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The Challenge of Blogging – Choosing Your Principle Social Media Platform

Happy New Year Everyone!

Choosing your principle social media platform is a challenge. Clearly, the more social media platforms you use effectively, the better your reach to fans and collectors.

There are only so many hours in the day, so you got to make a few choices about where and how you devote your energies. Furthermore, the best platforms may not match your strengths.

At the moment, I devote my energies to three platforms: WordPress, Youtube, and Twitter. However, I also post to Flickr, Tumblr, and Facebook.

WordPress is my base of operations; this is where everything gets posted first and other media is linked to this platform. Today, you can treat WordPress like your website, but not quite as static as a regular webpage. You will always need a place for all your content to be saved, and be available for future access.

Facebook

Facebook is king of all social media and you should really consider making it key to everything you do.

Why?

1. Facebook has a huge number of users
2. Facebook links well to other social media platforms
3. Facebook is easy to update with different types of content

Most people use Facebook like I use WordPress. A great advantage of Facebook is that you can create a fan page and people can “like” or “follow” you with ease; WordPress requires fans to be a user of their “WP” blog service.

Youtube

Youtube allows you to tell your story with images and sounds; particularly important in a world most fans or collectors doesn’t read much of the content posted.

Furthermore, Youtube gives you the power to connect more closely to your followers. Within 2-3 minutes, they can see your studio, your art, and yourself.

Finally, Youtube’s search engine is great and people have a good chance of discovering you if you label your work correctly. There are also good promotional tools with Youtube.

Instagram

Instagram is made for people who don’t read much, but just scan images. In a world where you have only 5-10 seconds to capture someone’s attention, Instagram is key.

Also, in a world where everything is going mobile, Instagram allows you to access an audience that is on the move.
At the moment, my dated “BlackBerry” phone doesn’t play well with Instagram, so I am not on Instagram and use Flickr instead.

Unfortunately, Flickr is not as connected as Instagram. However, it is a great place to store photos and then bring them into yout other platforms; like WordPress.

Tumblr

Tumblr is essentially a visual blog. Think of it as a cross between WordPress and Instagram. Best suited to story-telling with images. A lot of people use Tumblr, if you are an visual artist then Tumblr is a great way to present to art.

Vine

Vine allows you to create motion that captures the attention of the eye and can tell effective stories if you are skilled.

I view it as a great tool to work within the social media platforms of Instagram or Tumblr.

Twitter

Twitter is a great way of announcing a new posting on other social media. I use Twitter a lot and find it a great way to let people know what I am up to, particularly when I am trying to focus on a geographical region like Hamilton.

The challenge with Twitter is that accidental discovery is difficult. However, if your fans or collectors decide to follow you, then it is a quick way of keeping them up to date with short messages, particularly with images.

WordPress

WordPress is a great platform and allows for a lot of flexibility. Originally, I was strictly a text based blogger, but over time I have moved to photos and moving imagines.

My current WordPress theme is rather old and needs updating to stress today’s more image based approach.

The problem with WordPress is your blog get lost in the sea of content. It is very hard to find your blog without already knowing that it exists.

So, as I have mentioned above, WordPress is my home base for collecting and displaying other social media content. I expect people to be referred to my WordPress blog rather than have them discover on their own.

Conclusion

Each social media platform requires focus and attention to be used effectively.

You can have the same content post across platforms, but this weakens the impact of the posting. To be the most effective, tailor your content to the strengths and weakness of each platform.

However, creating good content is time consuming; you will need to pick and choose your platforms.

In reality, three platforms is likely the most anyone can handle at the same time.

Furthermore, one platform will need to be your base, the place that regulates all your other social media postings.

At the moment, I use WordPress as my base, with YouTube and Twitter as my main means of out reach to fans.

What I should be using is: Facebook as my base, with Youtube and Instagram as generators of content.  I would create my videos on youtube, my photos Instagram with the everyone being re-posted on Facebook.

Unfortunately, I have invested significant time and energy in the current arrangement of resource, so future change will occur slowly.

Next Week: Jan 18th – Being Consistent