When asked why they don't have a better or stronger social media presence, most entrepreneurs and small business owners blame time. After all, when you have contracts to worry about, clients to contact, and other day to day tasks to complete, adding just one more thing to the mix can seem like a huge burden. However, social media doesn't have to be as time consuming as you may think. In fact, with the right habits in place, you'll find that with even a small time investment - just 15 minutes each day - your reputation and your client list will grow. Here are some tips - from beginner to intermediate to social media expert - on how to maximize your presence without losing your whole workday. In just 15 minutes, you can... Set up your social media profile. In fact, it takes much less time to set up a social media account. Even if you're technologically impaired, each social media platform has a tutorial to walk you through setting up the page. See: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. It should take about 5 minutes to set up your account! Look at that - 10 minutes to spare! Find content. One of the big keys to social media is consistency. By posting at least one time each day, you're telling your followers - and potential clients - that you are actively invested in your industry. And by carefully choosing what you post, you're telling your audience what they can expect from you. You can look all sorts of places for information. Start by looking for information from sites you frequently visit. You can also share information that other businesses are posting on social media; it's a great way to build positive brand connections. Spend a few minutes each day finding content you can share! Schedule content. This one goes out to all the overachievers out there! When searching for articles to post, save what you like and schedule it out. You can use Facebook's built-in scheduling, or you can take a look at a scheduling program like Hootsuite or Buffer. Your social media will be running itself all week. The best part of this is that you can make an investment of 15 minutes investment twice a week (once to find content and once to schedule it) and take care of all of your posts! Educate yourself. Social media doesn't have to be a mystery. Run a quick search for something like "How does Twitter work?" or "Using Facebook to boost business" and see what you can find. Or get even more specific with a search like "Using Facebook for Real Estate" to get industry-related articles on how you can improve. For starters, check out this very quick read: Better Social Media in 15 Minutes. Look around. No one is expecting you to be a Facebook guru overnight. Each social media platform has its own language and culture. The best way to learn is by observing and interacting. Spend 15 minutes browsing through profiles and accounts to see how the platform works. Check out the competition. Once you have an account established, check up on businesses you admire, compete with, or hear about often. See what habits they use online and get inspired with your own accounts.