Many people are intimidated by social media because they fear it will consume too much of their time and resources. While it’s true that an instant response is desirable, it is not always practical – particularly if you are a very small business or a business of one. To address this issue, you can indicate up front when or how often you are able to respond. This will ensure that expectations are met. This strategy works particularly well for individuals who are very regimented. They can set their own expectations and work their schedules around social media. If you don’t set those expectations up front, practice will invariably do it for you. Those who follow you regularly will come to know when to expect a new blog, tweet or response. They will also adjust their responses accordingly.
If you want to be strategic about your timing, Business Insider has conveniently identified the best times of day to post on each social network.
Ultimately though, individuals or businesses will invest the time and effort if they feel there is a real return on that investment. We know that social media is not going away and the longer you wait to get on board, the more effort you will have to make to capture, keep and grow your audience.
For those who have come to embrace social media, the effort is no longer how to get on, it’s how to get off.