How Do You Use Social Media?
Social media sites provide different platforms for sharing and receiving information and connecting with others. A few years ago, (post Myspace but pre Twitter) we all just used Facebook for everything and anything we wanted to share- photos, status updates, sharing interests, chatting and finding friends. Recently, however, the socialsphere has given us seemingly unlimited mediums to choose from to share our content. It raises the question: how do I know what to share where? Certain people seem to think you should share everything everywhere but in all honesty that can be painfully annoying for followers. Here is the breakdown of how I try to use some of the major social platforms:
1. Facebook - this is my home base. I have built up my network of friends for years and my personal profile is now literally a timeline of my life over the past 8 years. I use Facebook to share bulks of photos in albums and view and comment on others' photos. I provide some basic personal information and interests in my bio. I try to limit status updates to big announcements or events. I mainly use Facebook to stay connected with extended family/old friends/co workers/classmates. It is a way for people I don't speak with on a regular basis to see what I have been up to lately and stay involved in my life-- and vice versa.Â
2. Twitter - Twitter has taken unnecessary status updates on Facebook and made them okay. Although nobody probably cares if "I am eating a sandwich," or "the weather is so nice today," they might want to know about the cool new restaurant I am eating a sandwich at or if I have any exciting plans for outdoor activities. I do not think Twitter is just for constantly telling people what you are up to at all points of the day, but if you have something interesting to share with followers- even if it probably won't change their lives- there is no harm in tweeting it! I try to avoid sharing my opinion on controversial issues, like politics, but I will absolutely tweet about relevant issues. I try to keep my tweets light and funny and representative of my personality and interests. Some of my tweets are commentary of an awards show I am watching, a funny quote or incident, or shout outs about positive/negative experiences as a consumer. I think the general rule for tweeting should be "would you care or be entertained if someone else said this?" Nothing is more annoying than those people who use Twitter as their personal diary/therapist.Â
3. Pinterest - I use Pinterest for my own personal benefit. I follow other people/boards to find ideas and pins that appeal to me and I repin them so others can see them too. I do not link my Pinterest to other social sites such as Twitter or Facebook because I do not think anyone cares about the cupcake recipe I may or may not ever actually make. I could probably step up my participation on Pinterest by submitting my own pins.
4. Instagram - I think a lot of people are confused about how to use Instagram. In my personal opinion, it is not for sharing 25 versions of basically the same picture. I aim to capture an event or situation with one or two pics that I share with my followers. I tend to share my Instagram posts on my Twitter (and occasionally Facebook if it is really exciting) timeline for those who don't have Instagram yet, but not every post. The main point here is that Instagram is for creativity, not just selfie-pics or entire photo shoots of the same event.Â
5. Linked in- This is for professional use only! I use Linked In to keep my experience information current and detailed, and to connect with people on a professional level. This is not for sharing status updates about your new puppy (hello Facebook!), but rather to expand your network and profile your career. It is a good idea to endorse others of skills and hopefully it will be reciprocated.Â
Disclaimer: This is just an overview of how I interact on these sites. Please feel free to comment with other tips and/or insights!Â












