Here is an interesting side effect of using a blogging platform as the one-stop shop for my social media presence: I have less to say. Rather, I am more particular about what I say.
Part of it is the fact that if I am not logged into my blog’s dashboard, I do not have control over whether my post goes to FB or to Twitter; it will automatically go to both. (My blogging client isn’t finely tuned enough to let me de-select one or the other.) I don’t want every quick, Twitter-worthy thought to clutter my FB Timeline.
Part of it is also awareness. The process of setting up the microblog has made me more sensitive. What do I want the wider world to know about my thoughts and feelings on various topics, ranging from what I ate to whether or not my partner stayed up all night doing homework? The answer to that question is going to be different from moment to moment, and at this moment I am quieter than I am used to being on those platforms.
That is a good thing. I am adding less to the noise of social media, and what I add has meaning to me. Whether it has meaning to others…isn’t nearly as important, to be honest. Since I have other channels to advertise and promote my business ventures, this channel is purely for my own enjoyment. It’s my version of shouting down a well, just because I can, just because I love the sound of my own voice. The fact that there are others who also enjoy the sound of my voice is finger-licking delectable icing on the cake.
I don’t have less to say to the people who share large chunks of my life, though. We will email, text, call, IM, write letters, and comment on each other’s personal blogs just as much as before. But in terms of the wider world, I will probably find myself saying less than I would have, had I kept using Hootsuite, Twitter, and Facebook to put my words out there.