Especially now that Google+ looks like it might be here to stay, it seems like there are more social networks out there than ever.
I’m starting to have trouble keeping up with all of my various accounts across the Internet, and, increasingly, my cell phone.
Personally, I’m on…
Facebook (public page and personal profile)
Twitter
Google+
LinkedIn
StumbleUpon
Foursquare
YouTube
Instagram
PicPlz
Foodspotting
Gowalla
GoodReads
The Reading Room
Myspace (kind of)
And that’s even before you count, well, blogging and the discussion Forums as a form of social networking as well. I’m sure there are even ones I’m forgetting.
What about you? Which social networks do you use, and do you have trouble keeping up? Do you think we’re in a social media fad or are we getting a glimpse of the future?
rebeccaenzor says
I'm currently having a love affair with G+ and have basically left FB (I never liked FB to begin with, but my whole family is on it). I'm also on Twitter just about all the time except during big editing pushes (the past two weeks).
And that's my limit for social media 😛 I can barely keep up with Twitter and G+
ReggieWrites says
I'm on:
Blogger
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace (but I haven't gone on in over three years)
Goodreads
YouTube
That's basically it…
Erica says
We are in a social media fad and getting a glimpse of the future. First of all, thanks for this post and secondly I use WordPress, Twitter, Facebook(sometimes, Youtube, Myspace and…thats it. However I am familiar with Digg and Google+.
The reason I say it is the future because there are now phones with the Facebook button on them so I guess its for even more of an instant connection. Mailing letters has become almost obsolete while emailing seems "slow" compared to just "Facebooking" someone.
We'll see where it all ends up.
M.A. Leslie says
Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads. Not only am I thinking that we are seeing the future, I am thinking there will have to be a social networking 12 step program.
I'm already addicted, can someone help!
crow productions says
Facebook is annoyingly addictive. Forget the Farmville stuff, I refuse to do that. With twitter I can be sarcastic and my conservative views seem to spew over. I have a problem pulling myself away from these distractions. What I should be doing like writing my next novel.
Anonymous says
I HOPE it's a fad, and that the cream of the social networking sites will rise to the top and leave the rest behind. Honestly, I used to be afraid of being published because I would feel pressure to produce. But in the last six months or so, my fears have switched to social networking. By the way, I am on FB and Twitter, where I mostly retweet what others say, or talk about my kids. I can't imagine that my possible future readers would care.
Cherie Reich says
I've been trying to spend about 15-30 minutes a day on the social media sites, but it can be rough to be everywhere.
I'm on:
Blogger
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Goodreads
YouTube
Google+
and I would add SheWrites to that list.
I mainly focus on Blogger, Facebook, and Twitter, but I visit the others every couple days, except I rarely get on LinkedIn, YouTube, and SheWrites.
I used to be on MySpace and spent a good portion of my morning trying to delete my account before it came to changing all my info to "delete me" and sending emails.
Social media is so important to writers, especially debuting ones.
sueneu says
Nathan,
I've been wondering this very thing. Would you consider setting up a poll?
I've tried to separate personal and professional with mixed results. In order of frequency of use:
Personal:
FB, Twitter, SecondLife, Ravelry, Tumblr
Professional:
Twitter, Google+, Mobileread, LinkedIn
I'm struggling to keep track of it all. I don't want to just repurpose the same info everywhere, that seems like a poor way to create relationships.
Amy Joy says
As far as using social media for marketing goes, which sites we decide to put our time and energy into appear to depend on what our goals are. Different social media outlets appear to help serve different goals. There are lots of great books aout there about this, for those who are interested. Unfortunately, they also become outdated very quickly as the media changes. Personally, I am on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads,and I have two websites. And I am nowhere near an expert on any of this.–Amy Joy http://www.theacademieseries.com
Matthew MacNish says
I think the answer lies somewhere between fad and future. There is no way there will be room for that many networks to be that huge.
There will always be some niche ones, I'm sure, like Goodreads, but I can't see myself actually sticking with both FB and G+ for long.
Personally I'm on, in this order:
Blogger
Facebook
Twitter
Google +
I have, but never use:
MySpace
YouTube
Goodreads
LinkedIn
It's already too much. We just need teleportation already, so we can actually hang out with people.
Justus R Stone says
Personally I'm using
Twitter
Facebook (personal & page)
Google+
Goodreads
And my blog
It feels a little overwhelming sometimes because I feel obligated to make it worth people's time to follow me. At the same time, those communities have proved to be treasure in terms of help and support. I think social networks are here to stay. The reality is as people, we don't always have like minded individuals to share things with in our immediate geographic location. Social networks help bridge that distance.
Annie McMahon says
I'm on:
Twitter
Facebook
Google+
Blogger
Skype
writing.com
That's about it. And I agree with Matt, we need teleportation so we can get to meet all these people we've become friends with over the internet. That would be awesome!
