I really don't like twitter. I've been on it for quite a while and at first I found lots of interesting links and met other writers, readers and bloggers. But as my followers and the people I followed grew in numbers, I started to find less and less to interest me. Some writers and the publishers I follow do nothing but promote. I don't care about 99% of the celebraty news I see on there. I check in now and then but seldom tweet myself and almost never click on links anymore. Guess I failed that part of social media. I give myself an D-.
I find Facebook amusing at times. People post some interesting things and I keep up with some of my out of state relatives there. I also find some links to interesting blogs and keep up with author friends and their successes. Sometimes I post a link there to my blog posts or those of my friends. I do announce any of my new releases there. I give myself a C- on FB usage for promoting myself.
The one area I'm doing okay in regards to social media is blogging. I've made lots of interesting and helpful friends. Blog challenges like the A to Z in April and this Insecure Writers' Blogfest have helped me grow my blog audience and connected to me to other bloggers around the world. And I really enjoy. But I know I could do better. I could spend more time visiting other blogs and perhaps I could blog everyday instead of three or four times per week. My excuse is that I need some writing time. I give myself a B- for my use of blogging to build my online presence.
I'm currently resisting joining pinterest.
So my insecurity for the day is that I should be doing more with social media and my excuses for not are time and lack of interest. My overall grade on this part of my writing career isn't exactly honor roll status.
Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for starting this blog fest. You all can still join anytime. So are you comfortable with the amount of time you spend working the social media angle? Do you do too much or too little? Have you seen results from doing more?
24 comments:
I hate Twitter. Succumbed to the pressure to join, but only tweet once a day at 6am. I don't do FB, never will. I like to blog but even that needs some time away to regenerate me.
I think it all depends on your own comfort level. Do what makes you happy.
I'm as wary as you about Pinterest.
I made a Facebook Page for my blog but I rarely use it or update it. I'm a little better on Twitter but it's so constant that if you're away from it for 5 minutes you've missed out on so much.
I signed up for Twitter recently. It's not doing anything for me. I followed 40 people. 40 people followed me back. I wondered how they knew to follow me back so easily - there must be a button or something I didn't see. Turns out it was a bunch of random strangers, mostly half-dressed women, following everyone. What? I don't get the value of it quite yet.
I know how you feel. I don't have any real interest in Twitter, either. Blogging has been a lot of fun, but it is time consuming.
Whatever did writers do before all this stuff came out? ;)
I'm not much into twitter either. My blog is really the only thing I do somewhat consistently. Lol
Regardless of what the experts say we 'must' do, I believe we should do the things we enjoy and feel comfortable with. Like you, I feel much more comfortable blogging than any of the other places.
Twitter gives me hives. I find it overwhelming, so avoid it. I've had to cut back on social networking, or I'd never get any writing done.
Not realizing that it was even Wednesday, forgot today was the first Wednesday of the month, so missed this today. How did it get to be March?
I am a social media junkie. Besides two blogs, I'm on FB, Twitter (which I am totally hooked on), Tumblr, LinkedIn, GoodReads and a few more obscure ones.
But it isn't for everyone. It's never a one size fits all thing.
I'd like to look into Pinterest but just don;t have the time. Maybe this weekend I'll give it 30 minutes and see if I like it.
There are so many choices out there, it's overwhelming. When I'm making a decision, I remind myself of this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt,"Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't."
At the moment, I'm online a lot, but that's because of my latest book. I'm on Twitter and it's all right. No Facebook though. Those are enough!
I like Facebook for communicating with friends, but not promoting my writing. I was on Twitter for a while, when I finally realized that I didn't like it much and wasn't active enough to justify keeping my account, so I hear ya.
Allison (Geek Banter)
I'm on all those social media things but I doubt I'm using them correctly. My Twitter feed is pretty much a steady stream of quotes from Joss Whedon shows. And I forget I have a pinterest account half the time.
Hi Susan,nice to meet you. I like social media to be 'social'. Have a hard time using it for promotion.
My personal take: Facebook is basically evil but it helps me to keep up with family.
Twitter got boring real quick.
Pinterest just doesn't interest me.
Blogging works for me -most days.
I also recently blogged about Twitter since having joined it less than 2 weeks ago and I concur with your conclusion. In fact I'm pretty much in agreement with you about all of these.
Lee
A Faraway View
An A to Z Co-host blog
I have a Twitter account, but I keep forgetting to tweet anything. I don't follow many people but I do read their tweets as they come up. I was on FB for five minutes before I got fed up with people I barely knew trying to be my friend so I left that.
Blogging is my thing. I love it :-)
I feel the same pain, as do most writers, it seems. I defy the doom sayers that tell me I NEED a twitter account to be someone. About Fb, I actually like it and have quite a few nice friends that I wouldn't have known otherwise. Blogging is also I enjoy and has brought me many satisfactions. So, in general, I'd say I'm a lousy social media user but the things I do (even to the very few that I do reach) I enjoy and wouldn't change.
Good luck and don't let social media stop you. From Diary of a Writer in Progress.
Your comments have lessened my guilt about visiting twitter only a few days per week. Thanks you all for stopping by.
I've never joined Twitter or Facebook. I'm pretty comfortable with just blogging--and I don't think I'd be doing much off the computer if I started using other social networking sites!
I feel the same way about all the social media you mentioned. Twitter just hasn't gotten me yet. I'm also resisting Pinterest; it seems like a massive time eater, and do I really need it? No way! On the blogging, I don't think it's necessary to blog daily. I really don't. Then again, that is just my opinion, and I may have an F for blogging!
Shannon at The Warrior Muse, co-host of the 2012 #atozchallenge! Twitter: @AprilA2Z
I know I should be doing more. I hardly ever look at my Facebook anymore.
I can't see any purpose of twitter for me. Nothing seems interesting for me to read even. Just way too many things (blurbs).
Stopping over from the A to Z Challenge. I can't wait to start!!
P.S. Of course I'm your newest follower
Giggle, Laugh, Cry
I've been trying various social networking sites and so far the only ones I really enjoy are blogging and occasionally pinterest because I enjoy pictures. Everything else got boring real quick :)
Universal Gibberish
I like Twitter when I'm in the mood for it. At other times I ignore it - which I think is one of the advantages of Twitter - you can do that! :)
I don't even do FB, so you're ahead of me there!
And I think you do a great job of blogging! We really have to find time to write too! :)
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