Blogging Elements

How Time Is Wasted With Social Media, Web 2.0 and Other Evils

Posted on 16. Apr, 2009 by Ashwin in Social Media

My head literally buzzes — almost goes dizzy, as if I had some sort of drug overdose — when I hear about a few things online that seem to be hyped beyond normalcy. Granted that there might be some sort of value in social media, web 2.0 and all of the other junk that seems to permeate the net now, but I still don’t see why people choose spend all their valuable time “twittering” or “tweeting” people about the un-usable toilet in rural Malaysia, China or India.

I am not against social media at all; it’s just that too much time is being spent here than warranted.

Consider this:

” Making my coffee now; nothing like a hot cuppa cappuccino on a Friday evening”

” Ok Tweeple, I am off to bed right now”

Excuse me? What kind of value addition is that? If you have to say something, make it informational, save me some of my money, share what you read, even promote your new blog post, but don’t yap just because it’s free to do so.

Beginning bloggers are now being sucked into the melee. They are told a million times that web 2.0 is happening, it’s in and that there is huge potential here. Twitter itself doesn’t have a solid business model yet, but people are already building a house of cards? Here’s why web 2.0 is a load of nonsensical B.S and why you are better off with just the right amount of time and effort spent on it.

Micro-blogging is still blogging: Most of the sites have taken off after twitter and micro-blogging is cool; it’s big and it’s unavoidable. Whether it dies or not is a moot point. However, micro-blogging is still “Blogging”. You stick to a niche and you provide great value — so much that you are mentioned everywhere, people chant your name and recommend others to follow you. You will be known as an authority in that niche and that’s what you want. So, whatever you do, don’t tweet your musings, daily doings, and other irrelevant stuff.

Spend just the right amount of time on Social Media: Social media is powerful. The power of networking, coupled with like interests and much more make it a potent combination to promote your own blog or services. But then, spending inordinate amount of time on it is abortive. Set a certain amount of time each day for these efforts and then stick to that schedule. An hour or two each is more than enough and over time, you will get to build your own following. If you find you are free for some reason, you might want to spend that extra time too. However, spending too much time on social media marketing efforts is foolishness. Don’t get sucked into it. Check this friendly clipping from current TV that re-iterates my point about the fact that twitter isn’t everything.

Twitter is a Time waster

There isn’t any value until you learn to give: ” Hey, check out my new blog!”, ” Have you checked out the next big thing after fire and wheels?” are the common statements you’d see most beginners put up on social media marketing channels, forums, twitter, flutter and what-have-you. It doesn’t work that way. In that precious time you are supposed to be spending for social media marketing in an ardent effort to promote your blog, you must learn to provide value and nothing else. Don’t even expect any link love or honorable mentions — just do it.

I was just reading a great post by Mark McGuinness titled ” Get More Followers By Spending Less Time on Twitter” on twitip.com. I don’t if you are trading your time in excess for this social media thing, but if you are, think again.

Tags: Mark McGuinnes, Micro Blogging, Social Media, twitip.com, twitter, Web 2.0