Here is a post from the archives, slightly updated of course, because the inner editor thinks her job is to constantly tweak things. It's been extra busy around here, so thought I'd share this favorite bit of advice. :)
Social Media: Love it or Hate it?
Do you enjoy using social media? Those close to me know I'm a reluctant social media participant. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy meeting new people and interacting with family and friends. There are great benefits, from blogging and Facebook to Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and more, I've connected and shared with great people all over the globe.
Social media is an excellent marketing tool, one that's necessary for freelancing, writing books, business, and all things related. There are dozens of potential benefits, many of which I've tapped into.
So despite these great benefits, why am I still not a big fan? The two main issues I have are:
1) The constant perceived demand on one's time. We've become a society, as a whole, that thinks everyone should be available 24/7. This translates into pressure for many people. And while it's our choice to partake, the draw and demand are still there. It takes personal discipline and sometimes a steel will to avoid getting drawn in, buckling under the pressure, and spending too much time meeting the demands, whether real or perceived. (See more on the importance of saying no in this post.)
2) The "TMI - ATT" syndrome. Too Much Information - All. The. Time. While not everyone is prone to sharing too much personal info, social media offers the perfect forum to do so. Call me old fashioned, but I think that there are details of one's life that aren't meant to be spread about everywhere. Certain conversations are best left one to one, with family or a close friend. In many ways too, I think this hinders a quality social media experience.
If you are a big proponent of social media, please don't be offended by my thoughts here. That's not my intent. I value and understand the benefits, and realize that some people are more wired for social media than I am. They're outgoing and enjoy and often need that interaction with others. I get that, and mean no disrespect to those who feel that way.
So this is where I'm coming from - I'm a shy writer who's never been a social butterfly, ever. One who's happier with her nose in a book than at a party of a thousand of her closest friends. My conscientious self wants to help everyone I can, but social media can set me on overload.
That said, what can one such as I do to better engage on social media? Where does the balance lie? It's different for everyone, depending on whether promoting books, freelance writing services, or simply to engage in a little socialization.
What's a Shy Writer to Do?
No matter what kind of social media fan (or not) you are, perhaps these three tips will lend a hand.
1) Spread the love by sharing. If I enjoy the content of a blog or website, I usually share it with others by sharing on Twitter, posting on Facebook or Google+, or pinning on Pinterest. Most sites have share buttons somewhere on the screen, and it only takes a few seconds to do so. It boosts your visibility on social media while sharing good info with others.
2) Schedule posts in advance. Social media management sites provide free tools to schedule and manage tweets, posts, etc. on your most used outlets. My favorite is Hootsuite. I take a little time each month there, scheduling tweets and posts in advance. It's a big time saver, and provides exposure for whatever I wish to promote, whether it's friends' or my own work/services or other links and items worth sharing. Other sites, such as Facebook now have scheduling options as well.
3) Make it do double duty. Many social media outlets allow you to post through them onto other sites. For instance, I set up my Facebook author page's posts to automatically appear on Twitter too. Others, such as Pinterest and Instagram provide the same options. Check the settings to see what options are available. One word of caution - if you are, for example, a frequent pinner on Pinterest, and it's linked to Facebook, your feed can be flooded with posts. So check the settings and see how much you want to share, or not.
Whether you're a shy or outgoing writer or other creative, there are dozens of handy tools available to strike your right social media balance.
A Break
It's time for me to take a break. There are new things happening here, old things that need attention, and a heart that needs quiet space to focus on some spiritual things. As much as I dislike placing a temporary hold on blogging, it's necessary. Lest you think otherwise, all is well. Just realized recently that I'm close to going from the "want to blog" to the "have to blog", and that's not good. So it's time for a hiatus. Please know that I love you all and appreciate your support more than I can say. See you in September. :)
Your Thoughts
Do you enjoy social media? Why or why not? What helps you balance social media time with other parts of life? What's on your writing schedule this month?
Happy writing,
Karen
Photo credit: Pixabay
