We all know there's been lots of hullaballoo about FACEBOOK lately (no need to rehash that!), but has it affected how much you're using FACEBOOK, if you do? Do you follow author pages, or blog pages?
What about INSTAGRAM? We're hearing that INSTAGRAM is the future, but it works in a very different way from FACEBOOK, so we are trying to figure that out. I know I started using INSTAGRAM just for fun--I mean, who doesn't like looking at, or posting, pretty pictures? But I had no idea what I was doing, and am now trying to take it a bit more seriously. Turns out it's a bit more complicated than it appears, especially in terms of reaching readers.
And then there's TWITTER. Who uses TWITTER? If you do, do you find new authors, or books, or blogs that way? I have to admit that my TWITTER account lies pretty much fallow. It is just not my cup of tea, and I find even looking at my Twitter feed gives me a headache.
PINTEREST, like INSTAGRAM, I started using just for fun, but I am surprised at how many people pin my pins. I have no idea, however, if any of them are readers or connect me with books.
And then there's SNAPCHAT. Does anyone use SNAPCHAT? Or do you have kids or know younger readers who do?
Have I left anything out? We would really love your feedback!
I am truly terrible with social media things . . . and I don’t even remember to check the Jungle Red Writer ladies’ pages very often :( so I am particularly pleased when I get email newsletters [which I always read].
ReplyDeleteI look at Facebook occasionally, mostly to see the pictures of my grandbabies that my daughter posts, but I confess that I do not visit every day. And, sad to say, I’m even less faithful in checking out the postings on Instagram and Twitter; Pinterest and Snapchat, not at all . . . .
Interesting... sounds like a vote for newsletters.
DeleteWe're so happy that you're HERE every day Joan!
DeleteLucy, I am so grateful for the opportunity to visit and read this blog every day . . . .
DeleteYou say "even less faithful" as if checking social media is an obligation. No! It's not.
DeleteFacebook every morning for my sprint thread and several times during the day. It's my go-to social media place, and I have not changed my actions. I never shared photos or much about my family, only jokes about the "menfolk," but no names or details. Facebook is useful to find out which roads are closed nearby and who in my town got arrested, but it also makes me paranoid about going inside a bank. The state police FB page loves to post about bank robberies!
ReplyDeleteTwitter picks up my blog posts but I am pathetically bad at sharing on Twitter, though it is very useful in keeping up with submission deadlines for journals. I tweet articles when I think about it, but it's not a habit. But I learned the power of Twitter when CreateSpace--which tweets once a day or less--retweeted one of my blog posts. Holy cow, Batman, the page views from that one retweet!
I don't do Instagram, Pinterest, or Snapchat. Should I? Sigh.
State police FB Page? AAAGGGH! You had to tell me about that.
DeleteI get alerts from the Monroe Co, FL sheriff's department. That will keep a mind busy! According to Hank, Pinterest is passe, is that right Hank?
DeleteHallie, state police also posts photos of registered sex offenders, current arrestees, and breaking investigations. It's a gold mine.
DeleteI subscribe to daily press releases from our local police department. It was suggested by our police department at a community service program I attended a few years ago. They do have a link to the sex offender registry. I think there's at least one such person living in every neighborhood, which is a little disconcerting.
DeleteDebRo
Ramona, I read your first sentence when I was not quite awake this morning as "for my spirit thread" and I quite liked that!
DeleteI do them all except Snapchat, and I don't know anyone who does that. I am mostly on FB, including two author pages (sigh) and admin on pages for Friends Meeting and a historic home museum where I'm a docent and one of the youngest members. Pinterest is only for cover-idea boards for each book, and idea I think Barb Ross got from Roberta. When my editor asks for cover ideas, I can describe them and also send him the link to my board for that book.
ReplyDeleteInstagram I only use for food and family pix, but I'd like to get into it for author news stuff. I'm not sure how to post a meme or anything else from my laptop, though. And twitter? I mostly tweet about the Wicked Cozy post of the day and retweet other people's stuff. I'd love to know how better to utilize all those beyond FB for my writing business.
I use Facebook and Twitter. For the normal kind of stuff and I also use it to shamelessly self-promote the various writing that I do.
ReplyDeleteI use Face Book and I'm resigned to Twitter. I need to do something about Instagram. I'm happy to visit here every morning as I zip through the headlines and scan 5 blogs. It's all a matter of changing my morning routine when I'm less than fully caffeinated.
