Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I {heart} Social Media

Disclosure: The PosterCandy poster featured was gifted to me for the purpose of review.

Ahh social media. There is so much to love! So much time to be wasted! And so many pictures of cats to laugh at!

I really enjoy using social media, some platforms more than others, so I thought I'd share some of my thoughts about them and how I use them to promote my blog.

Facebook


 I love Facebook (and more particularly my Sew Delicious page) because it's a little community all of it's own. I can interact with people which I can't do so easily on the blog, people can message me privately through my page, and I can share all the 'behind the scenes' stuff and works in progress. Made much easier by the fact that I can take a quick snap on my phone and share it instantly.

I know heaps of people complain about their page's reach and the algorithms that keep people seeing your feeds. But hey - it's a free service. Mark Zuckerberg owes me nothing. Now that it's a public company, the only people he cares about keeping happy is his shareholders. So changes will continue to happen, but I'll roll with the punches and I'm sure no one will leave Facebook because of it!

Another great thing is that it is a way for people who don't follow blogs, like many of my family members, to see what I'm up to without being subscribed to Google Reader or an equivalent.  And it can be tricky to comment on the blog sometimes, so people can leave comments on Facebook instead.

I would have to say that Facebook is my favourite social media account, but that is really because of the people who 'like' my Sew Delicious page and interact with me there. It's fun.

Twitter


Over the summer and Christmas break earlier this year, I took a big break from social media in general. I pretty much stopped looking at Twitter...and I've never really returned. I find it impersonal (but weirdly, whole private conversations can go on in your feed and you can watch them unfold) and to be honest, a bit nasty. Have you ever followed a hashtag during a TV show, particularly a reality show? Wow. Negativity, judgy comments and just plain old meanness. I was sick of it.

I still use it from time to time - I have my facebook page connected so when I update my status it will tweet as well. I also occasionally share instagram pics to Twitter as well. I find that the creative groups I follow and are part of are using other forms of social media anyway.

Do you like Twitter? Do you think I should give it another chance? 

Pinterest 


Pinterest is a social media site, but I don't really use it for networking and sharing. There are not a lot of ways you can promote your own work like the other social media sites. People can follow me, and repin my pins, however it is really up to others to pin and share the content on my blog, and I can't easily control that. You can make it easier by adding a 'Pin It' button under your images, or even that new fancy thing where you hover your mouse over an image and a 'Pin It' symbol magically appears. (I want that!! But I fear the HTML coding would do my head in!)

So I don't use Pinterest to promote my blog much, although I do have a board called "Ring My Bell" where I pin some of my creations. I prefer to use Pinterest to follow others and find great ideas. I use the search function like a search engine when I'm looking for something particular. I have found some lovely blogs via Pinterest and I have made quite a few projects I've found on there.   

Instagram


I was very late to the Instagram party - I only joined late last year. But it has quickly turned into a big favourite of mine! I love scrolling through my feed full of stunning pictures of fabric, quilt blocks, works in progress, delicious food and just generally lots of creative goodness (and the occasional cute kid!) 

If I have something happening on the blog, like a tutorial or like my Sweet Pouch Swap earlier this year, I will promote it on instagram using screenshots, but I only do that occasionally. The hashtag for the swap was very active, which was fantastic.

I also love the different options that are out there on the web to print your Instagram pictures. Earlier this year I was contacted by the people from Poster Candy, asking if I'd like use my Instagram pics to print a poster. Ummm yes! I had this vision of using lots of my sewing project related pics and making a bright poster to frame and hang above my sewing space. So I did. And I love it!  Whenever I look at it I see projects I've made and loved and it gives me a great sense of achievement seeing them all together like that.


 
It came out great (although the frame I bought is slightly too tall so I will get another one) and I am hoping to use Poster Candy again later in the year when we come back from an overseas holiday we are planning - it would be an awesome way to collate your holiday snaps.

Flickr


I use flickr a bit too - it was fantastic during the Sweet Pouch Swap. I don't visit often, but I have joined a lot sewing groups on there and I find a lot of inspiration in those groups. Flickr was where it all started for me. I started browsing in groups like "Sew Mama Sew", and found pictures by a few bloggers, particularly Suz from Sewpony. The rest, as they say, is history! 

