Monday 17 March 2014

SOCIAL MEDIA - HERE I COME!!.

I've finally done it – stuck my toe into the social media waters and I thought it might be fun to take a detour from my usual type of post and share what I've done with this social media thing so far.

I know most people start their social media journey with Facebook, but that is one I’m not ready to tackle yet. It seems to me Facebook gets all the negative press, which makes me uncomfortable, so I’ll just sit on the fence with that one for a while longer, maybe forever.

I first joined Google+ quite a long time ago, which doesn't mean a whole lot since it just sits there. I do have their little widget on my blog and I have a few Google+ friends, but frankly, I don’t know what to do with them. Maybe one day, when I have some extra time, I’ll see if the Library has a Google+ for Dummies book.

Then there is Twitter, which I was told was a great place to promote my blog, but like Google+, I just don’t get it. Twitter is like a large conveyor belt, moving all the time, and as soon as you post a tweet, it moves down the line to disappear, where to I don't know. I know the tweets do get read, because I tweeted the post about Today’s Public Library, which was retweeted, and now I’m followed by the Library Headquarters and one of the branches. A couple of local community groups also picked me up at the same time and are now following me, so there’s definitely something there that I’m missing. I want to know what, so I will be taking a free one-on-one Twitter tutorial at the Library before the end of the month.

The third site I joined is LinkedIn, which I absolutely love, even though I have made more mistakes there then I would have believed possible. I belong to several groups on LinkedIn, my favourite being ‘Bloggers Helping Bloggers’ and let me tell you, it’s a good thing that group is tolerant, because they've pulled me out of quite a few holes I inadvertently landed in. I've commented on the wrong site, listed my blog in the wrong place, I made a comment on a post that digressed from the topic and therefore was regarded as spam. The thing is, I didn't' realize I was spamming - I thought spam was aggressive selling or promoting something. Obviously I still have a lot to learn about social media etiquette, but I'll get there, hopefully soon.

But while I’m being supported on LinkedIn, I’m also finding that I’m meeting a lot of interesting people through the different groups and reading a lot of great posts. Some posts are witty, some are thought-provoking, some are by very creative people, and a great many discuss blogging, about which again, I still have a lot to learn.

One of the things I've learned is that I need to change from Blogger to WordPress. Right now I’m using Blogger as my blogging platform (see the terms I’m already starting to use, I’m so proud), but I've learned that WordPress is a much better platform. One person used the analogy that using Blogger is like renting a house and WordPress is owning it. Another one told me that using Blogger is like being a sharecropper while with WordPress I own the farm. In other words, Blogger just doesn't cut it.

So, for the next while, I will be taking the Twitter tutorial, expand my activities on LinkedIn, hopefully without causing any more trouble, and moving my blog over to WordPress. Social media, new blogging platforms - am I getting to be computer savvy or what?.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Talk to you again next week,

Lenie

27 comments :

  1. Lenie, Certainly hear you re Social Media. As another beginner I often feel like Alice in Wonderland as many of my circle are not Social Media aficionados and it will require patience to build and integrate. For Google+ I would suggest joining some Interest groups e.g Arts, Photography. These may not lead immediately to Shares or raising your profile but they are rewarding in their own right and may generate some ideas for your posts. Maybe join Max Ivey for this weeks Video and learn some more about that. Pinterest is also stimulating and very easy to participate. Twitter and Facebook may be a challenge for those of us seeking mainly to promote a blog so again it helps to find other benefits there until the build takes place .Anyway,I will follow you on whatever you join so hopefully we will learn together. Fully concur re BHB. What a great group !

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    1. I will certainly look into some of your suggestions - I like the Pinterest idea but that seems to be a very visual site and I'm not sure I have enough material for that. Anyway, thanks Paul - I'll keep reading your posts and you can keep reading mine.
      Lenie

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  2. Lenie- I hear you. This social media is very overwhelming. The Blogger Helping Bloggers is a wonderful group of people. I have met so many wonderful people and hired two people from the group for help and have referred others. You think you will never get there but you do. You are on the right path.

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement Arleen - there does seem to be a lot to consider,doesn't there?
      Lenie

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  3. Patience, Lenie, patience. Rome wasn't built in a day. Social media isn't rocket science. You will succeed!

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  4. Sounds like you're progressing in a very methodical and positive way! Catarina is right....Rome wasn't built in a day! :) You may consider working with a social media coach. I found it cut my learning curve by quite a bit! Being out there isn't enough...it seems filtering where you should be is a key component! Keep it up, though. I love your posts!

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    1. Jacquie, glad you like the posts and thanks for all the encouragement you have given me. Very much appreciated.
      Lenie

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  5. I'm so happy to know I've made all the same mistakes and am not out there all alone! Your article gives me hope! Eventually, I hope to understand what the heck I'm doing on LinkedIn. I hope I'm not just annoying folks! Love your article!