ReplyDeleteJust a Facebook user, for 3 or 4 years, with 7 friends! Got on Facebook because one of those seven travels all over the world and she pleaded for me to save her from the “duplicate effort” of posting travels to her Facebook page and then emailing all the photos to me! I post to my page daily when I’m in FL — those sunrises over the ocean are too beautiful to keep to myself. Check church related pages, favorite restaurant pages, author pages usually just when they show up in my news feed. Luddite that I am Facebook is as much of the 21st century that I can bear. Happy Friday, all.
ReplyDeleteI love Facebook but I am so fearful of how much time it takes! Twitter, too. I wish I knew more about Instagram, because I can’t figure out why it’s valuable. People certainly do seem to love it!
ReplyDeleteStill have my facebook page--where I keep in touch with family and friends. Settings have always been limited to family and friends--not including their 'friends', etc. I never take quizzes that friends/family post and try very hard not to 'like' anything unless it is a family photo or posting by said family and friends. I have a twitter account; I use twitter mostly because one of my nephews does and I have a friend who uses it to post items of interest for his students. The boys are both into Snapchat--don't know anyone who uses Instagram and Pinterest is a big time suck so I stay away from it.
ReplyDeleteThe only one I use at all is Facebook and I am going there less and less. I used to do a lot with Pinterest but I no longer do anything with it.
ReplyDeleteMy Pinterest use is down too Judi, but I blame it on a glitch in the system which takes me to a frozen page every time I try to pin...
DeleteI love facebook... But it is a time synch. Great for a much needed break. Too great for a not needed distraction.
ReplyDeleteTwitter for literary.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I only use social media because it is necessary for BOLO Books. Otherwise, I would happily let those things go by the wayside.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I have made so many friends via social media, that maybe I don't give them enough credit. I don't know.
All of my blog posts are posted to both FB and Twitter. I also talk about other book, theater, and music related topics on FB. I rarely post anything personal - unless it ties into the book-world somehow. So I don't worry too much about the current troubles FB is facing.
Twitter is an acquired taste, but one you figure out how to manage it effectively, I do find it very useful for finding links to articles I might otherwise have missed.
Instagram. Oh for the life of me, I just can't figure this one out. I do post pictures there and people find them, so I know it is working. But you can't include links and you can't re-share items you like from others, so I just can't seem to figure out exactly what I am supposed to be doing with it. (other than looking at pretty pictures). That said, taking pictures of your book in unique locations always catches my attention. And bookstagramming continues to grow in popularity.
"Bookstagramming" - wow!
DeleteI am a Facebook devotee, find Instagram ok for pictures but not for connecting. Pinterest is great if you are remodeling or redecorating or planning an event. Other than that, and not usually even then, I ignore it. I get newsletters from Louise Penny, Hank, and occasionally, Ann Cleeves. I do think those are great ways of following authors, so if any of the rest of you have one, put me on the list. Deb? We/ve talked about this I know.
ReplyDeleteThis is the only blog I follow daily although I visit a few when they are mentioned on Facebook.
As I said a couple of weeks ago, if you fear data mining, then put your phone and computer in a drawer. You've already been mined by far bigger fish -- or is is fishermen -- than FB, starting with google, every single time you fire up the search engine. Mostly I believe I am uninteresting enough to be ignored
I remember laughing a few years ago when people starting talking about marketing thru social media. Was I ever wrong. Particularly about books. I now quote almost every book I read on FB, and just yesterday I got a response from a very good friend, chiding me for recommending a book she didn't particularly like! Almost daily I get a thinks for one recommendation or another, and I delight in introducing my friends to my writers and books. However, I pay no attention to Goodreads or to Amazon reviews.
And don't even get me started on Twitter. If you-know-who uses it, I won't. I set up an account years ago but have never taken it further, nor will I. It takes more blood lust than I have to spare, and I'd probably have the FBI on my doorstep if I spoke my mind about the administration.
So dear Reds, keep those newsletters coming, stay in touch via Facebook and here, and tweet if you must.
Took me ages to figure out Facebook. I’m quitting while I’m ahead!
ReplyDeleteFacebook is my go-to for social media. All my friends are there. My blog feeds into Facebook and Twitter. Twitter drives me crazy and I feel that you have to be on it 24/7 to comprehend what is going on. I also use Instagram to post photos, but sometimes I wonder how that helps reach new readers/viewers. Besides, that my Instagram is private.
