I wrote a post Monday that got some publicity when my friend Jay Dolan wrote an answer post yesterday. It was on what I call social media slavery. Being so attached to your platforms online that you drop the ball on real life. Or at least think of it as secondary.

Jay thinks I was a little dramatic on my titling, and others think I’m completely crazy to say such a thing as a social media professional. So let me clarify my position.

I believe in being available for connections on social media platforms virtually all the time. I have DMs sent to my phone, and answer them as they come. I regularly monitor my blog for comments, my TweetDeck for @ messages, and my Facebook page for posts. If someone is specifically reaching out to me, I think it’s important that I answer that.

As Scott Stratten says in his new book, Unmarketing, “If it takes you longer to respond to my tweet than it would to walk over to my house and deliver me a hand written note, you’re doing it wrong.” That’s pretty close to what he says anyway.

What I don’t do is let it control my “real world” life. I put that in quotes because I’m aware that the connections I’m making online are just as real as the ones I make offline.

I also think it’s perfectly acceptable to set boundaries for strictly offline time, recommending that you define those on your online platforms so connections/clients don’t think you’re ignoring them or not doing your job if you’re in social media.

To those who think you’re just not trying hard enough if you’re not online as close to 24/7 as is physically possible, I say: if you’re happy, go with it. Just be sure to not neglect the life you got going on outside of social media. Whoever pulls this off successfully is a magician. I don’t know how you do it. Hats off to you!

Anybody else want to put in their two cents about social media availability/participation obligations? I’d love to hear your take.

Photo by The Rocketeer