It would be an understatement to say that social networking users spend a lot on time on Facebook.  In fact, it was recently estimated that over 8.3 billion hours are spent on Facebook each month.  That’s a lot of time!

What ways do you limit the time you waste on Facebook?  What advice would you give to others who have lost their Facebook freedom?

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by hisks

It’s no secret that time is critical.  In fact, it’s one part of life we never get back.  To date, no one has successfully created a time machine to take us back to the future.  When this second, minute, or hour is over, it’s gone.

With that said, we know that your time with Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites is limited; therefore, you need to maximize your time when working with social media.  To help you do that, we’ve compiled a list of 20 social media activities you can do in five minutes or less.  Whether it is in between projects or at the end of the work day, these activities will help you maximize your time and remain productive.

1.  Change your Twitter background.
2.  Upload and change your profile picture.
3.  Check your Twitter or Facebook stream and comment on interesting posts.
4.  Give a #FollowFriday shout out to one, two, or five of your Twitter pals.
5.  Join a few LinkedIn Groups.
6.  Set up your Google Buzz account.
7.  Create a Facebook event for your next tweetup or office party.
8.  Find and watch an interesting YouTube clip. (Be sure to comment!)
9.  Change all of your social networking website passwords.
10.  Invite your team members to Google Wave.
11.  Update your profile information.
12.  Add your current project to your LinkedIn profile.
13.  Subscribe to a YouTube channel.
14.  Add a time-saving plugin to your blog.
15.  Check your Google Alerts.
16.  Clean up your Google Documents.
17.  Join a geolocation-based social networking site (foursquare, Gowalla, etc.).
18.  Browse useful images on Flickr.
19.  Reply to everyone who commented on your blog posts.
20.  Sort through your @replies and Direct Messages on Twitter.

As you can see, there are many social media activities that don’t take long to accomplish.  If you did all of the tasks listed above back-to-back, you would have only used up an hour of your day.

Time is critical but it can be managed.  Find what works for you and fill in your downtime with productivity.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Axxnn

Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past few years, you’ve probably realized that Google is everywhere.  Yes, everywhere.  Not only is Google.com the most popular search engine on the Internet, the company also runs one of the most popular webmail clients (Gmail), an advertising agency (Google AdWords), and even photo management software (Picasa).  In essence, your online world is becoming Googleland.  The Google enterprise is much more than just a simplified search engine; it’s a company that is giving you the tools to do your job in a more efficient manner than ever before.

Are you taking advantage of all the resources Google gives you?  Do you have your road map for Googleland and do you harness the power of all the tools that are available?  If you’re like most people, you’re lost and you don’t know where to begin.

Let’s take a look at a few of the tools that Google offers to you – for free – and how you can maximize your productivity.

Gmail

This is probably the most famous Google tool next to the search engine.  Gmail first came on the scene in 2004 and was smash hit with techies and time management gurus.  Google revolutionized the webmail industry, offering perks and benefits that were unheard of at the time.  Nearly 150 million people use Gmail and the number of users continues to grow.

Gmail displays all of your emails like threads so they are easily organized.  Instead of having 7 different emails with “Re:” in the front, Gmail creates threads that display your message data in a continuous stream.  Also, each Gmail user is given 7.5 GB of email space so there is no need to ever delete your messages to conserve room.

If you sort through a lot of email each day or have an email address that receives a lot of messages, I would suggest using Gmail.  (Gmail supports mail forwarding so feel free to forward emails from one address [sample@yourdomain.com] to a Gmail account.) Also, there is a Gmail app for nearly ever Smartphone and can be accessed remotely.  Gmail will save you a ton of time and effort.  I promise.

Google Docs

Google Docs launched in late 2005 and 2006, allowing users to create online word processor documents and spreadsheets.  Over time, Google introduced the ability to create presentations and forms.  Now, Google Docs allows you to upload any file and share it with others, whether they are using Google or not.

This is a great tool for collaboration and for sharing information.  If you are in business with one, two, or fifty other people, Google Docs will save you headaches and technical problems.  Folk Media uses Google Docs for nearly 80% of our collaboration and publishing and we don’t know how we’d function without it.

Also, if you are on the road a lot, Google Docs is a great place to store your files for remote access.  No more cumbersome flash drives or online storage accounts.  Google Docs will take care of everything you need.

