Social Media Networking has taken all the fun out of my Internet social life.
I have been on the Internet since I had to dial up with my telephone. My BFF “from college?” Actually met her on a writing bulletin board. I told people we went to school together because before Internet dating became mainstream, it was mind boggling that I’d go visit someone I’d only interacted with at 56 Kbit/s (Look it up, kids.)
Especially because I lived in rural Texas, I relied on the Internet to connect with like minded people. This is not to say people don’t read in rural Texas, or even that they don’t read Science Fiction in rural Texas, but just… Well, the entire population of Refugio County could fit into Cowboys Stadium ten times.
What I’m saying is, I was social on the Internet LONG before Facebook or Twitter. Even before MySpace. (I also rode a dinosaur to school.)
Along comes Social Media Networking. Now there are classes and workshops on using the internet for networking, when really what we mean is publicity. How it’s not enough to have a website. Or even a blog. Now you need a platform, and Facebook and Twitter, and you need to provide Meaningful Content on a Regular Basis and Ohmygodthepressure!
I can’t just tell you that tonight I celebrated with a vanilla latte because I made it through one whole day without having to clean up dog pee from my floor. (I didn’t think anything could be harder to house train than a Papillon until I got a Pomeranian.) Now I have to be Entertaining! Informative! Profound!
Talk about performance anxiety.
Twitter is easier, because it’s a smaller investment. At 140 characters, I angst less over whether my readers will consider my love of caramel frappuchinos a waste of pixels. But a whole blog on my frustration with the running toilet right next to my office? (No, really. I’ve changed the flapper like five times.) It just doesn’t seem worth the click through on Google Reader. (Um, it is, I promise. I’m hysterically funny when it comes to ranting about my plumbing. Uh, wait. That didn’t come out right… Oh heck. You see why blogging is so stressful for me?)
Here’s my point (because I have to have one, according to the class I took): The Internet allows unprecedented interaction between authors and readers. I want to give my readers glimpses into my life. I want to share information with them. And yes, I really really want to stay in their minds between books. But to keep them coming back, I can’t just be a platform. I have to be the person behind the book.
This is particularly important when your audience is teens. A survey conducted recently said that marketing through Facebook not very effective on teens. They don’t like being marketed to. However, if your content makes the connection–for instance, a funny or cool viral video, or a blog where they feel like they’re getting insight into the author’s world–then when it comes to buying whatever it is (like, say, your book) they’ll remember your name.
No pressure or anything.
That’s all too much for me. I’ve decided to quit Social Media Networking. Instead I’m just going to go back to blogging and tweeting with my friends, colleagues, and most of all, readers. I think I’ll blog about movies and books and MY books and writing and my dogs and coffee and my diet and how I hate to go to the gym but I have to because I love cheesecake. I might also mention Russell Crowe occasionally.
And mixed in with that, I’ll tell folks about whatever book I’ve got in the works. So that when they go to the bookstore, they remember my name.
In honor of my new resolution, here’s a picture of my dogs:
P.S. If you want to see more of them, you can read my blog or follow me on Twitter @rclementmoore. (But don’t bother to friend me on Facebook, because I’m not doing Social Media Networking anymore.)
P.P.S. In case you couldn’t tell, this post was sort of ironic. Except for the part where we authors shouldn’t get so worked up about Social Media Networking that we forget to be a person–a nice, or at least polite person, if you can manage it–and not merely a Tweeting machine.
Related posts:
Comment
I’m so with you on this. I’m not visiting my Facebook page and waiting for the obligatory 3 months non-use for it to shut down. Twitter- haven’t visited in months.
I envy anyone that can do the media circus and still manage to write. I imagine these people as slaves to their computers, with a maid and live in cook (Makes me feel less guilty). (Hugs)Indigo
Comment
The people that are most effective are the people who make it a natural part of t heir life. You can set up tweets to go out on a schedule, and there’s something to that. But for me the interaction is fun, but I don’t want to think of it as Networking. I stop for coffee, I read tweets and send a few.
Comment
I ignore all the “you have to do it like this” crap. No, I have to do what works for me. And if it’s fake or forced, it’s not going to be effective anyway.
Comment
That’s just it. It has to seem natural even if it isn’t. Some twitterers are really good at making it seem natural.
Comment
Love it, question though is the dog on the left part demon? Just wondering. I agree with the social meeting thing. I say you only to need to be friend other authors and people online or in real life, that push you to be better, otherwise you might be online typing everything, everyday, and not get your own writing done, like i am doing today. I think facebook is nice to have, to see what other writers are doing, and seeing if they have anything that will help your progress to your goal, so i can not ban facebook yet. So sad though you won’t accept any more friends.
Comment
Oh I’ll totally accept new old recycled Facebook friends! I’m not really quitting anything, I’m just changing my mindset about it. I LOVE to interact with readers and fellow writers! I just don’t like to feel Like it’s marketing, you know?
Comment
yes, that makes sense to make it more fun then work. FUN is the key to all writing.
Comment
Not too long ago, I was checking my FB page a hundred times a day – mostly reading status updates. Now I am hardly on it. I had to wean myself off it after realizing it provided the perfect procrastination for not working on my WIP. I rarely remember to Twitter but I do like to blog (on my own schedule). Good luck with your resolution! I’ll follow your blog, of course
Comment
Funny, I’ve been much better at blogging and tweeting since I resolved to not make it so much work.
Comment
Amen, girl! With the corporations taking over Facebook, no one takes it seriously any more.
And I know how you feel about the change in technology. I made the dial-up modem sound to get my husband to laugh, and our kid looks me like I’d lost my last marble. BTW aren’t you the gal with the cute little green stegosaurus at school? I had the gray triceratops two parking spaces down.
Comment
Lol!
Comment
Just to reiterate the irony alert. I’m not changing what I’m doing, I’m changing my mindset about it.
My point is what Charlene said: natural is key
In ‘marketing’ yourself as a writer, you’re not marketing your books, youre marketing yourSELF, and the only way to do that is to find your comfort level.
Comment
And I believe you when you say you got better at blogging/tweeting when the pressure is off on the other extraneous stuff.
Comment
Those aren’t dogs. Those are imitation cats.
This is a dog: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Wolfhound