The Mayor of You: Managing Your Social Networks

Most of us are experienced social network users by now. But I’m finding that what was once a terrific way to manage my communication with colleagues, friends, and relatives has grown into something that’s almost unmanageable itself.

“Serenity now.”

I have over 200 Facebook friends, over 2200 people I follow (and another 2300 followers) on Twitter. I watch YouTube videos almost every day—for music, work, and humor. I haven’t even touched my LinkedIn page for months and have a couple hundred contacts on there as well.

I am overwhelmed by Twitter direct messages—and their archaic system to manage them.  I get new (Facebook) friend requests or (LinkedIn) contact requests almost every day—so many I almost have to schedule time to keep up with them.  And let’s not even talk about all the work emails, personal emails, and texts, AND IM.

It finally occurred to me this morning:  I’m the mayor of my own small town.

My Blackberry and I have had enough! I was once a Pavlovian dog to my Blackberry’s red light. It used to be a source of excitement (What’s waiting for me? Who wants to talk to me now? What’s my reward?).  Now that same red light is like watching Jay Cutler quarterback a game—a continual source of 15-second mini-stresses—and it’s largely due to the overgrown forest that is my social network.

I do use TweetDeck, and like it. I have tried HootSuite and some others, but nothing seems to be the perfect solution. Some props to TweetDeck though: without it I might have given up completely on Twitter by now. It’s ability to filter a large group into smaller groups is something Twitter itself is now doing. It’s worth checking out at: http://www.tweetdeck.com/download/ (Adde.d Bonus: the chime TweetDeck makes when you have new messages sounds just like doors opening and closing on Star Trek.)

So…Google? Microsoft? Yahoo? Save me. We now have incredible communication through social networks, but now we all need to manage it. And please—while you’re at it? Add in columns to manage my financial accounts, my kids’ schedules, and my REAL social life as well?

(Oh, and it has to be FREE.)