ReplyDeleteI am on FB daily. I have become more careful about what I click on. I have a Twitter account but NEVER use it. If I could figure out how to delete, I would. I’ve used Pinterest quite a bit in the past but not so much right now. I’ve never used Instagram or Snapchat.
ReplyDeleteFacebook, most days. Instagram occasionally, but mostly I just look at friend's photos. It's much harder to interact with people on Instagram, and the social aspect is the part of Facebook I enjoy most. The majority of my real friends, and a lot of family, live far away, and Facebook is my favorite way to connect with them.
ReplyDeleteOur immediate family uses Voxer, which is a combination of text, email, and walkie-talkie. We often have immediate group conversations (many that are hilarious) between my three daughters (who live in Michigan, Virginia and Colorado, and only see one another once or twice a year), one son-in-law, and now my grandson. Sometimes my husband will chime in, too. We can share photos and videos on that app, which is more private that using Facebook.
I do use Pinterest, since we're in the middle of planning a new home. In fact, I fell down that rabbit hole last night. But I don't see how it could be used effectively to build an author/reader relationship. It's so impersonal, and largely just visual. Too many ways to avoid actual reading, which seems it would thwart an author's/publisher's purpose.
Facebook is the main place for me to post links to my Reading Room blog posts and interact with the mystery/crime community and other friends and family. I also have a book page that I started years ago named Bookaholics, but I've now got someone else on board to help run it. FB is just the central line for me to stay up-to-date.
ReplyDeleteTwitter is utilized less by me than FB. I link my blog posts there, but I agree with Dru that you have to be on Twitter a lot to reap the benefits. I do keep meaning to check it more, and maybe this topic today will help scoot me along to do that.
Instagram is a mystery to me, how to use it effectively. I don't even keep my personal photos updated. I probably need to do a tutorial to realize Instagram's potential.
Pinterest is something I used to be enthusiastic about, but I've let it lapse. And, I have some great boards there, too, some quirky ones. I started boards for all of the Reds' authors before Ingrid and Jenn joined. I do need to go back and add you two in, and do some work on other boards. From book tattoos to bridges to gnomrs to Scottish fetish and all my book boards, I do really like my Pinterest. If you'd like to visit my Pinterest, the link is https://www.pinterest.com/kru2do/
Facebook all the way. I love being able to present an almost sane mind/face to my 'friends'. Still somewhat caught up in the '90's as my serious posting is done on a Yahoo website. when I learned Twitter was 140 key strokes I thought, naw I babble too much. For those looking to use social media for promotion, wouldn't determining the parameters of the user group be important?
ReplyDeletep.s Hank, still waiting for you to friend me.. I whined
I use all of the above, but I am lagging on Pinterest (it was great in the beginning but then...meh) and Snapchat (the hooligans tell me I am hopeless on that one). I am hoping something new will come along without all of the scandal and misuse. Is that even possible these days?
ReplyDeleteStarted using Facebook a long time ago. Since the unfortunate results of the 2016 elections, I rarely use FB these days. I love Instagram. I get to see beautiful photos instead of reading negative posts. I use Twitter once in a while. Pinterest is challenging to me.
ReplyDeleteDiana
I am on Facebook way too much for my own good. As far as the recent "scandal," if you didn't think they were doing that years ago (and it was in the news years ago but in a good way), then you just weren't paying attention. All this did was bring the open secret out into the public.
ReplyDeleteI am using Twitter less and less. It has gotten so political there (more so than Facebook), and it was making it hard to think about continuing to read certainly authors because of what they were posting there. I still post my blog links there, but I used to check in several times a day and hang out there at night. Now I don't.
I have an Instagram account, but I've never figured out how to use it much.
I don't have Snapchat.
I have a Pineterest page, where I post covers/posters/pictures and link up to my review of the day, but I don't spend much time over there other than that.
I get authors' newsletters in my email. I use Facebook in that I follow authors and book recommendations on it. I rarely post anything other than a repost of an interesting article or joke or a photograph I take which is usually what flower or tree is blooming. Most of my friends and relatives do the same. We don't visit using Facebook. I don't tweet, do Instagram, Pinterest or anything else I can think of. As for politics on social media. . . when certain acquaintances got too obnoxious I unfriended them. Easy fix.
ReplyDeleteMy teenager uses Snapchat "stories" to communicate with her friends all the time. Evidently, texting is too old fashioned - that's what she does with me. Kids' social media changes so quickly, even my 25-year-old is feeling out of the loop these days. Since I will never have the technical know-how to be cool, I've settled for "charmingly fuddy-duddy."
