Yesterday, I asked a question on our Facebook fan page “What is your favorite social media platform?” So far, the responses are split pretty evenly between Twitter and Facebook, with only a couple of people saying that Google+ is their favorite. (Add your answer here.)
A couple of people side-stepped question by answering with “Real Life.” I wasn’t sure I liked the response at first, but I understand that those friends were trying to make a point:
The best way to connect with others is real life, real-time, and face to face.
I think that’s why some of the new features G+ plus offers are so attractive to us. We like the idea of hang-outs because they bring us face to face with people, make our connections closer, and help us know people in multiple dimensions.
Now that I write this, it might also be why we enjoy podcasts and video: they help us hear people and see people as they are. It might also be why some people avoid doing video blogs and podcasts; letting people see and hear you can feel uncomfortable at first.
The more a social media platform can help us deepen relationships with others, the better it is, right?
When we spend a lot of time on social media platforms, we spend less time interacting with the real people in our lives.
This morning, I sat down to check email and see what people might be saying on G+. When I headed downstairs to start breakfast, more than thirty minutes had passed. What I intended to be a “quick” check in turned into much more, needlessly.
My strongest motivator in creating the 12 minute social media playbook is to help people spend REASONABLE amounts of time on social media platforms. (What is reasonable for you may be completely different than what is reasonable for me.)
The idea is to decide how much time you want to spend developing or maintaining a social media presence (for yourself or for your business) and then to be as focused as you can during that time so that you can maximize your time investment.
What do you think? What is your favorite social media platform? How do you manage your time investment on social media platforms?
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.