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Photo credit: Alexander Boden
The question of how often to post — to a blog, to Facebook, to Twitter — is frequently asked. Those new to blogging don’t always fully understand the commitment needed for social media engagement and often think blogging every day will be “no big deal.”
Ha!
More typically, people face blogging for business with a more realistic sense of dread. Is once a month OK, they ask hopefully. Can we tweet three times a week? How about Facebook? How often do we have to post something there?
The very nature of that question, the tone, is disheartening; “how often do we have to . . . “
I generally try not to answer a question with a question — it’s poor form and all that — but here, it’s appropriate.
How successful do you want to be?
There’s a lot of internet sound with the multiplication of platforms and steady increase of users. To stay in the search game, good, thoughtful content, frequently published and shared with additional unique lead-in content is critical. Auto posting across platforms is possible, but making sure you’re treating fans, followers and friends as such. These are the people who have voluntarily opted in to your content. Provide value to them and make them feel special.
So how often should we post, you ask, still, you ever-persistent people!
Minimum goals:
- Blog 3x a week
- Facebook 12x a week
- Twitter 24x a week
Give that formula a whirl and let me know if you see your traffic increase (you will; I just like to hear it.)
Photo Credit: Todd Wickersty
Are you or your organization floundering about, trying to get a handle on your online presence? Here are five reasons why you need help:
- You have a Twitter account and a Facebook page for your business, but you aren’t really doing anything with it or worse, don’t know what you’re doing with them. In fact, you are only there because your sister-in-law’s cousin (or the equivalent) said you should be.
- You don’t have any idea what the social media rules of engagement are, much less how to find or follow them. Don’t let a social media faux pas ruin your organization’s reputation.
- You recognize the need to be active in social media, but you haven’t allocated the time, prioritized the effort or authorized your team to dive in.
- You believe in getting a return on your investment.
- You really want to serve your customers better.
For more on social media ROI, Erik Qualman’s excellent video (read the book!), Socialnomics:
I hate to tell you this, but we’re not really friends.
OK, we might be friends, some of us. And I would hope that those of you who are actual friends know who you are. But simply because we’re connected on a social network, or because you follow me on Twitter does not mean that you are allowed into all that I consider private in my life.
This has been a challenge for bloggers from day one, and while there’s a lot of content that I share as a person with a big online footprint, there’s a lot of stuff you don’t get to know. For everyone, there must be some content considered personal and therefore private. Define for yourself where that line is and draw it in permanent Sharpie.
My friend Waldo (and yes, we’re actual real life friends) manages his network like this: his Twitter feed is protected and plays host to a conversation he has with a select group of people (mostly programmers); his Facebook friends are actual friends — don’t try to friend him if you aren’t actually friends — you will be disappointed. As Waldo said recently, “I’m not a collectible.” (Although personally I think I’d like to have a Waldo bobblehead in my collection, but that’s a different matter altogether.)
The point is this: the decision to separate your personal and professional lives is a PERSONAL one but you must make it.
Here’s how I manage the professional vs. the private in my online profile:
- I don’t accept LinkedIn connections to people I have not met and have no reference or context to place them in my social network.
- I only follow people who have interesting content to share on Twitter. I unfollow if your content bothers me in some way, or if you have too little to say. I use a tool called UnTweeps to efficiently cull through the dead weight in my Twitter account from time to time.
- I don’t post anything I don’t want you to know. That seems simple enough, but if it’s none of your business, I have no business posting it online.
- I do post personal content in my professional space occasionally. I am me, across all platforms, so the people with whom I do business know that I like to bake pie; likewise my friends know what it is I do for a living.
- In Facebook, I am a creator and user of lists — if we don’t really know one another well, if we’re acquaintances or we used to know one another long ago, you’re in a list that has limited access to my content. I have a very short list of people (I’ve named it “homies” for the way that sounds when I am speaking to a crowd on this topic) of super close friends and family. I will use this list to communicate the insider information about our family and life. Generally though, that information will be delivered in person or on the phone.
- If you get stalker-ish and take advantage of an assumed relationship, if you make demands or get snarky and we’ve never even met or had a live conversation, you may be blocked from my content. Life is too short and bullies were cut out of my life as long ago as third grade. Move along and find someone to connect to that is interested in maintaining a relationship with you.
What about you? Are there unique ways you have found to keep the two halves of your life separate?