Social media marketers always wonder when the best time is to post on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and the myriad of other social platforms for optimum
customer engagement. Is it in the morning, since many people check their Facebook page before they go to work? Is midday better because users look at their Twitter stream while they’re eating lunch? Is evening best? Which days of the week generate the most engagement? And what about B2B versus B2C — are the dynamics different?
Facebook rolled out Timeline this week, and brands are eager to take advantage of the new feature. The social network isn’t letting brands create their own Timeline pages yet and hasn’t given guidance about when that feature will be available. “We are currently focused on Timeline for individuals and will consider how to make consistent experiences for Pages, but we have nothing to announce at this time,” a Facebook rep is quoted as saying.
If you aren’t familiar with Timeline, it’s the revamped version of the Facebook Profile. It’s a way to show off who you are, what
you do, and where you’ve been. It’s a complete design overhaul that constructs a visual history of everything you’ve ever done. Facebook automatically adds photos, status updates, and life events from your Facebook history to your timeline, but you can also add photos and content fill out the “Way Back” section.
Does social media have a place at the office? Some organizations definitely don’t think so. A recent report from Clearswift, an IT security firm, found that 19% of companies are blocking employee access to social media sites at work, up 10% from last year.
But wait… Is Cyberloafing’ Good for Productivity? discusses web surfing at work and its effect on output. The conclusion? It “serves an important 
restorative function and can actually refresh workers and improve performance”. The article summarizes a recent study by Don. J.Q. Chen and Vivien K.G. Kim which found that the amount of Internet browsing a person does during the day, including visiting social media sites, is significantly and positively related to such upbeat mental states as excited, interested, alert, and active, and inversely related to such negative mental states as distressed, fearful, hostile, and jittery.