ReplyDeleteI gave up on Facebook over a year ago. It was taking up too much of my time. I subscribe to author newsletters and I read blogs. I'm retiring soon and considered going back to Facebook but it's too easy for me to lose track of the time when I'm on Facebook. There are other things I'd like to do with my time. Reading more, for one thing.
ReplyDeleteDebRo
I use Facebook daily, and haven't changed my habits any in light of recent issues. (I had always tried to be careful about my privacy settings, and not willy-nilly allowing apps to access my data.) Tried Twitter briefly but just didn't get it. I have not ventured into either Instagram or Pinterest, partly because other people tell me they are "so addictive." I don't use Snapchat, but I think if you are trying to reach a Millennial audience, you should be on it. Most of my co-workers in the non-profit world are in their 20's, and they use it all the time.
ReplyDeleteI do still appreciate newsletters from my favorite authors, though. Except that Gmail often shuttles them off into "Promotions", where I may not catch them amidst the spam.
I admit I use Facebook to keep up with friends and book groups. I don’t post unless I have something special to share with a very select group of friends. It seemed like a good place to put my travel diary to the U.K. last year, so I wouldn’t forget what I did and where I went to, but I think I need to print out a photo album. Facebook was handy though because I could post photos and videos! Sigh!
ReplyDeleteFacebook is the only one I use. My son signed me up 5 or 6 years ago so he could share photos, and I soon came to love it. Some of my favorite Facebook friends are authors I have met through Sisters in Crime (I'm a reader, not a writer and I edit the SinC Norcal newsletter) or just admired by reading their books. My privacy settings are friends only, and the recent news hasn't soured me on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI do receive author newsletters, and I read and enjoy Lesa's Book Critiques, Jungle Red Writers, and Femmes Fatales on a daily basis. Also, I am addicted to Library Journal Prepub Alerts and Shelf Awareness--my TBR list goes out six months in the future, which helps me put books on hold at the libraries I patronize.
I still like and use Facebook because it keeps me connected in a fashion to friends and family. I look less at political threads because of the trolling now occurring and the rabid readers who are toxic. I use Instagram for photos; Twitter to repost stuff, mostly political. I hear a lot of people talking about Reddit but I know NOTHING about it, ditto Snapchat. I use to really like Pinterest but my boards are varied. I'm selective about the blogs I follow but love the ones who have made the cut. I have a blog myself that serves as a creative outlet.
ReplyDeleteCorrection: my teen (who got up at 2pm, 'cause it's April vacation) says she Snapchats her friends. Stories are public and last for 24 hours, her snapchats are not. Also, she's very keen on GroupMe, which enables large numbers of teens to plot together to save the world. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to see what people are actually doing, rather that what we (as authors) are being told they are doing. Hmmm. Personally, I'm glad to see that most of you are still using Facebook, as really enjoying interacting with my readers on my Facebook author page and I give it a good bit of attention (although probably not as much as I should...) I've never done apps and have been pretty careful about sharing personal info, and I always knew that it was a trade off between being profiled and keeping up with friends, so no surprises and it hasn't really changed my personal usage.
ReplyDeleteNow, about that newsletter I've haven't managed to send out in a couple of years... Ack!
Yay for the newsletter!
DeleteFacebook - most people I know use it too. I have SnapChat and Instagram accts just to see what the young'uns are posting - it's mostly silly faces if you can believe that LOL.
ReplyDeleteFacebook - yes, and I can't see myself giving it up whatever the hullaballoo.
ReplyDeleteInstagram - yes, but like you Debs, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm taking a marketing class right now and trying to figure it out.
Twitter - I have a Twitter account. I don't use it very much any more. My feed also gives me a headache and I really found it a very toxic environment for me, for the most part.
Snapchat - nope
Pinterest - I have an account, haven't used it for ages.
I think that covers it.
Mary/Liz
Facebook is my go to. I use Pinterest, but it's hot or miss.
ReplyDeleteI try to check Facebook almost every day when I am home. Not so much when I am busy or traveling. Facebook is the only site I currently use. Recently cleaned out my "friends" list and the list of pages I follow. Like to use the site to keep in touch with family, read about books that I might like to read, to help find homes for dogs and cats, and to reunite lost pets with their owners. I enjoy seeing the FB posts that lead me to the blog! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI check Facebook every day. Unfortunately, I've had issues with posts not showing up in my feed. To make sure I don't miss anything, I subscribe to blogs and author websites
ReplyDeleteBefore I retired I followed your blog and several others every day and sometimes looked at authors' websites. Now I check Facebook every day and can see the blogs and many authors' information. I've never done any of the others but have signed up for several newsletters.