Bryce Daniels says
Holy carp, Nathan!
How in the devil do you manage to keep up with all that, as well as your tech job? Not to mention writing and promoting your books?
Please forward your secret to the 30-hour day to the Bryce Daniels Preservation Society. Donations are gladly, and always, accepted.
Me? Facebook for personal and family contacts.
Blogger for my writer's face and my platform.
Twitter as a tandem media for the writing career.
ann foxlee says
Aside from (rarely these days) blogging on Blogspot, the only other thing I do is Google+.
Twitter was too many 'I had an egg salad sandwich today' type entries for me, and Facebook lacked the privacy and selective posting that drew me to G+. Besides, I don't like the 'friend' moniker (I take the word too literally it seems), and I hated the constant badgering I got (why haven't you friended me yet???). Nuts to facebook. And Myspace is a ghost town, unless you're a musician.
Technically, I do have accounts on all of them, but collectively, I have logged in less than a dozen times over the course of the last 5 years.
Hopefully G+ catches on enough that I can use that as my social networking outlet. I like being able to separate my interactions between family, business, friends, and people I don't like but am obligated to include sometimes ;-P
Patrice says
Let's see. I'm on:
WordPress (a couple blogs)
Facebook
Twitter (two accounts)
LinkedIn
Goodreads
YouTube
Google+
Klout
and a couple others that have just popped up, whose names I can't even remember. It is definitely too much, but it will sort itself out in time. Some will prove useful and survive, some won't.
I think I have an old MySpace page. Remember Friendster??
But Nathan, if YOU are finding it too much, imagine the rest of us!
CourtLoveLeigh says
In order of favorite to least favorite that I use on a regular basis:
Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter had been so good to me. I've gotten to guest blog on cool websites, won free books, and even got a gig for my band of Twitter. I swear by Twitter.
Italy to Los Angeles and Back says
Facebook (Public and Personal), Blogspot, YouTube (for specific campaigns) and now a personal Twitter account. I must admit Twitter is my least favorite. Not because one needs to be brief, but because I see it as too one-way. Kind of like being in High School all over again; you follow others that often could give a hoot about following you!
My favorite, warmest and most cuddly social networks are Blogging and Facebook, because though we might want to be "out-there" and create a following on Twitter, I think the straight forward interaction that FB encourages, and the creative avenue that Blogging permits is more personal. AND, yes beside my blog, I think I spend way too much time on social networks!
Anonymous says
None.
Although I visit here quite a bit.
Aimée Beatrice Jodoin says
Just my blog is enough to keep me busy! I also have a twitter that I use mostly just to follow people, and my facebook is just for my friends.
Nisa says
I keep up with facebook mostly, though I do have Google+, and twitter accounts. I also blog, but that seems to be dying off a bit.
I don't think social media is a fad in general. Perhaps the outlets will change. Maybe google+ will over run facebook like facebook pushed out myspace, but networking online is here to stay I think.
Oscar Bermeo says
I still love being on Flickr, a more professional social media outlet that lets me love images without having to be a premiere photographer.
Anonymous says
I'm on all those, and so many yahoo groups I can't keep track of the e-mails.
But I often wonder whether or not it's a waste of time, especially when I get mail from so many who aren't on any social networks. In other words, the majority of the people I see on social networks are other authors, not readers. And they are all doing the same thing: hocking their books.
I wish there were some kind of meter to gage these things.
Kay Elam says
I'm on:
Facebook (personal and professional)
Twitter (still trying to figure out)
WordPress blog 3x a week
Frankly, it takes so much time to keep up (sort-of) with Facebook and Twitter, write a blog 3 times a week and read all of the great blogs in my Google Reader, I have little time to write, edit, etc.
I don't have an outside job–I quit to focus on writing. I don't know how people with another profession manage.
D.G. Hudson says
Never liked Facebook, not enough security. I've not jumped on to all the different social media like Twitter or some of the other sites because of the time suck and a current lack of interest.
I enjoy blogging and put most of my effort into that, but I don't blog as frequently as others since I concentrate on the novels and short stories I'm writing.
Each of us has the choice in how we promote ourselves, and how we spend our day (aside from work) but that promotion should always be something that you enjoy doing, or you won't keep it up.
Why should we try to be available 24/7? A person needs time to collect his thoughts or he's just spewing into the ether. Media pollution may be the result.
Lance C. says
I'm on Twitter and LinkedIn and don't have time to do either of those "correctly," at least in the view of the social media gurus.
Do we really need this insane proliferation of systems? More to the point, do you need to be on all those systems, Nathan? How much time do you spend each day on feeding the social-media beast? What would you have time to do if you weren't juggling 15 online personas?
