You’re really funny and I can totally relate. You can lose a lot of time on Social Media.
The problem is that it’s fun and there’s always so much great stuff to read.
I try to do all my work first and use my time on Social Media as a reward. It doesn’t always work but I try.
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Hi Jazz,
Yeah, I try very hard to stick to a schedule, but some days I just can’t get it together :)
Very nice written Kiesha! You are quite true and i can easily predict your message!
Even this happens to me when i open up my FB profile just to check messages and updates, i may found something interesting status or friend over chat and when my head knocks to get back to work, its almost couple of hours that i have wasted!
I think if you are into serious business or into online universe to earn money then you should use social sites for getting traffic but should use it for that purpose only.
Nice tips and great articles i found over your blog. Bookmarked it over my delicious account!
Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi
I wouldn’t say use it just for getting traffic – you still have to socialize with others. People are not just traffic, they are people that you should take the time to connect with a get to know, but you should put time limits on those socializing activities so that they don’t completely take up all of your time.
Great post! I was laughing all the way through at how you hit it on the head!
I was lucky enough to have a good “Twitter Coach” who taught me this philosophy:
“Twitter is like a river. You can fall in and drown or you can dip in your hand and take a drink every now and then.”
My tip is to plan out your day on a schedule so you time-box your social media tasks. It takes discipline, but here are some tools to help:
* This looks really cool, works on a PC or Mac and has tons of features like tracking what you’re doing so you can look and see how you spend your time and blocking certain sites during a committed “Focus Time” that you set up yourself – take a look at their videos here: http://www.rescuetime.com/tour
* If you use Firefox, check out this add-on http://www.proginosko.com/leechblock.html which allows you to block certain sites during certain times (you can’t be tempted if you can’t get there!)
* Online alarm clock – quickly set this clock and it will let you know when it is time to move on to the next task: http://onlineclock.net/about/
Have fun exploring and good luck staying on track!
-Matt
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Hi Matt,
I like that Twitter metaphor – definitely a good way to think about it!
Well, I thought I was the only one who put my bladder on “hold” for just a few minutes, and then 1 hour later sprint, dead sprint for the bathroom. :)
I end up doing exactly what you do. I turn them all off…email, hootsuite, skype, you name it. All I have open is what I need to focus on.
Brandon
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Hi Brandon,
Nope, you’re not the only one!
Looks like you’ve been spying on me, Kiesha! :-) I can so relate to this post.
I can get so distracted sometimes, and then you forget what you set out to do that day. That’s a great idea to just write in a plain text editor to get your post done. Another tip is to just use a pen and paper and go to the park or somewhere you can’t check what’s the latest in your social media circle.
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Hi Karen,
Those are great tips – although I really hate writing by hand – I write so slow that by the time I get it on paper, the ideas are gone. I can type almost as fast as my thoughts so if I want to be productive, I’ve really got to be at a computer.
I have to completely stay off social media and use a timer when I’m writing in earnest. I have no self-discipline, and I admit it :)
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Hi Jean,
Yeah, timers definitely help. When I use them those are definitely the days I get the most done. :)
Very true, Yeah Social media will surely kill our blog if do not take that thing seriously. Closing all the things except your text editor will work for sure. What I do is I sign out from all social network and play a soft music while writing my content.
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Hi Avi,
I admire your discipline, but I can’t even play music, because as soon as a song comes on that I don’t particularly want to hear, I’m distracted and next thing I know, I’m on the internet again.
HA! Great post! You had me laughing because it’s so true.
Okay I’m going back to work!
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Hi Yolanda!
Sorry, I had to be your distraction – Ironic, isn’t it?
Oh sure you think you’re easily distracted? Try doing this whole blogging thing with a serious case of A.D.D., a husband, 2 kids (one of them still lives here even), 2 dogs, 2 cats, a phone…
You get the idea. I am the epitome of distracted! And yet I still manage to get a little bit done here and there.
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LOL!
Hi Joella!
Yeah, I’ve got the husband, and I’ll raise your 2 kids to 3 ages 17, 13, and 4 – yeah what a crazy mix! Then I’ve got younger siblings who are in their twenties with new babies and then my other writing responsibilities… then there’s church… I’m getting overwhelmed just thinking about it!
Great! Now I’m torn about leaving this comment, and of course tweeting about it, or pounding out a post for my blog. ;)
It is so easy to get distracted when you sit down to your computer, isn’t it? It reminds me of the advice that Bilbo Baggins gave Frodo,
“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
I’ve often been swept off to a blog walking expedition without intending to have done so.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one it happens to.
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LOL!
Hi Brad!
I’m glad you made the choice to leave the comment and share it (it’s definitely ironic!)
Hey Keisha,
Nice Post girl. I never spent more than 20-30min on social media.
I like to spend my time commenting on other blogs, instead wasting me time on social media.
Thanks for sharing this great post.
~Dev
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Hi Dev,
Blogs are also social media – I’m talking about the time spent commenting as well. Commenting is a social activity – you can get so caught up in all of it that you don’t get anything done. It all, even commenting has to be done in moderation if you haven’t gotten your blog posts written. Now once you get those essential tasks done, you’re free to spend all the time you want on those social activities.
Kiesha, I set limits for how much time I’ll spend on social media.
I look at Return on Investment for my social media efforts, and I also look at my happiness level. Too much time on Twitter, Facebook, and blogs means less time outside enjoying summer.
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Hi John,
I used to do this a lot when I first starting blogging, but when I started looking at the results of my efforts, I realized I was spending way too much time.
you know, this is so very true….facebook sometimes eat up my lot of time which i could have utilized in commenting….
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Hi Tushar,
Yeah, I REALLY have to stay off of Facebook – the minute I log on the distractions begin – chat windows pop-up and all the notifications… it’s endless.
Hey Kiesha
This post made me laugh out loud, literally!
Yesterday I blogged about this because I have no time to do anything productive with all the social media stuff and blog commenting.
Time for a rethink, and planning my time more productively, great post, a reminder to everyone to watch how much time they are using up.
I tend to work offline now, with no live internet connection I mean, helps me get lots more done.
Sally :)
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Hi Sally!
I think it’s so time consuming because it’s truly an enjoyable activity – kind of like playing video games, you get so into it that you lose all track of time (that’s why I had to stop playing The Sims) – it’s an essential part of blogging, but it definitely has to be done in moderation.
That’s why I usually visit the social media after I create and publish the article for my own blog.
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Hi Dana,
Yeah, that’s probably the best bet – I’m just not always disciplined enough to do it that way.
Hey Kiesha,
It’s like you read my mind. That is exactly what happen to me yesterday. I got caught up reading other blogs from Facebook and Twitter. I only got as far with one sentence for today’s article. Social media can suck up time if you’re not careful. I know… :)
Chat with you later…
Josh
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Hi Jason,
I’m glad you enjoyed this post. You’re right about the other dangers of sharing too much or the wrong kinds of information – I think that’s a whole other post entirely. So yes, the dangers are two-fold. I’ve heard of people getting robbed because they revealed when they were going out of town online – so the burglars knew exactly when they wouldn’t be home. That’s very insightful of you to pick up on.
Very well written, I was actually hooked along the way, thinking that the dangerous part of social media is also related with what you share or how you use these social media sites. I was amazed along the way how the entry was formatted and particularly with the flow of the story. I certainly learned lots of “hidden blogging techniques” here, I saw many hints just by reading this alone :) You are really great with this Kiesha!
Regards,
Jason
Very true! Plus it’s a good way to reach burnout – way too overwhelming!
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Hi Ann!
You’re right it is the fast route to total burnout.