I tweet, stumble, share, blog, pin and google! This leaves me tired, frustrated and confused. I am a crafter, and I want to spend my time crafting, learning, and living. I love the idea of being able to share my handmade items, but when ALL my time begins to be about making social network connections, my enthusiasm wanes. I admire those that can keep up with all the social media, create items, sell them, and still have time to care for their home and family while finding time to enjoy their life. Please tell me your secret! How do you do it?

What do You Want from Social Networking?

Don’t get me wrong, I have met some wonderful, supportive people using Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, and have been inspired by many others on social networks. Twitter is the worst for me. I find it so boring, with listing after listing (spam) of products and items being sold. I know that is what most of us are there for, but it seems so empty sometimes. Some tweet about the weather, or their morning coffee (I am guilty of  both) or their bad day at work, or current news. It’s hard for me to feel a connection on Twitter, and the conversations move so fast that I lose track of the people I actually want to connect with. I do enjoy the time I spend on some the social networks, such as the “daydreams” I can collect on Pinterest, or the “cool and unusual things” I find on StumbleUpon, or my close friends and family on Facebook. Lately, I have been more drawn to Google+ and have enjoyed it more than Facebook. I don’t like the idea that these social networks think they have the right to sell my personal information, habits, and data, therefore, I am very cautious about my posts. I think we should be able to opt out of the data tracking (I guess they are working on a “do not track” button for the browsers; learn more Here). Google seems to have more safety nets built into their network, and it’s easier to customize your settings. I understand the idea of targeting ads, and realize that is part of what makes Google Adsense so successful.  Navigating social media, and keeping a respectable amount of privacy is “tricky.” I want to be a part of it, but I want to control who and what I connect with, and where and what is shared. That is becoming harder to achieve, which is a little bit scary.

Blogging is a different form of networking, and I enjoy that I can sit down and write about topics of my choice, express my feelings, and share information. Blogging is still out of my comfort zone, but I have been doing it for a couple of years now. I, of course, am still striving to improve. Sometimes I feel like I need to guard what I post, for fear I might offend someone, such as this post about social media, but if I can’t be honest about who I am, what I think, and how I feel, then I am not really sharing anything of myself, or being authentic.

Is Social Networking Worth Your Time?

So, is social networking beneficial? I guess it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are there to just share and make friends, and enjoy hours of chit chat on the computer then you are getting the results  you want. But if you are trying to reach out and make connections that will help your business sales, I have my doubts. Opinions on the internet vary about how social media affects your bottom line, but many believe it doesn’t bring many sales to your business. Sure you may land a sale here and there, but for the amount of time it takes, is it really worth it? I suppose that depends on what you are selling, and the competition in the market for that item.  On the other hand, if you are a blogger, and trying to attract readers, social networking sites are a great way to bring people to your blog. Social newtworking is time consuming, but it can be a great way to expand your presence, which may or may not improve your bottom line.

Recently, we started creating tutorials on YouTube, and I find that doing tutorials provides me with a rewarding experience, knowing that I helped someone learn something new, or solve a problem.

I have learned a lot, and discovered many fascinating people, and many interesting things through social media, so I guess I will continue my Pinning, Tweeting, Posting, and Googling, with a little more discretion, and focus on the sites that offer me the comfort, security and interaction that I am looking for without getting caught in the tangled web of social media.

Five Suggested Social Media Sites:

• Google+ 
• Facebook   (pay attention to privacy and app settings)
• Pinterest  (membership by requested invitation)
• StumbleUpon
• YouTube

UPDATE:  Since this post, this article, Why I Tearfully Deleted my Pinterest Inspiration Boards, has come to our attention, and we have sadly decided  that it’s in our best interest to delete our Pinterest accounts.  We  are not suggesting you do the same, but the information is important, and we felt it should be shared.

Warmly, Bonnie