Are you beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed by social media and electronic communication and information?
If the answer is, “YES,” this post may be perfect for you.
I want to preface this message by stating the obvious: social media and electronic information and communication are viable technological resources that have shaped our culture with their ever evolving dynamic components.
It has been proven social media marketing is a valuable tool because it allows companies to directly engage with their customers, build brand recognition, and ultimately sell more products.
However, sometimes it feels as if it’s just a bit too much. I sit in restaurants, offices, and even hotel lobbies watching the vast number of individuals that stay tied (heads down) to to their personal electronic devices.
It’s rare to see a family or a couple sharing a meal without, at least, one member looking down at their cell phone.
When sitting in a lobby it’s hard to ignore the multitude of low pitch dings that resound as the result of a notification of some sort.
Let’s face it, each day most of our lives are bombarded with email, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (my apologies), Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Google Plus+, Flickr and Vine just to name a few.
We’re either following, visiting or liking something on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
We begin our day by checking text messages from the night before and we’re often managing multiple inboxes.
Everyday we receive unwanted emails despite opting out several times. Eventually we mark these items as spam, only to have to visit our spam folder, just to ensure nothing important is accidentally trashed before we permanently delete it.
Let’s face it, our lives have become receptacles for social media and electronic information overload.
In the battle to reclaim valuable and limited time, I have come up with a few time management tips to help maximize the day.
These are not rocket science suggestions, but rather good reminders of how to effectively manage your time and your day.
Here are a few quick tips that I try to model as often as possible:
1. Limit the number of accounts you have.
2. Social Media: Try to keep your media outlets limited to two accounts.
3. Email: Have one (work) and one (personal). Don’t have multiple personal email accounts.
4. Electronic devices: Try and stick to one. Always prioritize your work and entire day.
5. Check your email and social media accounts at a designated time each day, try to limit the incremental time spent to 20 minutes.
6. Limit checking your accounts to no more than 3 times per day.
7. Scan for important items first and respond only if an immediate response is required.
8. Recognize that you don’t have to respond immediately to social media network messages (unless your career requires it).
9. Use notifications, so that they work for you rather than against you.
10. Organize and categorize as much as possible, in order to reduce redundancy and duplication of efforts.
Whenever possible, communicate in person or pick up the phone and have verbal conversations.
Make Friends & Family Time A Priority.
Create an agreement among yourselves that when you’re connecting with one another over a meal or coffee, there’s a “no electronic or mobile device” rule.
Either put them away or silence them and place them face down, so as not to be distracted. Enjoy the art of conversation. It may take sometime to adjust to, but it can be achieved, with conscious effort.
Finally, realize that our lives truly can be positively influence by these outlets, as social media is the channel that can be relied upon for recommendations on food, music, products, sports, and other things we enjoy. When used wisely, it can be quite beneficial.
I would love to hear more suggestions and useful tips from you. Please briefly share (25 words or less), how you believe social media and electronic information can be effectively managed from day to day.