Goodreads 
This is a really new one for me. I joined Goodreads because I ADORE reading so I thought it would be a good place to find info on books. Also I wanted to join Marissa's (from Rae Gun Ramblings) YA Literature book club. So I'm not really networking as such on there, or writing reviews, but I enjoy participating in the book club. Marissa loves all the same types of books I do, so it's been great reading through the group topics and getting recommendations for other titles I know I will like.
  
So there you have it. Apart from going hand in hand with blogging, I also think social media has made my experience as a stay at home parent better. I can connect with friends, other parents and communities that interest me while I'm at home with my children, and I think it has helped make it less of an isolating experience, which it can be at times. Don't get me wrong - I still value and cherish my real life buddies and spending time with family and friends, and the number of bloggers I've become real life friends with is a testament to that. But I think it has added a dimension to making being at home more enjoyable for me. Social media and blogging has enabled me to create and grow Sew Delicious, participate in wonderful creative and blogging communities and meet a lot of awesome people, for which I am grateful.
  

16 comments:

  1. I hate twitter, so I never use it, I think what goes on it is awful. I only really use facebook and blogger. Otherwise I spend to much time doing tech stuff and not actually living my life!! cheers Karen

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    1. So true Karen! It really can be a huge time waster!

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  2. I pretty much agree with everything you have stated. I have a twitter account but havent even bothered to optimise it or link it to my blog yet... should I do that?

    I find that now I am using pinterest less and less. I have followed too many boards and now I don't really see any relevant posts in my feed, I used to check it daily and open at least 10 pages because they were relevant... but not anymore. It is still useful though and I use it every now and then.

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    1. Definitely set up Twitter hun! I was so scared of Twitter in the beginning, but once you jump right in there it's really easy to work out ;-)

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  3. I heart social media too!
    Facebook... I live there! lol
    Twitter - I'm a bit like you when it comes to twitter. I don't frequent there as much as I used to... but I blame that on my inferior android phone that doesn't allow the app to work properly. It's quite glitchy. I prefer to use twitter from my phone.
    Pinterest... It's not very often these days that I browse what everyone else is pinning. I pin new stuff all the time from blogs that I read though. Love to share the love ;-)
    Instagram.... Well you know all about my lament with instagram! ONE DAY!!!!!
    and finally Flickr.... I really should utilize it better. Do you find you get alot more love from readers sharing projects made using your tutes that way?
    Great post lovely xo

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    1. I don't think I get additional traffic from flickr but I just like being part of the community and part of the groups. There are a lot of people who contribute there who are not bloggers so it's great to see pics that you haven't already seen around already on blogs or Pinterest. I don't use it a lot but I do really like it.

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  4. I'm the same with Twitter. I have it as an option for people to follow the blog, but I don't use it for anything else or check it...I guess that's why I only have about 50 followers. I get a few new people to the blog through flickr, but not a lot...better than none though! I've never used intsagram. The camera on my phone is so dirty and scratched that I don't take pictures with it. Probably best that I don't have another distraction!

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    1. I think you would love instagram - it has a really active sewing community. A lot of bloggers I like who I thought had slowed down on their blogs are very prolific on instagram.

      That said, I totally get it - another distraction!! :)

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  5. I don't really 'get' twitter! LOL I like Pinterest BUT waste wayyyy too much time looking on there! LOL BUT I do like facebook for it's interaction and ease of use too! :) Christine
    - ChrisW Designs

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  6. Facebook - we only set up a FB page because we felt we had to, to promote the business. Neither of us had a personal page before. I'm not a very share-y person with family photos, so I don't put any people-pics at all on FB. It's all just sewing and fabric. I'm so late to the FB party though, I think it will take me a while to get the hang of it and stop being so suspicious of it. I know it makes it boring for a lot of people - not sharing people-pics, but that's ok. People can 'like' you or not. I spend hardly any time on FB - I just check in every couple of days - though I do then scroll through to catch up on everyone's news.

