It’s all about balance. And consistency.

In life, yes, and also in social media.

Some of the confusion my clients have around using tools like Facebook and Twitter, are that they aren’t sure of the unspoken rules on how to do things. Things like:

“How often do I update?”

“How do I promote my business without being that annoying sales person?”

“How much do I comment on other people’s updates?”

These are just a few. The answer is balance and consistency. And, since I’m learning all about balance in my life and business these days, I’ll share some dos and don’ts for finding balance in social media.

Do scatter a few updates throughout the day.

Don’t send out a bunch of updates all at once.

You can always tell the people who really schedule their social media time for certain chunks of time each day – because they often fire off a dozen updates or links in a short span of time. This clutters up your screen and is, well, annoying.

If you can, schedule small chunks of time at various times throughout the day. Or, if that’s not feasible, use an application where you can schedule updates to go out at specified times of the day. (Two of my favorite apps for this are Ping.fm and Hootsuite.)

Do share what’s going on in your life and business, have conversations, and share what others are doing.

Don’t just talk about yourself.

If you look at your profiles on Twitter or Facebook and all you see is you – it might be time to reevaluate.

Simply mix it up a little. Comment or reply to other people’s updates, include links to events that your friends/followers are doing, celebrate with your friends victories, answer questions. Then spread your own updates and event sharing throughout.

All relationships are about giving and receiving, talking and listening, celebrating and supporting – relationships in social media are no different.

Do be professional – but throw in a little personal too.

Don’t be a stuffy, business-only professional.

Now, I’m not saying don’t be professional at all. Please do be professional. I’m just saying don’t be afraid to share a little of yourself as a non-professional person too.

People want to know that you are a real human who understands what their life is like. Share funny stories, mishaps, and victories from your personal life in addition to sharing all the awesomeness of your business. Share the things that make you excited both in business and in life.

Be yourself in your entirety – business professional, human being, mother, daughter, friend, brother, aunt, writer, cook, runner, artist…. You don’t have to share all the deepest, darkest details of your life – you do get to choose what to share after all – but give your people a chance to see you as a person and a professional.

Do be consistent.

Don’t drop off the face of the social media earth, then explode back with a hundred updates only to disappear again.

Using social media effectively is about both balance and consistency. In social media, people’s memories are short. If you drop off the radar for days, weeks or months at a time – most people will forget you.

This is not helpful for your business.

Do be consistent and reliable. Update on a regular basis. Send things out when you say you’re going to send them out. Make it a routine, a pattern that people can rely on and trust. Keep yourself in your people’s awareness on a consistent basis.

Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t take a few days off here and there. Taking the weekend off or going on vacation won’t end your social media presence and destroy your business. But before you unplug – mention it! Say, “Hey, taking a weekend for quiet and relaxation. Talk to you all Monday!” (Use your language and phrasing, of course).

It also doesn’t mean you have to spend all day every day on social networking sites. If you did that, you’d have no business left to run. Find a pattern or schedule that works for you and be consistent with it.

People trust balance and consistency. People who trust you, buy from you (or work with you).

Be consistent. Be balanced.

Emily Long is a Social Media Assistant and Time Rescuer for entrepreneurs and creative people who’d rather spend their precious time on their genius work. She takes the guesswork out of social media marketing and gives straight-up, honest answers to all your social media questions. Emily is also a published poet and writer. Check out her website & blog at http://www.timerescuer.com.

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