Twitteromics

Did you come onto the social media/social networking scene, wondering how you could possibly manage all these online accounts you’ve signed up for?

Whether we’re end-users (consumers) or business users looking to leverage social media as part of our business strategy, one important question we want to examine is why we’re online doing what we’re doing via the means we choose to do them.

In other words, know the difference between your Social Media Presence versus your Social Media Activity.

I own more social networking accounts than I can list and you’d care to read.

Twitter? Yes – how many accounts do you want to know about? Plurk? Sure! FF / Delicious/ LI / YouAre / BK / Posterous / FB / MS / Identi.ca, and anything that I can simul-post via Ping.fm? Yep. … and if you know what those abbreviations stood for, then you’re probably in the same camp I am in where social media platforms are concerned!

Blogs? I had about 20 until yesterday when a site hacking made me re-prioritize and prune down to 6 or 7 blogs that I actually update on a regular basis, which I listed on the front page of www.janechin.com . Site Hack = Blessing in disguise, I say!

Don’t get me started on social networks and domains/websites!

Since Ning.com soc/nets have propagated faster than a viral infection, I’m on more groups than I recall. Top-level domain names? I have to set aside business budget to renew all those domain names I own – and I am not a domainer (selling/buying domains as business). Godaddy reps call me once in a while to check up on my renewal status, they probably consider me a worthwhile customer.

I see this plethora (one may even say overload) of online PRESENCE as separate and distinct from my online ACTIVITY.

My online activity these days concentrate around:

• social media/social networking activities around my businesses,
• occasional Twitter,
• daily checks on LinkedIn groups I like or manage,
• emailing/administrating my biz, and
• writing/creating material (been doing more slideshare stuff lately!)

Granted, these days I have to be really careful with how I use my time. I get about 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted work time during the day when my toddler naps, and then maybe 2-3 hours uninterrupted work time at night after my toddler goes to bed.

I want to be PRESENT online through as many channels as possible, because I never know who I may meet in which social media channel. Thus I don’t see being on so many social media platforms/social networks as a drain of my energy or time. I get an account name and set up ways for people to connect with me or find me, then I don’t worry about it.

On the other hand, I choose to be SELECTIVELY ACTIVE in only a few channels where I find current interest, intrigue, insight, and inspiration. Once I choose an outlet that I find valuable, I spend my time and energy there, all the while scrutinizing my return on my time and energy. Then I maximize what I spend by sharing it across other social media channels… for example, I first wrote this post elsewhere on an online group, but am sharing it here since it’s social media-related. I could also write a derivative on my small business entrepreneurship blog, www.microbusinessmentor.com if I wanted to, but today I’m tired from 12 hours of fixing those site hacks and I’d rather snuggle up next to my sleeping toddler and watch a bit of TV.

What about you? Do you use social media and social networks the same way, or do you try to be active in every single channel you sign up for? What’s been working for you, and what’s not been working for you online?

Jane Chin

Images by svilen mushkatov