What’s your stance on social media?

3 chapters

01.

I don’t know about you but I’ve had an ambivalent relationship with social media. When Facebook first took off, OMG it was exciting! Ooh, let’s see what that person from my childhood is doing now. Ooh, let’s find other people who like that obscure same thing as me. Ooh, let’s sticky beak into other people’s lives. But personally, I’ve always been more private than social so I never been glued to Facebook or any other social media for long periods. My husband would be the one to say, did you hear that so-and-so got married? Did you hear that so-and-so was in Europe? Did you hear that so-and-so had a kid? Well, no. But I know now.

02.

My frustration with social media was more to do with work-related activities. I’ve been in my own business for over 15 years, and it’s always required, nay demanded, a lot of social media presence. Or that’s what the online, internet self-appointed gurus deemed. So I felt this pressure to produce content - often, consistently and strategically. That’s when I started to hate or really dislike social media. I had parts that rebelled! You can’t make us do this stupid stuff! We’re not doing it! And I spent years away from social media not posting and not caring.

03.

When it came to publishing my novel, I was in a conundrum. I had parts of me saying, ‘Gawd, does this mean we have to do all of that social media stuff again?’ I had parts who said, ‘Of course you do! You absolutely must!’ And others who said, ‘Well, maybe it can be okay this time. Maybe it will be alright.’ A cacophony of voices, which I needed to sit with, listen to and reassure. Because the truth is that I love my book. Love it! And my job is to honour it, which means telling people about it, allowing the right people to discover it and celebrating it. Which is why, I’m back on social media. I’m not there all the time, I have boundaries, but I’m back. And in a way I’ve never been before. More info below…

3 endnotes…

1. When I was in the parenting space, Facebook was my biggest social media channel. All the parents were there. I had my FB business page and FB groups and my personal page too. I’m still on Facebook here but I’m also venturing further afield.

2. I’ve had an Instagram account for ages but did very little with it. I just wasn’t the put-pretty-pictures-up-online kind of person so it’s been dormant until recently. Now I’ve kickstarted it back to life. Check it out here.

3. And in the biggest shock in the whole wide world - to me, anyway - I’m on TikTok. BookTok to be specific - where millions of avid readers gather. If you’d told me I’d be opening a TikTok account, let alone posting, I would have said you were crazy. Well, maybe I’m the crazy one because it’s happening. TikToks here!

4. Sorry, this week, it requires an extra endnote…With all of this social media activity, I’m focusing on creativity not strategy. My hope is that it’s edutaining, a decent combo of entertainment and education. I’m experimenting. Who knows how it will go. If you’d care to join me and play along, I’d love that! Come say hello on your platform of choice.

And if you’d care to comment below, let me know your stance on social media. Got a favourite platform? Stuff you like to see or do? Do you spend very little or too much time? Used to love it but not anymore? Or vice versa?

Love to you and yours!

P.S. Here’s where you can grab a copy of my book: my website or Amazon or Apple or Kobo or Google Play or Barnes & Noble or Bookshop.org