If you could be on only two social-media platforms (leaving aside YouTube, which has a reason for being beyond "community"), which would they be? Now the next step: could you wean yourself from the others, and what would be the cost?
The straw broke for me when Google+ appeared. All the people who were singing the praises of Facebook the week before then jumped on the G+ bandwagon. What will be the new shiny toy six months from now? Will publishers expect us all to flog our books on all these systems? That sounds like a new circle of Hell to me.
Ben Whiting says
I'm on:
Twitter (@benwhiting) a decent amount, but I've been frustrated by the lack of interaction I have had with others.
Facebook, though hardly at all for a six month period last year. I was largely limited by the scope of the friends I had.
Google+ (https://gplus.to/benwhiting) more and more. This is the one I'm hoping to use primarily in the future. The G+ add-on for Chrome lets me monitor the other two accounts from my Google+ page too, which is nice.
Crystal Collier says
I think there are WAY too many social networks out there. It's impossible to maintain them all, say nothing about being current and involved–and actually doing some writing on occasion.
L Jaye Bell says
For writing, Facebook has turned from a black hole time waster into many opportunities for travel writing. So I post links to my articles, blogs and photo essays that are published in other media.
For my radio show, the buckshot approach is best. Staying up with postings individually to 8 social nets is tedious for sure. I use a program that allows me to post to all social media sites simultaneously, even to schedule them for when I want them to go out. (Hootsuite) When I post a new show online, Poof! there's the link. I also post during the live broadcast, for we stream live on the net, so I keep posting and trolling for interested listeners as I go. Sometimes, one will filter through to the musicians. It's a nice surprise when an artist responds with a "thank you."
Scott says
You have to pick your battles (target the most valuable ones) and make them count (do them right).
Google+ (family, hobbies)
LinkedIn (professional)
I have accounts with Goodreads and Youtube, but don't use them actively as social tools. Twitter and the rest I consider timesucks of very limited value.
Jck says
Yes! and add to all of those personal Social Media Platforms, the fact that I manager brand pages for my clients as a community manager, so technically I live,eat, sleep Social Media
Ishta Mercurio says
You're on all those networks, and you're just now starting to have trouble keeping up with all of them?
Jeez, Nathan. Make us feel like social networking losers, why don't you? (LOL – just kidding, in case that didn't some across.)
I'm active on:
Google+
Goodreads
Twitter
I also blog, and lurk on Verla Kay's boards and in your own forums. (I sometimes post in your forums, but not nearly as often as I'd like.)
And I can barely keep up! Okay, so maybe I feel like a loser just a tiny bit…
Rick Daley says
I'm on:
– Facebook (Rick Daley, Cinder Clouds)
– Twitter (@rjdaley101071)
– GoodReads (Rick Daley)
– LinkedIn (Rick Daley)
– Blogger (https:// mydaleyrant.blogspot.com and https://openquery.blogspot.com)
I think that social media market is in a bubble, what with the new entrants and all. It will be short lived, because there's a bit of pressure to be on all of them, but there's now reasonable way (or reason, IMHO) to manage the plethora of online identities.
Some will continue to thrive, but some will follow in MySpace's footsteps. Meanwhile, a market opportunity will open up for middle-ware that integrates and manages the various social media sites for a user. There are some existing integrations between Facebook, Twitter, and others to eliminate redundant entry of posts / status updates, and some third-party sites also provide reporting on your online presence across multiple social media networks.
The next big thing is making the last big thing usable.
WORD VERIFICATION: pholeres. I'm not defining anything that starts with phole because that's just gross.
Tanz says
I haven't received an invite to Google+ yet, so I hit the sites that most of my friends use, so I get their updates. Mainly that is FaceBook, and of the ones I use, I like that one the most, but I can't say I'm happy with it.
I follow people on Twitter for better updates, and I have a few followers there, as well.
I was on MySpace because of the groups and forums, but they killed those a long time ago.
MyYearbook for the games and pictures
GoodReads
YouTube
I have a Friendster and a LinkedIn account, but no one I know uses these, so I have very few contacts on either, and so I don't go there often.
Kristi says
Google+ could be fun but they're not letting anyone in right now. So it's like the social media for the super-cool-kids-only. And it's annoying as heck to read when folks say "check this out on Google+" because, you know, we can't. (Ok, not entirely true…I can see other people's stuff, but can't share any of my own until I'm invited). 🙂
I do Facebook, Twitter, Blogger (to write)/Google Reader(to read), Goodread.
I also have (gasp) quite a lot of Yahoo Groups still. They seem to be lagging behind the times, and yet I haven't seen a good replacement being adopted by anyone yet (maybe Google+ will be? Who knows, they won't let me in to find out….).
