I want to change my social media habits. How about you?
Here are a few of my social media resolutions. I might even start this year!
1. Ignore the ugly.
Too much of social media is based on the worst parts of humanity. The “reputable” news that travels the Interwebs is obsessed with shining a light on this. While it’s couched in an attitude of “isn’t this awful!” it’s still spreading the ugly.
I am choosing to ignore these types of posts and refuse to share them.
2. Reveal more that matters.
It’s fun to share a bit more about who we are as people, especially when it’s not complaining, kvetching or whining. The popular Facebook posts about “X Number of Things You May Not Know About Me” spread quickly because it shows even though you can know someone, there is still a lot to know.
I’d rather see posts about my friend’s interesting past than another post complaining about the complainers on Facebook.
3. Say thank you more often.
I totally fell off the wagon some weeks this year. I’d return to Twitter after being busy and find a lot of folks who had shared my content.
I should’ve said thank you more often, and I’m going to make an effort to do that more consistently in 2014.
4. Be more scientific about when and how to post business content.
There is a lot of great data out there with general information about this, but the best way to really find out is to dutifully track my own analytics and make smart decisions based on what works and what doesn’t.
For example, I need to find out if one general post in LinkedIn serves us better than two posts in specific LinkedIn Groups. Lots of combinations to test and retest throughout the year. Diligence and dedication are critical!
5. Try new things.
2014 will bring new platforms and patterns, just as 2013 did. Snapchat and Vine have their own unique offerings, and yet I barely experimented with them in 2013. Who knows what we’ll be discussing next year?
I need to jump in and experiment more.
6. Stay true.
The best thing about all this social media, in my humble opinion, is how it allows us to connect to each other, ideas and the world at large in pretty amazing ways. I plan on continuing to be myself and stay true to who I am. I’m sure everyone plans on that, but we’ve all witnessed when a pseudo-celebrity starts taking themselves too seriously.
I think it’s like anything else in life. If success comes too quickly, it’s easy to start believing your own PR. I’m not claiming to have even the “pseudo” part of celebrity, but I’d like to think as I gain followers or fans, I’ll still be me at the end of the day.
7. Set limits.
There were days I jumped on social media sites first thing in the morning or last thing at night. I don’t like those habits. I try to catch myself if I do this, but I need to do a better job.
These are my resolutions. Are you setting any resolutions for 2014? Here’s to a happy, healthy and connected new year!
Image credit: kdonovangaddy via Creative Commons
Jeanne Walters can be reached on Twitter at @jeanniecw.