    Twitter - I find the whole private-conversation-in-public thing really weird too. I think - just text each other. I follow a lot of news sites on Twitter, so I do like to scroll through it for that. I rarely - if ever - tweet. I've definitely replied to tweets, but I don't think I've ever initiated one - apart from occasional tweeting of instagram photos.

    Instagram - loooooooooove instagram. A lot. I love scrolling through all the sewing and crafty pics, and I find that there's a whole lot of love on instagram - lots of support and interest and sharing. Love it. A lot. I never see everything though - I follow too many people. It's only if I'm waiting at the GP's or sitting waiting for school pick up or something, that I scroll through my whole feed.

    Flickr - I've started using it a lot more since joining an online quilting bee, and since your Sweet Pouch Swap. I couldn't see the point of it before - but now I've joined lots of groups and made lots of contacts, there's so much love and sharing there too. I think I will use it more and more.

    Pinterest - loooove Pinterest. I use the search function a lot. I love the visual pinboard - I bookmark a lot of things so I don't lose them - but now I pin them instead.

    Is that all of them? I'm not on Goodreads, though I read a lot and love reading.

    Blog - I am so happy to have discovered Bloglovin' - I used to randomly think of blogs to catch up on and Bloglovin' has made it so quick and easy to keep up with blogs. Blogs are my favourite as you get more pics and the background story. I'm so non-techy though - so much to learn about blogging, photo editing etc.

    Thanks Ros for kicking off a fun discussion. x

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    1. Yeah I love Bloglovin as well - although I was on their homepage the other day to log in and there was some seriously AWFUL images showing up. X rated. I changed my settings and it was all good but GOSH - I wanted to wash my eyes.

      The one I forgot to mention was Google Plus. I've tried, so many times, but I get no interaction and it feels like a ghost town!

      Flickr is awesome for group events like bees and swaps. You can still browse it without having an account.

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  7. I'm like you Ros that I only tweet from Instagram and FB comments. I have been known to comment on a program I'm watching. Usually to let them know I like it. I never sit and watch conversations unfold. I don't get on IG very much, really only to post a picture to go on the blog. I like how social media is becoming more and more integrated with blogging and that's about the only reason I like it. Overseas holiday? Where are you off to?

    xx

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  8. Well hello, I really enjoyed reading your preferences on the different social media sites. I read blogs and interact on them. Google, Wordpress. I love flickr and use it with swaps & bees. Pinterest I love I am a real Pinner and pin for others. I do pin (upload) my own work and get a kick when someone repins. I have 2 FB accounts a rarely use either unless it is sending photos to family, my husband on the other hand uses it daily to talk to our daughters and most of our family all over the world. Instagram - never tried it, usually to busy with my own world to write about going shopping but I am not into texting much either. Google + - still trying to figure it out - I have come to realize it is not user friendly but it could be amazing to promote your blog, if it came with a user guide Ha Ha. Have fun on your trip and share photos when you get back!

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  9. Facebook is still my fave. I feel the same way as you about Twitter (and use it in the same way too), Instagram is my new love (thanks to you encouraging me to get on board!). I love the poster you made! I need to work out how to make collages from Instagram - not for print - just to put on the blog. I have a feeling it must be pretty easy but I have no clue...at heart I'm actually a secret luddite ;)

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  10. thanks for this post.
    I use facebook and find it a fun time waster. you have confirmed my thoughts on twitter. I have no interest in it and don't think very much of what I see of it either. Also, there are only so many social media ways that I can engage before it becomes overwhelming and uses up too much of my time.
    I love reading blogs but have found that it too takes up too much of my time so have been seriously looking at the number of blogs i follow and cutting out some (your'e safe) based on where I am at now.
    I have been thinking of getting into instagram (you aren't the slowest) and I think it would complement my style. For me it wouldn't be so much a way to connect as a tool to capture my activities is a simple instant way. perhaps it would be a bit too like fb. that's why I have been delaying...
    I also love Pinterest but don't use it as a way to connect, I use it as a pinboard for my own interests and projects.
    I haven't even heard of the last one...

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  11. I also kind of disconnected from Twitter at the end of last year. My Pinterest is very boring at the moment and I have to work on it. I absolutely love Instagram. There's Bloglovin now too which is quite new I think but good for keeping up to date with blogs.

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