This question is often asked, and most don't like the answer. The answer is more effort than you think. If you own a small business, a local coffee shop, for example, you should spend roughly 30 minutes of your day managing your social media accounts. You'll need to do more than just make posts, you also need to spend time managing your reputation. Reputation management includes responding to comments as well as online reviews. At the minimum, your business should have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles. You should add Pinterest and YouTube if it suits your business. As an owner, you should also have a LinkedIn profile. While you may not think you have the time to spend using social media, it is best to avoid assigning the duties to an employee unless that person 100 percent understands your branding and how you want to communicate with your customers. One bad social media interaction can wreak havoc on your business, so it is important to be careful about how you respond to customers.