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    1. Hi Vicki - glad you enjoyed the article. Its amazing, isn't it, all there is to learn. As far as BHB is concerned, if they put up with me, they'll welcome you with open arms.
      Lenie

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  6. Hello Lenie

    We also met on Bloggers helping Bloggers and i try my best to go through every post that you post....
    Regarding social media , I am in facebook from years but mostly friends are not much interested to read but i found stumbleupon.com a good medium. You can easily post your article there and get a lot of people visiting your blog in no time...
    But one thing is for sure , where every you will go , you will find me reading your post :)
    Its nice post as always and we are almost passing from same phase.

    Happy blogging.

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    1. Hello again Anna. I haven't seen stumbleupon but I will certainly look it up. Thanks for the following.
      Lenie

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  7. Lenie, it sounds like you are on the right track! Do share what you learn from Twitter. I've been hesitant to give it a try. Seems like I would feel like a cat- darting my eyes all over the screen trying to catch tweets.

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  8. There is always something to learn in this ever channging field. Just keep at it and you will be fine.

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  9. Hi you should be proud of what you have done so far. I prefer linked in over the others myself. Feel free to send me a connection request or to email me any time you want any help. take care, max

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  10. Social media can be confusing and time consuming, but also fun. As Paul pointed out, it is good to find other benefits on the platforms because the build for blog promotion can be slow. I like Twitter and Pinterest. I use Facebook primarily for connecting with family and friends. If you can find social media introductory classes (either in general or on a specific platform) at a local community club or continuing education provider, that can be a big help. I took a two hour introduction to Pinterest before I starting using for personal use and it made a big difference.

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  11. The group discussion boards on LinkedIn are fantastic (for the most part). I don't do much with my FB author page since they keep changing how many people are shown a given post. It has hit rock-bottom these past few months. I really like Twitter, but it can take a while to grow accustomed to. I make use of lists to keep tabs of who's who. When I share posts with great titles and hashtags on Twitter, my blog traffci always spikes.

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  12. Lenie, your post made me smile, I particularly liked how you described Twitter as a conveyor belt. I think you understand that medium waaaaay better than you think. :)

    Social media is the thing in our lives that reminds us that nothing is constant. No matter how much time you spend on it, there is always something new to learn. I think that's a healthy element to have in your life. I also agree, that the best part so far has been the BHB group. You're one more example of why I like it. :)

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  13. Google + took me a while to get used to as well. I love twitter though.

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  14. You wrote a very fun article. Everybody has to learn how to make the best use of social media and you will get there. It just takes some time.

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  15. Since social media is what I do for a living, I could make this a very long comment. But, suffice it to say - you have begun and that is what is important. LI is great, as is G+. Twitter drives me batty. Again, the point is, learn one or two platforms - go narrow and deep and be sure you are where your target market hangs out. You needn't go to the library. Take a free class online or attend a Hangout or free webinar. People have them all the time. Stick with it, give great content, and be consistent in your messaging!

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  16. When you migrate to Wordpress, are you going to migrate to Wordpress.org or Wordpress.com? Counterintuitively, WP.org is the one where you own your site and you will need to pay for hosting (a server where your blog will live). If you go with a WP.com platform, you won't be gaining much over Blogger. I don't consider myself tech savvy, so if I have this wrong, I hope someone else will pipe up. Social media is largely a mystery to me also. I find I am using my personal FB page now for blog promotion more than my fan page since FB wants to turn the latter into a paid enterprise and Klout will only allow you to link one FB account. (Of course, Klout is now supposedly meaningless -- except for PR firms that want to know what your Klout score is. Same for Alexa).

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  17. It does seem overwhelming. As many have already said, Rome isn't/wasn't built in a day. There truly is allot to learn. Sharing and commenting are all part of that. I would agree with Laurie. Learn each platform one at a time until you feel you've mastered it. There will be a point in time when you know what you need to do for your blog that fits your direction and your plan. :-)

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  18. That is great advice from Susan. Just small steps and eventually you will be able to understand some of it. It is an ever-changing environment and just yesterday I was reading an article about how blogging is almost a thing of the past. We shall see. For the time being it seems advanced to me!

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  19. Hello Lenie,
    Linkedin helped me a lot! Especially the post sharing stream in Bloggers helping bloggers. Though I am still trying hard to grasp Google +, I never used facebook or twitter!

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  20. Coming from the LAST person to resist the Facebook temptation (or so it feels like), I understand completely how overwhelming this whole social media roller coaster can be. I think you're taking the right route by discovering what works for you, and dictating your own pace at it. Good luck to you

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  21. I feel not all social media fits all. I have a Facebook account but I really don't see much from it. I am blogging, use twitter, Linkedin and Google+. I think my best results are from Linkedin. I have been doing this for year and it just takes time. Good luck getting your feet wet

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  22. I think we all need grand kids to find out how to use social media. My son has a small third world country following him cleaning his teeth (yes he only does it once a week). I am with you.. we need social media to promote blogs but my one follower (the dog) has more followers than me and probably knows how to tweet better.
    Really enjoyed the post thank you.

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I want this blog to be interesting, informative and current. Your comments let me know if I'm on track, so comments are greatly appreciated.
Thanks - Lenie