How often do you change your online business strategy? Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Buzz will only get your business so far, if you’re not constantly evolving your business strategy around it. At some point these social media platforms might start hindering the natural growth of your business.

Chris Brogan just wrote a blog post on how his social media accessibility is overwhelming him and taking up all his time to the point that it’s influencing his online business strategy and his core business of creating value for clients.

Please read Chris’ post “Redrawing” and come back for my input on the matter.

My answer to Chris:

Chris, setting expectations is key (and being transparent about it) and in some ways you’re already resetting expectations with your posts of the last few weeks.

Here’s my advice:

• Get “human extensions” (let’s personify them in Diane) as you put it to answer all of your emails. If it from a business perspective is important, it doesn’t matter who answers the email as long as it’s from “Chris Brogan”. With this said, I don’t mean that you get some service center to handle your emails. Your team needs to be real life flesh-and-bone human beings, who can express their own thoughts (and do) along with being able to speak on your behalf. Who needs nameless “MJ dancers” as extensions in this business? We’d much rather have a MJ team.
• Stop using Twitter/FB as much. Don’t tweet/comment as much and don’t @-reply (and make it clear that it’s not because the love is less). Let @broganmedia or Diane’s Twitter/FB profile take over.
• Get a secret telephone no. and email for the selected few (and don’t tell us about it).
• Keep writing your blog (or video post, if you’re tired of it), but have Diane guest post/video post as well.
• Keep attending events and give key notes.
• Focus on “the fun part” (and start today). Otherwise you’ll burn out tomorrow.

The points above will obviously mean that you’ll lose your Mr. Accessible status, but ask yourself whether you’re not past that already. You’re very accessible, I agree. I could get a comment from you, just by twittering you, but do I need that? Not really.

If I really “needed” you from a business perspective, I would doubt that it would be that easy to reach you. I for one would much prefer to write to “Chris Brogan” and have your Diane team answer.

My advice (from this side of the fence) is to act now. It seems to me (and judging from the comments so far here, others as well) that you’ve already reached the point where “all this” has run it’s course and is now just overwhelming you.

You’ll lose followers, commenters, subscribers and acquaintances, but that’s the price. As is said throughout the comments on this blog post, it’s time to trust that you’ve created a sufficient foundation and make the jump forward.

Chris, you’re amazing and we’d much rather you were less personally accessible than you’ll burn out.

What’s your point of view?

That’s my input. I’d love to hear what you have to say on the matter? When is it time to change your online business strategy? If you comment on Chris’ blog, please feel free to post it here too (or link to it).

Photo credit Intersection Consulting