At last count, I was a member of MySpace, Ryze, FaceBook, Ning, Fabulously40, Inside919, Tagged, Gathers, Black Writers with Purpose, LinkedIn, Eons, Vibrant Nation, Women Etc., and Boomer Diva Nation (Founder/Moderator). Oh, and let’s not forget about the time consuming site known as Twitter.

I want to be connected. I want people to know who I am and what I do and I want to know them. I’ve read plenty of articles that say you have to develop “relationships” BEFORE you jump into the “buy my product” business. While I agree with that, I also believe there comes a time in everyone’s life when you have to say, “The buck stops here!”

Social networking definitely has its advantages. I became a best selling author on Amazon.com because of some wonderful women on the Ryze Network. My media consulting business has also done very well. But somewhere in the course of being connected online, I have lost part of myself. I would rather be on the computer spending idle time than be out in my own community making new contacts and even visiting old friends.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, here’s what I suggest:

Practice Time Management: Allocate certain times of the day that you will spend on the computer for social networking and stick to it. It may be hard at first but once you develop a routine, you will find it’ll get easier.

Learn to Walk Away: One of my favorite songs by Kenny Rogers is “The Gambler.” He says, “You gotta know when to hold ‘em—know when to fold ‘em—know when to walk away…”

Out of all of the networks I mentioned above, I’m really only active on three. Sure I contribute from time to time of all of the networks but there is no consistency on the majority of them. I’m sure you know people who only pop onto the site when they want to promote their business or product. That’s a non-no. If your friends on MySpace haven’t seen you in months and then all of a sudden you show up to promote your book, how do you think they will respond?

Do some Research on Social Media: Not every site is necessarily for everybody. Do your homework and find out which sites will serve your best interest. If you’re a baby boomer, why would you want to be connected to women who are all twenty-something? If you’re strictly about business, find like-minded sites, instead of wasting valuable time doing social networking.

Cultivate Real Relationships: I have never understood why some people insist on boasting about having thousands of friends in their “inner circle.” Use part of your networking time to get to know people. Twitter is a one of those places where people will chat about almost anything. Follow their conversation and chime in from time to time. Show others you are more than just your business.

Too much social networking can have you spinning your wheels and failing to meet your overall objectives. But, of course, you must know what that objective is.

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Here is where you’ll find some of the most interesting, talented and diverse baby boomer women on the planet. We’re Divas and proud of it! So what is a DIVA? She’s a baby boomer woman who’s Divinely, Inspired, Vivacious and Anointed.

The Divas are all very talented women who come from very diverse backgrounds around the globe. We come from all walks of life and different races and are eager to share our knowledge and resources. We’ve had a few bumps in the road and some detours but we continue to persevere.

Boomer Diva Nation—a nonprofit organization—provides a variety of resources to assist fellow baby boomer women in their endeavors. It’s also a place where women can network. Please come join us!

Charter Members

Linda Alexander, Pam Archer, Angela Betts, Natalie Cole, Cynthia Frazier, Linda Hall, Donna Maria Harris, Kathy Holmes, Gayle Hurd, Karlyn, Betty Lynch, Heidi Richards; Beverly Mahone; Ginger Marks, Carine Nadel, Kathie M. Thomas Kathy Walsh, Debra Shivelely Welch, Gloria Mount, Ora Stearns-Smith and Vicki M. Taylor.

Baby Boomers aren’t as active on the internet as one might be led to believe.  According to a survey conducted by ThirdAge, Inc., more than half of boomers have never visited a social networking site.  Surprising?  Yes, it is to me since the vast majority of women I come in contact with on a daily basis are boomers.

But according to Third Age, Inc., 53 percent of boomers said they had never visited social networking sites; 47 percent cited concerns over privacy and having personal information on the Web; 39 percent said they’re too busy; and 32 percent see no benefit in spending time social networking.

“Boomers are using more traditional Web communication tools, such as e-mail, to keep in touch with their existing group of friends in order to share photos and, more importantly, life experience,” according to Third Age Chief Executive Officer Sharon Whiteley.  “That said, boomers in general are interested in connecting and interacting with others in their community around shared interests and common issues. They relate to people sharing a similar life phase, and they trust those who have walked in their shoes.”

The survey also found boomers are “not yet” interested in: blogs, podcasts, music downloads and group gaming.

Boomers alone account for 78 million people and control more than 83 percent of consumer spending, according to the companies that produced the survey. Forty percent of the United States’ population is over 45, with 50 percent market growth projected over the next 15 years. Boomer spending will increase $800 billion to over $4.6 trillion by 2015.