Why I Don't Spend Much Time on Social Media, and Why I Should
Although it's a critical element in today's society, I still think it's a dumpster fire.
Out of all of the social media outlets I use, only one is actively developed: YouTube. But that’s mostly because of what it is and what it offers. To me, YouTube is an extension of the blog. The same information can easily be shared, only that one is a video and the other is text. However, because of its level of engagement, YouTube is still often listed as a “social media” platform.
Anyway, I’ve never been one to spout off something just to hear myself speak. I’ve gone through most of my life with one saying playing on repeat: “It’s better to remain quiet and thought of a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
Another good one is, “A wise man speaks when he has something to say. A fool speaks when he has to say something.”
Either way, social media is just not something I dump a lot of time into cultivating. Sure, there are a few moments when something strikes me and I tweet about it or write something on threads. And I often share the blog posts I write and videos I upload. But as for sitting here for an hour or so scrolling through comments, yeah, it’s just not something I do very often.
In my world, I just have far more important things going on. That time I would have spent on social media could have resulted in writing more in my book, publishing a blog post, or even uploading a video. Not to mention that I am more interested in meeting people in person. Social media eliminates that aspect as you’re interacting with people you’ll most likely never meet in real life.
Unfortunately, dealing with social media is a virtual requirement (yes and no on the pun) if you want to succeed.
Marketing to Boost Sales
First of all, businesses and freelancers use social media to increase income. That’s because you can reach an incredible number of people with relatively little money to potentially make a sale or find a client. In fact, that’s how I got my biggest client as a freelance writer; by using LinkedIn.
As an author, I made a handful of sales when I published A Freelancer’s Tale and only one or two when I published Kingmaker. Though, I haven’t been able to spend time marketing Kingmaker as well as I would like. Between hurting my back, charity events, and being sick, it’s been a rough few weeks.
The bottom line is that growing an audience who appreciates my work may have resulted in at least a few more sales here and there. Then again, I am essentially an unknown writer who doesn’t have an extensive library. Sure, I’ve built a great career as a freelance writer. But I haven’t solidified myself as a competent fiction author. And not putting myself out there, so to speak, just means a lot of people who might love Kingmaker don’t even know I exist.
Social Recognition (Clout)
Unfortunately, a lot of agents, publishers, and brands put an incredible amount of emphasis on your follower counts for social media. For the most part, it’s to demonstrate that you have a large enough following to help sell your book, which is odd considering that’s what agents and publishers should be doing for you for the amount of money you pay.
I’ve seen a few authors get shot down by agents because of a lack of social numbers. And usually, brands won’t even look your way unless you have tens of thousands of followers.
It just goes to show that without putting yourself out there more frequently and growing that base audience, success as a creator is more difficult.
Personally, I couldn’t care less about follows or likes. I built my brand for one purpose; to help others learn how to do what I do. If one person says “thank you,” that’s all that really matters to me. However, I would like to make a few more sales of books. I don’t need to be rich or anything. But supplementing my income so I wouldn’t have to worry about clients and paying my mortgage would give me plenty of time to work on the books and blogs.
Part of that depends on how easily it is to get yourself out in front of a large number of people with every post and update. Thus, it brings it all back to being active on social media outside of just posting links to blog posts or videos.
I have to ask myself, “Why would anyone want to follow my accounts?”
Meeting New People
One of the highlights of my live streams, whether they’re on YouTube or Twitch, is engaging with viewers. I love interacting with people. And I’ve met some amazing folks over social media, many of whom I consider good friends today. Despite not being in person, which is what I would prefer, I’ve still developed a bit of a personal connection with several folks.
Not only is social media good for befriending others, but it also helps build networks on a professional level. I’ve met clients thanks to interactions on social media as well as knowing who to go to when I need certain types of work completed.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think that social media is a dumpster fire more so than not. But I can’t deny some of the good things that have come from it due to being interactive with the right people.
Plus, building an ardent fan base helps promote yourself as a professional. Those new people could wind up being the driving force behind why every book is a best seller in the future. But if you ignore them, they stop giving a rat’s ass and move on to the next person on social media.
Never assume that you cannot be replaced with a swipe of a finger.
Possible Collaborations
I like working with other professionals and brands. Currently, I’m working with one as they enjoyed my videos on YouTube and wanted my honest opinion about a service they’re offering.
Now, when I say “collaboration,” I’m not merely talking about a client or a sponsorship deal. It could be anything from blog post interviews to just being on someone’s podcast. I just love engaging and interacting on virtually any level. I’m just not good at posting unsolicited things on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
The nice thing about collaborations is that you essentially share each other’s audience. You’re reaching people who may not even know you exist but wind up liking your content as much as their preferred creator. So, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Unfortunately, as with social clout, a lot of brands and creators won’t even look your way unless you are equal to or surpass them in follower and subscriber counts. That’s because what you offer (your audience) isn’t equal to what they offer (their audience) for the time invested.
As such, growing a social media presence makes collaborations much easier to come by.
So, What Do I Post on Social Media?
That’s the real question, isn’t it? I’ve been toying with a few posts here and there trying to get some kind of response. But very few actually interact with what I post online. Sure, they’ll “support” by following your account if you follow theirs. But when it comes time to actual engagement…crickets.
That’s one of the biggest reasons why I am against follow-for-follow or sub-for-sub platforms. Just because you rack up some hefty numbers through these plans, it doesn’t mean you’re actually reaching your target audience.
A big part of success on any platform is consistency. In fact, I’m planning out a video that centers around how important consistency is to AdSense and blogging. It’s the same principle for social media.
An active account gets more attention.
The hard part is thinking of things to share on social media. I don’t live a lavish lifestyle, drive fancy cars, or live in a big house. My life is pretty bland and unextraordinary. I guess at the end of the day it depends on with whom I’m trying to connect.
If it wasn’t for the sheer number of projects I have going on, I’d start a new case study for social engagement. In any case, I need to figure out something if I want to grow my audience.
Maybe I’ll start with cat pictures.