Chances are somewhere along the way you’ve heard the adage about what to do when life hands you lemons – you make lemonade. While it may sound cliché, if you think about it, you’ve probably made more lemonade than a carnie at the state fair – and yes I know they serve up a bunch.

You see, life is not perfect. We are faced with challenges, hurdles and disappointments on a daily basis in both our private and professional lives. It is a fact of life that we just need to overcome and not dwell on.

During my near decade working in the PR world, fixing things and working with less than ideal situations has been common place for me. Employers and media people don’t want to hear what is holding up a project, they just want to hear the thud of the clip book hitting the table. Results are more important than excuses.

Based on conversations I’ve had with folks who manage social accounts for their companies, it seems like the lemons have rolled into that space as well. Whether it’s lack of funding, staffing, buy-in, time or something else; it seems like there are endless obstacles. Instead of whining about them, folks need to take the carnie approach and make some sweet lemonade for the masses.  So here are some quick tips to tackle some of the biggest lemons that come up in the social space.

Lack of time – No matter how hard you try, there are only 24 hours in a day.  Extending your work day over nine hours will only leave you burned out in the long run. So work smarter not longer. Create set times to check out social sites and stick to it. You can be Clark Kent and should only pull out the cape when you get into a crisis or super awesome campaign. If you are like me and have a tendency to get distracted by shiny things or obsess over your own personal social conversations, turn off your personal accounts during the day or only have them on during dedicated time for social.

Buy-in – Despite meteoric adoption over the past year, some folks still see social networks as a time waste. If this is the case at your company or organization, just start the effort and don’t ask for permission. If you can prove a value, it is hard to argue against it. Just know that you need to find the time to do without slipping on your other duties.

Staffing – Sure the space is blowing up, but the money is not. Unless you work for a company that has already engrained social media into their DNA, you will have to learn to work efficiently with less. It sucks but you can accomplish it by pulling in other people in your organization who are passionate about social media. While it may not be ideal in the short run, getting cross functional partnerships will help you out in the long run.

At the end of the day, obstacles are always going to be there. Overcoming them and making a success despite them is the real reward. How do you deal with obstacles?

Image – Krazy Kake Bakers

Chances are somewhere along the way you’ve heard the adage about what to do when life hands you lemons – you make lemonade. While it may sound cliché, if you think about it, you’ve probably made more lemonade than a carnie at the state fair – and yes I know they serve up a bunch.

You see, life is not perfect. We are faced with challenges, hurdles and disappointments on a daily basis in both our private and professional lives. It is a fact of life that we just need to overcome and not dwell on.

During my near decade working in the PR world, fixing things and working with less than ideal situations has been common place for me. Employers and media people don’t want to hear what is holding up a project, they just want to hear the thud of the clip book hitting the table. Results are more important than excuses.

Based on conversations I’ve had with folks who manage social accounts for their companies, it seems like the lemons have rolled into that space as well. Whether it’s lack of funding, staffing, buy-in, time or something else; it seems like there are endless obstacles. Instead of whining about them, folks need to take the carnie approach and make some sweet lemonade for the masses.  So here are some quick tips to tackle some of the biggest lemons that come up in the social space.

Lack of time – No matter how hard you try, there are only 24 hours in a day.  Extending your work day over nine hours will only leave you burned out in the long run. So work smarter not longer. Create set times to check out social sites and stick to it. You can be Clark Kent and should only pull out the cape when you get into a crisis or super awesome campaign. If you are like me and have a tendency to get distracted by shiny things or obsess over your own personal social conversations, turn off your personal accounts during the day or only have them on during dedicated time for social.

Buy-in – Despite meteoric adoption over the past year, some folks still see social networks as a time waste. If this is the case at your company or organization, just start the effort and don’t ask for permission. If you can prove a value, it is hard to argue against it. Just know that you need to find the time to do without slipping on your other duties.

Staffing – Sure the space is blowing up, but the money is not. Unless you work for a company that has already engrained social media into their DNA, you will have to learn to work efficiently with less. It sucks but you can accomplish it by pulling in other people in your organization who are passionate about social media. While it may not be ideal in the short run, getting cross functional partnerships will help you out in the long run.

At the end of the day, obstacles are always going to be there. Overcoming them and making a success despite them is the real reward. How do you deal with obstacles?