Sean Thomas Fisher says
I'm on:
Blogger
Facebook
Google+
Twitter
and TheWalkingDead.com
Eventually people will tire of posting every little detail and picture of their day to whichever networks. Real life probably isn't all that exciting on a daily basis to support any a lengthy interest. Although, this morning I made the switch from Frosted Flakes to Fruit Loops and that seemed to raise a lot of eyebrows on FB…
Torre - Fearful Adventurer says
I feel like I've become Social Networking's bitch. I'm on everything, and I'm struggling to find the time to take a (CENSORED). Portlandia's 'Technology Loop' skit captures this perfectly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jT0JT3N47g
Selena Robins says
Twitter
Facebook
WordPress
3 Yahoo chat groups with readers and writers
I did sign up for the Google one, but am not active on it. I find it hard enough to keep up with these.
I dedicate about an hour or so a day to posting and another hour to reading various blogs, and try to leave a comment. I just feel one can get bogged down too much with all this at times.
I miss letter writing and receiving mail by the postman.
Raghav says
''give me camera'' generation..
JD says
I had most of the same ones you have but have abandoned most of them for G+. I use public posting for Twitter replacement, Hangouts for Skype replacement, G+ feed for Facebook replacement. I tried the Sparks feature to replace Goodreads but it is not what I thought it would be so I'm still on that.
Anonymous says
I only have a livejournal right now where I talk to myself because I haven't even reached out to anyone so I guess it's just a private journal.
As a writer I think you have to do what is comfortable for you and at the end of the day if you write a good book the masses will come without all that other stuff.
Anne R. Allen says
I echo Matthew MacNish–
Blogger
Facebook
Twitter
Google +
& have, but never use:
MySpace
Goodreads
LinkedIn
& probably a bunch of others I've forgotten about.
And then there are the forums which I used to visit, but never seem to have time for, like Kindleboards and Absolute Write and AgentQuery (do they still have forums?) and of course your brilliant ones.
Whew! Where does it all end?
I like Google+, but that's mostly because it's smaller and quieter and there are no ads or spammy quizzes & question boxy-things. But I suppose that will all end when it gets going.
Then I will hate it as much as FB but keep going there because it's where I meet a few people I don't see elsewhere.
And I'm doing this all because I really want to write novels?
collectonian says
As the song says, I'm a simple girl myself 🙂 I have Facebook, almost exclusively personal use except for a page I run for our local NaNo group. I have a blog on LiveJournal, and two more on my own sites. I don't see any need/use in the rest. They add no value, to me, versus what I already have.
I don't really consider YouTube to be a "social network", its a place to upload and share videos and that's all I use it for. I don't do any of the community stuff. Ditto Flickr. I upload my insane photo collection for storage and easier sharing, not socializing 🙂
The rest, I just have no need for.
The English Teacher says
Sigh.
I blog and have school websites to update all the time. I can't really be bothered with more than that and still have time to live the life I blog about.
Taylor Napolsky says
Yes of course social media is here to stay. I think it takes at least an hour a day to stay on top of everything.
And I'm loving google plus. I even linked to this article from google plus!
https://www.taylornapolsky.com
Laura says
I'm on:
Blogger
WordPress
Facebook
Twitter
LibraryThing
Goodreads
LinkedIn
YouTube
Dave says
Not even a glimpse of the future…this is the current standard. The number of accounts I use astonishes me at times: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogger, Delicious, YouTube, Goodreads.
Lisa Hall-Wilson says
I co-write a blog on WordPress (Girls With Pens) and we also have a Facebook page. I have a personal profile on Facebook too. I'm active on G+, Youtube (unlisted links only for family), Pinterest, and monitor LinkedIn. I don't do twitter – too frenetic.
I think it's important to do a few things well, than everything poorly.
Anonymous says
I use Twitter and now Google+, LinkedIn and LibraryThing (when I remember to post there). Goodreads, same thing — I have to remind myself. MySpace, which I mostly don't use at all anymore. And my blog, of course 🙂
I only use Twitter on a daily basis. The rest is mostly just duplication because I'm always paranoid I'll miss someone. I post pretty much the same thing to each place when I'm doing an announcement.
You'll note Facebook is not there. Not because I don't like it or am anti-FB, but because I have a personal account there that's not connected with my online author persona. That account's for family and close friends. Does it mean I've cut off a part of my advertising? Sure. But then, you can't do them all and still write!
grr. Publishing this as anonymous because my cookies are goofed up. This is Diana Hunter.
Darley says
I'm on Blogger, Facebook, and just now working on Google+. But it's all really too much.
Do people e-mail anymore?
L.G.Smith says
I'm on blogger (bardsandprophets.blogspot.com) and Twitter, and I have a Goodreads account that I don't know how to use. Really, I'm totally confused over there. It says I've been reading Neverwhere for nine months. Don't know how to change it. I am that lame.