There are hundreds of web sites and experts giving all kinds of great advice to people who want to improve their social media skills. Any topic you can think of, from web analytics to Pinterest, Instagram, web development, blogging, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum, you can find it. There’s no doubt that virtually every single advisor will tell you that Twitter should be an integral part of any social media plan, whether you’re a tiny one-person business (like me) or a huge corporate entity like Coca-Cola. And I agree. 100%.
Experts will tell you to find the movers and shakers in your field and start following them, in the hope of developing some kind of a dialogue (even if it’s a one-way dialogue in which the only communication is you re-Tweeting them). Maybe they’ll notice you. And it DOES happen, there’s no doubt. I’ve actually met and interacted with some great people and movers and shakers in my field, like Sean Platt of the Digital Writer. Sean told me that many of his most important business relationships have been conducted virtually. So there’s no doubt that Twitter can really help people at all levels connect with people in their respective fields, or who have similar interests (or even dissimilar interests).
One of the main pieces of Twitter advice that I hear over and over again is that it’s very important to Tweet about business all seven days of the week. Many advisors say weekend Tweeting is important because that’s when people are trying to catch up with what they missed during the week. Of course, with Twitter management apps like Buffer and TweetDeck, Tweeting on the weekends is practically a no-brainer. I use Buffer myself during the week when I am working, to keep my Tweets organized and on an evenly-spaced schedule.
In the past, I’ve used the app on the weekends to keep my feed alive with business Tweets, except to me, it seems disingenuous. It’s easy to feed all my Tweets into the app before I leave the office on Friday, with Tweets coming out all weekend long, but I don’t really think I’m all that precious.
I know the world continues to move at an ever-quickening pace, and those who snooze will likely be among those who lose. However, I am a big believer in making sure that my work fits into my life, and not the other way around. It seems a slippery slope to be pretending to be “on” all the time, even if we’re just talking about automated posts. Over the Christmas holidays, I was appalled at the number of business Tweets on Christmas day, even though I know they were mostly all automated. I suppose I am just old-fashioned, but I like it when the office is shut down, the lights are off, and days off are spent doing the really important things in life, not the presentation of a persona that works 365 days a year.
Some people may think I’m naive, or shooting myself in the foot, but I think on weekends, if I do Tweet, it won’t be with an automation app any more. It will be either because I’m actually working, or because I’m doing something fun or interesting.
What do you think? Do you think I’m crazy to want to slow things down and to leave work at work on the weekends (or whenever my days off are), or do you wish you could do the same?
No, I assure you you’re not crazy. It’s a good thing to slow things down. Too many people get up in the fast pace world and don’t know how to do it. Enjoy your days off. Last year really taught me the importance of slowing down.
I think slowing down is getting harder to do these days, and I’m happy to hear that there are like-minded people out there! Thanks for the comment.
Not crazy at all! When I first got on Twitter, I felt like I had to tweet several times a day every single day or I’d lose followers. I’m not sure where I got that impression, but it’s just not true. Since I don’t auto-schedule any tweets, I quickly started to burn out. Then one weekend I decided to just not tweet and see what happened…. I gained three followers. That’s when I realized I was letting Twitter take over. Truth be told, I think most people would rather someone under-tweet than over-tweet, and we all enjoy a break. Now, like you, I only tweet on weekends if I want to — and I’m much happier for it.
Annie, Isn’t it funny how the followers come even if you aren’t Tweeting? I think it’s about relevant content, and I honestly think that people don’t mind at all if you take the weekend off. Of course, since I actually end up working on a lot of weekends, if I see something good, I’ll Tweet it, but I’m saying “Sayonara” to the auto-tweets on the weekends!
I completely agree with you. I rarely Tweet on the weekends because I’m rarely at my computer, and I feel it’d be deceptive to start a conversation and not be there to continue it. Besides, weekends are meant to be enjoyed out in the real world. Most of my Twitter friends are probably out doing the same!
Thanks, Natalia. I can tell you that my weekends are more enjoyable not having to worry what’s in my buffer! When I do Tweet on the weekends now, it’s because I’m out doing something fun, or sometimes if I am working, I might Tweet about that. Thanks for the comment!