ReplyDeleteI may be the only one in the world: I use no social media at all= no time, no interest and, I appreciate my privacy.
ReplyDeleteComing here every day and on Bolo Books occasionally, receiving some newsletters and consulting autor's sites occasionally is enough for me.
I quit Facebook about 6 weeks ago. I used to follow Deborah's page there, but decided FB was such a time suck I needed to stop. As a middle school librarian, I need to reach kids where they are, so I use Instagram for them. I do follow a lot of middle grade and young adult authors there. They usually share Instagram stories, which you can add to over 24 hours, but which disappear after that time. I love reading them, but I hate creating content that disappears--too much work! I use Twitter for professional development. I follow some authors there, but mostly other librarians to get good ideas. And finally, I only use Snapchat to create Booksnaps: I take a photo of text, decorate it with Snapchat filters and emoji, then post it on Instagram. Again, I hate the thought of creating content only for it to disappear after 24 hours!
ReplyDeleteI love keeping up with all of you on this blog--so interesting to me how you work together on it.
(And BTW, in about a month I will be allowed to talk about the trial I'm currently serving as a juror on, which ties in with this topic in a big way!)
I read blogs because I love hearing what my favorite authors or quilters or other people have to say that can't be pared down to a photo and a sentence a la Instagram. I am active on Twitter because I need an outlet for my political views and a place to connect with other people who feel the same way I do, and because it's a good place to share pictures of dogs looking for good homes. :) No Facebook for me, because I know that as a woman without children who dearly wanted them, it makes me sad. Best to avoid it. And Snapchat? Just don't get it. Oh--I do have a Pinterest account, which I hope will reduce the clutter of clippings as I "pin" recipes, quilt patterns I might make, books I don't want to forget, etc., rather than tearing them out of a magazine and tucking them away in a "safe" spot.
ReplyDeleteReading this, I feel so "typical". (Sigh)
Shalom Reds and readers, I was (and am) a Facebook addict. However, I have developed a resentment against the site. It seems that at least twice within the last five years, content which I posted was blocked as violating Facebook's Community Standards. I remembered the content and looked back at the links and they were about as bland as you can get. So as much as I enjoy Facebook, I am going to limit my usage to a quick check once a day or every other day. I do use Twitter, but not as religiously. On Twitter, I usually look at other people's posts and don't post much of my own except to "retweet" interesting content of others. Instagram, I started using when a local civic organization promoted a "photography walk" of my small little borrough, Doylestown, PA. We used "hashtags" to post our own photographs and keep and eye on others. It was fun and prizes were given out. Both on Twitter which has the character limit and Instagram you can add links to your own content or the content of other peoples and people interested can look you up. I have a Pinterest account and an account on LinkedIn. I hardly use either one. I think my resolution for the rest of this Spring and Summer will be to start concentrating on using my time to read more books (including ebooks and audio books). I will not stop reading Jungle Red Writers.
ReplyDeleteUpon reflection, I wanted to add that on Twitter I have found a very active and accessible community of authors, many of them YA and children's lit. The conversations there range from bright and funny discussions of books and favorite characters to frank conversations about sexual harassment in the publishing industry.
ReplyDeleteAll sponsored endorsers must not make any misleading or deceptive ads or claims about your productshttps://edkentmedia.com/social-media-marketing/
ReplyDeleteI only use Facebook, and on a limited basis. I connect with friends and family and follow my favorite authors. I am not interested in any other social media sites.
ReplyDeleteThis is it: the blog. NO Facebook or any of the other things you list, nor any of the others that may be out there. "Social Media" is an ugly phrase to me, and I avoid it for reasons of safety and privacy.
ReplyDeleteI check Facebook several times a day. It’s where I get most of my news and keep up with friends and family, but I rarely click on links. I use Twitter mostly to get news of women’s soccer, which is hard to find elsewhere. I do follow quite a few authors on Twitter but usually have to go looking if I want to see their posts. I don’t do Instagram or Pinterest. I do get a lot of author newsletters but don’t read them regularly. And I generally only read blogs when the notice on Facebook grabs my attention.
ReplyDelete