Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Blogging and Social Media

When I started blogging, I thought I needed to be on all social media platforms. Because several were unfamiliar, I began with Twitter and planned to branch out.

I rather disliked Facebook and stayed away from it for a long time, then saw tons of bloggers recommending it. A few people asked me, So, do you have a Facebook page for your blog? and I felt bad saying no, like I wasn't a "real blogger" if I didn't even have a Facebook page. I created one, finally, but it really just sat there. Nobody liked it, because nobody even knew it was there. I didn't even really want it there.

Recently, I linked my Tumblr page and this blog, which basically means I share my reviews there and have a link to Tumblr on here with my other social media platforms. This is simple for me, because the website itself suits me better. I like sharing pictures of books, seeing reviews, and being able to share cat pictures once and awhile.

But when this happened, I stopped using Twitter so often. If I have something to say, it feels so much easier to ramble about it without a character limit. That said, I feel awful when all Twitter followers see is Goodreads updates and blog posts.

I guess I'm basically trying to say that juggling more than one social media account is difficult, at least for me, and also give a pretty unpopular piece of blogging advice: I don't think you have to be on all social media platforms as a blogger. While it can help your numbers, it can also be an unnecessary stressor. It's much more helpful to do what works for you, and forget about everything else.

I would like to know about you guys, though. Which social media platforms do you use, and do you notice a dramatic difference in your followers/page views/other numbers because of them? (I personally don't.) How do you balance blogging, "real life," and social media?

8 comments:

  1. I have a Facebook page, but it doesn't really get much attention. I do use my personal Instagram and Twitter pages to connect with my readers though. I feel like it's less stiff than an account set up just for my blog.

    I haven't really noticed any differences in page views though.

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    1. I definitely use my social media as personal accounts rather than blogging ones as well, or at least try to. I agree that I don't see a difference in views or anything - I don't even have many of the same followers from blog to Twitter.

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  2. I have a facebook page that I completely ignore (COMPLETELY). I have a twitter account that I mostly only use to link to my blog and goodreads. Occasionally I remember that I'm supposed to use it for more than that and I go in and try to do something a little more meaningful, but I usually don't take the time. I've never used tumblr. :/

    ~ Liza @ Classy Cat Books

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    1. I ignored my Facebook page until I finally deleted it, LOL. I'm the same with Twitter - I'm good for awhile, but it never lasts long, and it's mostly links, even though I don't want it to be!

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  3. I don't have a FB account just because I know I would rarely put in the work to update it. I use Twitter, but not as often as other bloggers.

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    1. Same here. I guess I never have anything to say? Or sometimes I do and I'm away from the computer/phone, and I forget or it seems pointless by the time I can get online.

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  4. I have a Facebook page because Wordpress will automatically post links to new posts there, so...why not? It gives another way of following for people who aren't bloggers, and it's not too much work. That said, like everyone else, I find the page doesn't have that many followers and I very rarely get traffic from it. My blog actually got more traffic from Pinterest last year!

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    1. When I was on Wordpress, I remember trying to set that up and then seeing that it didn't work. I admit I didn't try very hard to figure it out, though.

      I mostly use Pinterest for my writing - it organizes my visuals for character descriptions and such. What did you post that was blog related? I might try it out for the blog.

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