Social Media Sharing: When Is It Too Much?

You all know that my social media “first love” is definitely Twitter, especially when you look at the time I spend on it, how many followers I have, and the number I follow.  That said, this past year I have been spending almost an equal amount of time on Facebook, Google and Instagram, nurturing and growing my community on these platforms.  And, occasionally, I check in on Pinterest.

My goal today is to share with you what works for me on these channels.

Twitter:  I tweet quite a bit because I would like to reciprocate as much as possible.  In general, I use this platform to inform, educate and inspire.  I do like the speed and pace of Twitter.

I get asked to chime in on Twitter chats, I choose those I join carefully because I don’t want to burden my followers with endless chatter.  After all, I tweet quite a bit already.  This is a tough one for me to balance because of my volume of followers.  I want to reach out to as many folks in different time zones as possible and this can get tricky.

I don’t care to participate in shout-outs, Klout, and other things of that nature—they clutter up my page.  I try to make each tweet count and it is often important to say hi or join in a conversation to personalize your page.  I take my engagement off-line and participate in face-to-face time at tweet-ups and conferences.

If you are new to Twitter, here are some older (but still popular!) Twitter articles I’ve written.

Facebook:  As you know, I share quotes quite a bit on Twitter and, for those long quotes that are over 140 characters long, I like to share them on Facebook.  In general I try to use a photo that I may have taken to illustrate or complement the quote.  They are quite popular; I get quite a bit of engagement with these snippets of thoughts about life.

Sometimes I share my colorful cocktail drinks.  I may have shared one too many because I had someone tell me they thought my second job was a bartender.  So—are you what you share?  I guess it’s all in the perception… In that instance, over-sharing isn’t always good.

Speaking of over-sharing, it is extremely important to pace your posts out.  On Facebook, I probably post about one to three posts a day unless I am working at an event.  You don’t have to share every meal, every photo of you.  If you decide to do so, at least try to be selective of what you share and the frequency.

Google+:  The Google+ is pretty cool.  I like this platform because I find some really unique posts on it.  Perhaps because my following isn’t overwhelming there, it gives me the opportunity to find different content to contribute across my channels.  When I find a link that I appreciate, I look up the individual’s name on Twitter to introduce them to my audience.  I do tend to re-post the same link on Facebook and Google+ if something resonates with me or I need to promote a post for a client, a friend or my blog.  When I do this, I try to use a different photo or a different caption at various time of the day to mix it up.  Do re-post to maximize traffic with your own blog.

Google+ also has a few tricks up its sleeve—one is built-in photo editing so that people can create one of those ever-so-popular memes or add some text or filters to a photo.  From a marketing standpoint, people should also remember that Google+ posts are going to come up on searches much higher than on other platforms. Read this article for more reasons on why Google+ should be embraced.

When I have time, I have about six tabs opened on my laptop and click back and forth to view my numerous stations, and I always see duplicate photos being posted across the streams.  It reminds me that it isn’t what I want see on my pages.

Instagram:  It’s just so much FUN!  Especially posting travel photos.  I enjoy following along my friend’s journeys and sharing mine as well.  For me, I do a lot more liking and making conversations than posting on Instagram unless I am traveling and working at an event.  At the beginning, I was not choosy in which photos I posted, but then I had a look at National Geographic’s photos, and I was inspired for my page to be on par with theirs one day. Don’t be afraid to share your personal side, but I’d recommend being a little picky so your photos will stand out from the crowd.

When posting on Instagram, your photo can share a story with your friends about where you are physically and emotionally.  I like to walk into a page that is peaceful and tranquil, like a garden.  It’s a place for me to escape into, just like when you watch a movie.

When posting a quote, a link or a photo, be a little judicious and make each tweet, post and re-sharing  count.  There is so much out there, how will you make your voice stand out?  What is your view?

 

 

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4 Replies to “Social Media Sharing: When Is It Too Much?

  1. Thanks for this. Your ability to do so much and do it all very well and in a natural and kind way, is inspiring and a breath of fresh air. The zen in you is strong! Your nurturing and intuitive mind is apparent and appreciated, Ann.

    1. Hi Krystyn,

      Thank you for your generous support here and on Google+. I am glad I finally made my way over there ツ I get a lot of great unique content over that platform. Then Zen is still work in progress ツ

      Hope to see you IRL soon!
      Ann

  2. Do you use YouTube? While I enjoy looking at some videos it doesn’t seem to be a ‘social’ tool. It almost resembles a traditional broadcadting tool. Am I missing something? Jim

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