Image – Krazy Kake Bakers

Chances are somewhere along the way you’ve heard the adage about what to do when life hands you lemons – you make lemonade. While it may sound cliché, if you think about it, you’ve probably made more lemonade than a carnie at the state fair – and yes I know they serve up a bunch.

You see, life is not perfect. We are faced with challenges, hurdles and disappointments on a daily basis in both our private and professional lives. It is a fact of life that we just need to overcome and not dwell on.

During my near decade working in the PR world, fixing things and working with less than ideal situations has been common place for me. Employers and media people don’t want to hear what is holding up a project, they just want to hear the thud of the clip book hitting the table. Results are more important than excuses.

Based on conversations I’ve had with folks who manage social accounts for their companies, it seems like the lemons have rolled into that space as well. Whether it’s lack of funding, staffing, buy-in, time or something else; it seems like there are endless obstacles. Instead of whining about them, folks need to take the carnie approach and make some sweet lemonade for the masses.  So here are some quick tips to tackle some of the biggest lemons that come up in the social space.

Lack of time – No matter how hard you try, there are only 24 hours in a day.  Extending your work day over nine hours will only leave you burned out in the long run. So work smarter not longer. Create set times to check out social sites and stick to it. You can be Clark Kent and should only pull out the cape when you get into a crisis or super awesome campaign. If you are like me and have a tendency to get distracted by shiny things or obsess over your own personal social conversations, turn off your personal accounts during the day or only have them on during dedicated time for social.

Buy-in – Despite meteoric adoption over the past year, some folks still see social networks as a time waste. If this is the case at your company or organization, just start the effort and don’t ask for permission. If you can prove a value, it is hard to argue against it. Just know that you need to find the time to do without slipping on your other duties.

Staffing – Sure the space is blowing up, but the money is not. Unless you work for a company that has already engrained social media into their DNA, you will have to learn to work efficiently with less. It sucks but you can accomplish it by pulling in other people in your organization who are passionate about social media. While it may not be ideal in the short run, getting cross functional partnerships will help you out in the long run.

At the end of the day, obstacles are always going to be there. Overcoming them and making a success despite them is the real reward. How do you deal with obstacles?

Image – Krazy Kake Bakers

Chances are somewhere along the way you’ve heard the adage about what to do when life hands you lemons – you make lemonade. While it may sound cliché, if you think about it, you’ve probably made more lemonade than a carnie at the state fair – and yes I know they serve up a bunch.

You see, life is not perfect. We are faced with challenges, hurdles and disappointments on a daily basis in both our private and professional lives. It is a fact of life that we just need to overcome and not dwell on.

During my near decade working in the PR world, fixing things and working with less than ideal situations has been common place for me. Employers and media people don’t want to hear what is holding up a project, they just want to hear the thud of the clip book hitting the table. Results are more important than excuses.

Based on conversations I’ve had with folks who manage social accounts for their companies, it seems like the lemons have rolled into that space as well. Whether it’s lack of funding, staffing, buy-in, time or something else; it seems like there are endless obstacles. Instead of whining about them, folks need to take the carnie approach and make some sweet lemonade for the masses.  So here are some quick tips to tackle some of the biggest lemons that come up in the social space.

Lack of time – No matter how hard you try, there are only 24 hours in a day.  Extending your work day over nine hours will only leave you burned out in the long run. So work smarter not longer. Create set times to check out social sites and stick to it. You can be Clark Kent and should only pull out the cape when you get into a crisis or super awesome campaign. If you are like me and have a tendency to get distracted by shiny things or obsess over your own personal social conversations, turn off your personal accounts during the day or only have them on during dedicated time for social.

Buy-in – Despite meteoric adoption over the past year, some folks still see social networks as a time waste. If this is the case at your company or organization, just start the effort and don’t ask for permission. If you can prove a value, it is hard to argue against it. Just know that you need to find the time to do without slipping on your other duties.

Staffing – Sure the space is blowing up, but the money is not. Unless you work for a company that has already engrained social media into their DNA, you will have to learn to work efficiently with less. It sucks but you can accomplish it by pulling in other people in your organization who are passionate about social media. While it may not be ideal in the short run, getting cross functional partnerships will help you out in the long run.

At the end of the day, obstacles are always going to be there. Overcoming them and making a success despite them is the real reward. How do you deal with obstacles?

Image – Krazy Kake Bakers