Be Smarter Than a 5th Grader in Social Media

Social media is a tactical part of a larger comprehensive marketing and communications strategy. When starting out in social media, it is important to set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals. S.M.A.R.T.E.R. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Oriented, Timed, Evaluate and Reassess.

When I joined LinkedIn in 2005, I didn’t just dive right in without a plan and start wasting time by randomly building my network. I set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. objectives. One of my daily goals was to connect with at least 10 ideal candidates or clients in 5 specific industries within the Atlanta area.

As my focus at work changed, I realigned my LinkedIn activities. Now I’m in the top five of most connected on LinkedIn in the metro Atlanta area with over 17,000 first-level connections. I’m able to reach millions of decision makers worldwide.

If you do not become S.M.A.R.T.E.R. about your social media activity, it will lead to considerable resources losses, including your time. Most of the professionals that I work with do not have this luxury. Start setting S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals so that you will have better results in any social media network.

I Want My Life Back

Do you feel like all of the social media networks are taking over your life? It can feel overwhelming. At the end of the day, do feel like you just spent a lot of time online and didn't accomplish anything?

The social media tools that I use save me time, instead of wasting it. You can create a work/life balance using social media.

Here are some basic time management tips for the major social media sites:

Twitter - Let's face it. The public Twitter stream is full of noise. Use TweetDeck to set up filters, groups and searches. Focus on the industry leaders and potential clients that can advance your professional growth. Plan time to tweet and stick to it.

Facebook - Check Facebook after normal business hours. I use Facebook mainly for personal use. It can be a distraction from my professional goals. It is easy to start a click fest and forget what your purpose was by checking Facebook in the first place. Become a fan of any important company or group pages, so you will be notified of updates or upcoming events.

LinkedIn - I have always had a free account and have over 17,000 first level connections. Many people wonder how I was able to do this. It's simple. I set specific goals to grow my network. Every day I would send out a specific amount of invites and spend 30 minutes on revenue producing activities in LinkedIn.

Be sure that when you are working online that you are not randomly checking for updates to your social media networks. When using any social media tool, you must focus on your reason for being there and determine your action plan to reach your goals.