As a small business owner, it can be difficult to decide where your time is best spent, especially since your time really does equal money. Technology may make marketing and customer service easier, but it can also be more time consuming with existing, and potential, clients expecting a 24/7 social media presence, and business owners wanting to take advantage of every available opportunity to spread the word of their product or service.

While an overabundance of marketing opportunities, introduced by social media, can make the average small business owner feel a certain invisible pressure to always be online and communicating, that isn't necessarily the most effective way to drive your business. Here are some pointers to help you decide how much time spent on Twitter, Google+, Facebook and other networks might be too much.

No Such Thing as an Overnight Success
It takes hard work, time and dedication to develop a successful social media presence. If you expect to tweet for a few months and triple your business, you are probably in for a real shock when you see how incremental growth actually is. In addition, it's difficult to actually measure what success you may be achieving. For instance, increased sales is certainly a tangible sign of success, but increased buzz and positive brand image can be the building blocks for future financial success and should not be undervalued. As you determine how much time to devote to your social media campaign, keep this in mind and manage your time so that you can be consistent over the long haul.

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