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| Social Networks are as hard to number as a charm of Hummingbirds! |
At the time I'm publishing this blog, there
are approximately 40 large social media platforms and networks. I say
approximately because counting them is about as hard as numbering a charm
(flock) of humming birds. And they come and go almost as quickly.
Trying to chase down and join
all the networks is not only impossible, it’s completely counterproductive. As
writers, we need to remember the purpose of social networking, and it’s not to
make a career as a marketer. It’s the means to an end—actually a couple of
ends. Our goal with social media needs to stay focused on two thing:
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| Social Media is the means to an end...connecting with your audience. |
- Connecting with our audience.
- Connecting with industry professionals.
To that end, there are three
things I’ve found productive in almost one hundred percent of situations.
- Blogging.
- Facebook.
- Twitter.
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| Social Media is governed by the law of diminishing returns! |
Another thing I’ve found to be true is the fact that social networking is governed by the law of diminishing returns. I’ve found that spending more than 30 minutes a day ((after you’ve come up to speed and are familiar with social networking tools and platforms) is less effective. And the longer you spend, the worse the numbers get.
Now it's your turn. What networks do you enjoy and what networks do you find valuable?
Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
I love blogging, and I love Facebook. I'm quickly falling in love with Pinterest. But I just don't understand Twitter. Everyone sounds so polished and professional. It doesn't seem the place to post about my children or my apple pie dump cake. But it seems that everyone savvy with social media loves it. I would love to quit it, but I don't want to miss opportunities. On the other hand, if I don't do it well, couldn't that hurt me?
ReplyDeleteMeghan, don't be afraid of not doing it well. Get your feet wet a little at a time with it. The best part of it is the Hashtags (#). These make your tweets visible to people who don't follow you, but might be interested in what you have to say. It's a great way to find new connections on the Internet. But, you may be having really good success in that with Pinterest. I'm trying to do some research and see if Pinterest could be a viable alternative to Twitter for those who love it. I promise a future blog post on this, and I'd love to hear from you about your opinion. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings, E
DeleteI love blogging, thanks to you. Twitter and Facebook are somewhat helpful. I find Linked In brings more traffic to my blog, but I don't find the interaction too fabulous. Goodreads and Google Plus are things that I occasionally involve in.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, like everything, Twitter & Facebook take time to build. I think you're doing a great job. You may find that others tweeting about your blog are bringing in more traffic than you think. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings, E
DeleteEdie, my main 3 are blogging, facebook and twitter. I've tried a few others like google plus but just can't get the hang of it. At first, I felt like each time I read a post on something new in the social media realm, I had to sign up for it. After awhile, it was becoming overwhelming to me. Thanks to you and hearing you constantly say to me "you don't have to do it all" have really helped! Love you!
ReplyDeleteJamie, I think you're in good shape with social media and I really believe we can quickly get lost in the maze of trying to find the best, newest, easiest network. Thanks for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteGreat article, Edie. You've touched on what I am only recently coming to understand: spending too much time on social media is counter productive to my writing output. Do you have a rule of thumb for when you use social media in a day's time?
ReplyDeleteCynthia, I published my schedule several posts ago, here's the link: http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2012/10/social-media-mondaya-social-media.html
DeleteIt explains when I use social media and how much. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings, E
Thank you for this post, Edie. I'm still struggling to find my niche in social media. My go-to platforms are Twitter and Facebook. I use Pinterest for my crafting hobby, not my writing. And I tend to forget about Google +. As for the other ones, I don't have the time.
ReplyDeleteLisa, I think you're doing well with social media, too. It takes time to grow an online presence. I love the advice you got at ACFW about blogging. Hang in there, your network is definitely growing! Thanks for sharing a comment - Blessings, E
DeleteI have found your top three to work best for me as well.
ReplyDeleteI work to keep dedicated time to those three down to thirty minutes but probably spend more.
Although, when my story is truly flowing, I tend to ignore the social networking. In the end I think it balances.
Great post as always, Edie.
Mary, I love your attitude. You've learned what most of us need to remember - social media is important...but NOT as important as our writing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Blessings, E
DeleteThanks for not telling me there's ANOTHER system I need to learn. You know me better than anyone when it comes to social networking. :-)
ReplyDeleteI blog and use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. I like all of these, but I suspect my blog postings and writer's comments don't quite fit in the businesslike LinkedIn. I have a Google+ account but I don't see the benefits and might let that one go soon. It might have been more useful if I had the time to devote to it, but I think I'm doing enough social media as it is.
ReplyDelete