It’s been said that social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are great ways to expand a brand’s reach and get attention for free.  But this week, more than a couple of people have taken to wondering whether isn’t a price, after all, and if so, whether it’s worth the payoff.

Simon Dumenco started a conversation by pointing out that many users give up their privacy while on Twitter, telling people where they are and what they’re doing.  Then it’s Twitter, not necessarily the users, that profits from the information, since it’s been able to sell data to both Google and Microsoft.

Dumenco later asked, “All that time and energy spent making virtual connections with friends and strangers, tweeting ephemera, tagging pictures, etc. — does the, say, entertainment value or networking/emotional benefit (e.g., getting to feel ‘connected’) outweigh the opportunity cost (i.e., if you spend 20 hours a month on Facebook, what could you do with those 20 hours instead)?”

After all, although it can feel like you’re accomplishing a lot when sending out friend request after friend request to people you’d have trouble contacting otherwise, it’s worth considering how many sales result.  And considering how much time after the initial click you spend keeping up with the Facebook/Twitter/whatever account.

So use social media as much as you like.  Just don’t get so caught up in it as to forget about any business goals you’ve set.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 8:00 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

About the Author: Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news.