Avoiding Online Overwhelm

Sometimes I think we didn’t know the meaning of overwhelm before the internet came along! The sheer volume of available information is both powerful and overpowering at the same time.

The online chatter is never-ending, as more and more people find their voices and contribute their expertise and opinions on just about anything under the sun.

Avoiding online overwhelm requires self-discipline, purpose and focus.

While it is definitely essential to be a part of the social networks, you don’t need to be there 24/7. Set aside, say, 30 minutes each day to take part in online conversations and be disciplined to stick to it. Just as you might ration your children’s TV watching – or your chocolate intake – stop when your allocated time is up.
Your tweets, Facebook updates and blog posts, etc. need to be part of a bigger plan, so it helps to prepare an outline of what you’re going to talk about online. By incorporating social media tools into your overall marketing strategy a little at a time you’ll find out what works best for your business.
A common mistake is to sign up or register for every new online network and then do very little to develop your presence (and yes, I am speaking from personal experience here!). That’s like accepting every breakfast, lunch and evening local networking invitation you receive and just as impossible to fulfil. Select and join 2 or 3 networks and work to become a part of those online communities. If you then find you have time and want to join more, at least you’ll understand what’s involved.

How do you avoid online overwhelm? We’d love to know!