Google Wave

Google Wave is one of the newest Google tools, debuting in late 2009.  Google Wave is a unique tool that allows people to collaborate real-time in “waves,” or brainstorming windows.  For example, if I am organizing a party and I need to know what everyone on my guest list will be bringing, I can invite everyone to a Google Wave and we can share what we’re bringing.  Wave differs from Google Docs because the user is able to see what another individual is typing at any given time.  If I want to bring brownies, Sally next door can see that I am typing “I will bring brownies” and she’ll decide to bring drinks.

Other cool features of Google Wave include formatting options for each user and the ability to edit anything within the Wave.

What is a practical use for Google Wave?  Anything relating to brainstorming or sharing.  Let’s say that you want to have a brainstorming session regarding some new social media marketing tactics but every member of the team has a different schedule and can’t make it to a face-to-face meeting.  Create a Wave, invite everyone, and get the ideas flowing.  It’s that easy.

Google offers an enormous amount of resources and most of them can help you out in your day-to-day life.  Using Google products will allow for you to be an efficient and easily-managed individual and, if you own a small business, a better business person.  Organization is key in this maddening world of the Internet and Google gives you the tools to stay ahead of the curve.  If you’ve never used them, I challenge you to begin using them today.  If you’re already a Google user, try a different tool that you’ve never touched before.  See what Google can do for you.

Don’t be like Alice.  Get a map and master the world of Googleland.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by nilob

The post was written by guest blogger Erin Blakemore

Is your overloaded inbox or your inability to stop playing Mafia Wars preventing you from taking advantage of social media tools that could change the way you do business?  If you answered yes, you’re in good company.  Social media overload is more common than you think…and social media scope creep can plague even the most organized user.  If you’re ready to stop the madness, here are ten ways to put social media in its place.

• Have A Plan:  If you can’t sum up why you’re using a particular tool or what you hope to get out of it, you shouldn’t use it at all.  Step back and make a plan or you plan to fail.
• Practice Laser Focus:  Target your message to your audience.  It’ll make it easier for you to create content and have a coherent conversation.
• The Timer is Your Friend:  If you’re like me and have a lengthy, insane to-do list, try timing your social media use.  Schedule a ten-minute check-in period a few times a day, then enforce the amount of time you spend surfing, responding, and procrastinating.
• Pare It Down:  Do you really need 6,000 accounts on 22 different social media services?  Probably not.  Do a quick cost-benefit analysis and focus on the tools that connect you to your target audience and constitute a great investment of your time.  Then let the others go.
• Consider Scheduling:  If you have announcements to make or want to point others to your content, scheduling tweets, blog posts, and Facebook status updates through a service like TweetDeck could work for you…as long as you don’t let your scheduled status get in the way of real conversation or lapse into spammer mode.
• Do It In Blocks:  Do you respond to every notification as it comes in and get distracted by friend requests and incoming messages?  Don’t be afraid to put some boundaries around your social media use by blocking out time for follower-building, conversation, and maintenance.
• Go Mobile:  There’s a common misconception that investing in a smartphone to manage your social media will just end your ability to interact with other humans while overtaxing your thumbs.  Not true:  used with restraint and focus, mobile technology can definitely maximize your social media time and allow you to maintain your social media life in tiny blips instead of long chunks of time.
• Go On a Fast:  If your social media use is truly cutting into your productivity, it might be time to go on a diet of sorts.  Try cutting out all use for a week, then assess what you missed and what you didn’t.  Use what you learn to dictate what you focus your energies on in the future.
• Separate Business and Pleasure:  An “inner sanctum” approach to one social medium (usually Facebook or a blog) can reduce stress and expectations.  If you find yourself spending too much time filtering, blocking, and separating business from pleasure, it might be time to divorce your social media functions into uni-taskers that each serve a discrete function.
• Get Help:  The lightning-fast world of social media means that you could have a full-blown community on your hands within days.  If you’re having trouble managing your social media presence, get help, either internally through an assistant who understands the tools and has your trust, or externally through a reputable consultant.  The right confidant will remind you that social media is about connection, not overextension, and help you get back on track.

.

Erin Blakemore is co-founder and Executive Director of VOCO Creative, a straightforward, savvy, and sustainable social media, marketing, and brand strategy firm in Boulder, Colorado. When she’s not helping companies grow their brands, she’s biting her fingernails over the October release of The Heroine’s Bookshelf, her debut book from HarperCollins. Connect with Erin on Twitter at @vococreative or @heroinebook.

*Photo by biewoef