How to Make Time for Social Media Marketing A small-but-regular effort to build a social media presence can pay substantial marketing dividends.

With everything else required to keep your business up and running, finding time for social media marketing can be a challenge. You know you need to do it, but trying to find the time to fit it into your already packed schedule can feel like an uphill battle.

Commit to a specific time each day for social media.

Without a solid plan in place to accomplish goals, they often go by the wayside. That is why most people fail at resolutions, such as exercising more. They lack a definitive plan for doing so. Making a daily time commitment can help to keep you accountable, and ensure you do not procrastinate to the point that you never actually get around to handling your social media goals.

In determining how much time you will spend on social media marketing each day, remember to keep it reasonable and realistic. Setting goals that are too lofty will often result in failure. Instead, make a commitment to tweeting twice a day or sharing one piece of content on Facebook daily. Even a small investment in social media marketing each day can help your brand to accomplish more than you could imagine.

Take the step to block out the amount of time you wish to dedicate to social media on your calendar. Set an alarm on your phone. Do whatever it takes to make sure you have a block of uninterrupted time during which you are working on your social media marketing goals.

Related: 5 Social Media Marketing Metrics You Should Be Tracking

Follow the KISS method.

Far too often, brands fail to make time for social media marketing because they over-think it. Simplifying your social media marketing plans when you are getting started or making your way out of a rut will ensure you at least have a steady stream of relevant content. Remember, you do not have to become a social media marketing guru overnight. The key is to think about who you are marketing to, and focus on building content that your audience will enjoy and find valuable.

Related: Why Authenticity Is Key to Mastering Social Media Marketing

Stop trying to do it all on your own.

Social media is pervasive and massive. You simply cannot handle it all on your own, especially if you have limited time to dedicate to it daily. The good news is there are tools available to help you maximize the amount of time that you do have.

Rather than spending hours digging for relevant content to share, consider using tools such as Swayy, Feedly or Nuzzel to discover top news stories. Not sure who you should be following in the world of social media? Tools like TwitNerd take all of the guess work out of it by providing a Follow by Keyword feature that allows you to input any keyword or phrase and identify Twitter influencers.

Carving out time for social media marketing is a challenge, but it is worth the effort and the investment. Nielson reports that 33 percent of consumers prefer to contact companies over social media rather than the phone. If you are not investing in social media marketing, you are likely missing customers. Make time for social media marketing now.

Related: Social-Media Marketing Is Not the Silver Bullet for Busy Entrepreneurs