Category Archives: Pinterest

Nov 29 2012
Facebook, HootSuite, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, social media addict, social media fatigue, social networks, Twitter

Social Media Addiction: A Love-Hate Relationship

Over the past several months, I’ve developed a truly love-hate relationship with social media. I’ve allowed it to creep into every facet of my life. Case in point, my iPhone, with its ubiquitous social apps, is the first thing I reach for upon waking and the last thing I put aside before sleep.

Social media, once such a novelty, such an amazingly direct link to anyone anywhere, has become a vice. It has become a habit, an impulse, an addiction; and for that I’ve tried to shun social networks each in their turn. But, like a true addict, I couldn’t stay away for long.

What is happening in the world, I’ve wondered to myself while slinking back to HootSuite. Where should I start first, I’ve asked while creating a new board dedicated to Christmas shopping in Pinterest. How can I make my photos look like that, I’ve envied while catching up on my Instagram feed.

Just when I think I’m out, social media pulls me back in. Or, something like that…

It’s difficult to avoid social media these days. Even someone who isn’t on a single social media network (who are you?) is indirectly exposed through social sharing toolbars, hashtags on TV screens, and the lexicon of “Facebook terminology” (think “pokes,” “likes,” and “Facebook official”).

As social media has grown in my own life from personal to professional usage, the novelty of the thing has grown thin and I’ve begun to tire of its demands- even on a personal level. This feeling of social media overload is something I struggle with almost weekly. And yet, I can’t help wondering what is happening on Twitter when I’m not there. I can’t help feeling as though I’m “missing out” on timely content or networking opportunities by neglecting LinkedIn and Facebook. Whether it’s been a week, a day, or a mere hour away; I can’t seem to help crawling back each time.

The thing is, when it comes to social media; the tree that falls in the forest when I’m not there to “hear” it does make a sound. And heaven forbid I miss a single tweet, like, share, pin, or comment about it!

Jul 18 2012
best practices, infographics, key performance indicators, Pinterest, social media strategy, tweet frequency, tweet timing, Twitter, Twitter followers

Beyond The Tweet: What’s The “Best Practice” for Tweet Frequency and Timing?

As a prolific tweeter, one of the questions I’m often asking myself is, “How often should I be tweeting?” And although I continue to tweet from multiple accounts both professionally and personally, I haven’t come to a perfect conclusion as yet. Is the right answer once a day? Once an hour, on the hour? Multiple times an hour? And what about retweets and modified retweets- how do they fit into that mix? And replies? Is there a standard best practice for tweet frequency, a “sweet spot” for Twitter success?

According to KISSmetrics‘ data below (a handy little infographic I found on Pinterest that covers Twitter and Facebook frequency and timing), Twitter users who tweet between 1 and 4 times per hour are more likely to get click throughs to their tweeted content. While that guideline may be sound, I’d caution against taking it as an absolute “best practice” (not ever tweet is effective even if you’re abiding by the recommended frequency). In looking at when to tweet, KISSmetrics recommends mid-week and weekends either at noon or 6 p.m. as the best days and times (again based on click through rates). For amplification, Kissmetric recommends tweeting around 5 pm when the likelihood of retweets is highest.

Ultimately, whether tweeting for personal or professional use, your tweets will arguably be their most effective not based upon frequency but upon value to your followers. Rather than ask how frequently you should be tweeting at your followers, ask what kinds of information you’re sharing with and engaging with them around- either by tweeting, replying, or retweeting others’ content.

With any form of writing, the best and most effective pieces of communication are crafted with a clear and true understanding of the intended audience. Why should Twitter be treated any different? While a single tweet may only be 140 characters, it is still a form of writing and the maxim for “knowing your audience” is just as applicable. Knowing what kind of content is valuable to your audience is not only necessary for your desired impact, but I would argue is also the key to understanding how frequently your audience wants to hear from you. Moreover, it’s understanding when they want to hear from you.

If your social media strategy is to send out tweets that could have been written by a robot and link to a press release, you might want to rethink your strategy. If you’re tweeting at your followers far more than you are replying or even retweeting, then you might want to review your engagement priorities. And if you view the number of Twitter followers as indicative of your success on the platform, you might want to revisit your key performance indicators. In fact, you might even want to ask if Twitter is for you.

Agree? Disagree? Tweet with me: @NicKnowsMKTG.