Category: Digital Life

The Ever Changing World Of Social Media

Carl Setzer

Was just reading this piece over at Business Insider: Teens are ditching Instagram for Snapchat at a stunning rate. Well, this reinforces one of my underlying assumptions: that what we’ve currently labeled “social media” is a highly unstable sector.

So, we see that Twitter is falling in relevance; that’s been prognosticated about forever. And the same with the Facebook and it’s sidekick Instagram. But we’re seeing growth with Snapchat. Again, the focus of this article is teens, but I expect they’ll be the leading edge of social media trends.

They have two graphs that really capture things:

And this guy, which I think is more telling:

So, the world is shifting and shifting rapidly. It’ll be good to dive into Snapchat, if you’re not already there.

Time Management and Some Advice From Om Malik

Carl Setzer

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how heavily I use social media. As it’s part of my function for the C&K Team, I easily can spend hours each day wrapper up in it. Lately, I’ve noticed I’m slipping on things I value, the most obvious one writing. The quality of my writing has slipped, as my focus has been on getting content out, not on writing the best stuff I can, on magnifying my quality.

Om Malik posted this recently: Non-Social. He’s backing away from high-level engagement upon all the social media platforms. Going so far as deleting the apps from his devices, so I assume that means he’s only using Twitter/Facebook writ-large from laptops/desktops.

I don’t know if I’m ready to go that far (yes, he’s only going dark for a week, but still…) but I feel that backing off from social stuff will give me more time to focus. I’ve had several folks requesting me finish some of the books I’ve had on the back-burner. With NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) coming up, this might be a good way to leverage my time. However, I haven’t put much thought into novels lately. So, we’ll see.

Anyway, I have some essay ideas I’m pulling together for Medium  (I will have new content up there this weekend) and have some short-story ideas to flesh out. So, I must cut back in other places. Of course, I shan’t disappear entirely. If anything, I hope to be more relevant on the internets.

Other sites to find my writing

Carl Setzer

My foci have moved lately.

If you’re a fan of my poetry, this page is focused on that. I’m quite pleased with the results. Less than a year ago, I had no followers. Now, over 1,400. ‘Tis very validating.

My more general writing has been over here at NotJustSeattle. Over 2,200 subscribers since launch. Again, quite pleasing.

So, come over to these sites and say “hi”.

My newest web project: ForwardFacing

Carl Setzer

I’m moving all my more formal business and technology focused writing over to my new website, Forward Facing. The goal is for CarlSetzer.com to be more of a personal site. Forward Facing will showcase my writing and web work in a more professional manner. At least that’s the plan.

Part of the fun with this, though, is that ForwardFacing.net is showing up in Twitter’s spam/malware database. I guess the prior owners were nasty with it. Anyway, I’ve made the initial request of Twitter to get removed from that list. Which me luck.

Twitter and Rage

Carl Setzer

Every so often I read something on twitter which infuriates me, filling me with horror and revulsion.  I long for the power to remove such wretched souls, deleting the parasitic blight. However, I know that is not my path. Reveling in rage only fills me with misery. I seek the right response, though,  one which shows them the destruction they wreck. Perhaps, someday, such shall be found. Until then, the best I see is to act with kindness to their victims.

Modern Business, Social Media, and @Taylorswift13

Carl Setzer

Inc. has a great piece looking at Taylor Swift and her uber-successful social media dialog with Apple. I’ve been very impressed with Ms. Swift. Her savvy social media execution has helped build her into a powerful brand. This is a woman who will have a powerful impact for years to come.

The article sums up the tools she used for success in this case nicely. She maintained a respectful tone in her dialog with Apple (I’m reluctant to use any other term as she made a statement and Apple, extremely wisely, took the advice). They also look at the way she’s managed her relationship with her fans, with which I think she’s done an exceptional job. And I adore the way she’s poked fun, in a very positive way, at the media speculation and harassment that follows her.

Ms. Swift is a bright, talented and engaging woman, who I think has done an exceptional job to date managing her brand, life and business interests. There’s a lot to learn from her savvy, no matter the sector you find yourself in. And if you’re in the arts, there’s tons.

Zorpia Blues

Carl Setzer

I’m seeing a bunch of emails from friends and colleagues from Zorpia. It ostensibly seems to be a social networking, but clearly is a phishing scheme. They will look like invites from a friend. Do Not Open The Messages From Them!

Here’s a blog post that sums up the joy.

Along with this, always double check with the assumed sender before you click on these sorts of things. And, even if they say “yeah, it’s a great site”, spend a little time with Google to verify. It’s really hard to undo this sort of damage.

Social Media Meditation

Carl Setzer

So many articles about how to make zillions on social media. I’ve long ago grown weary of that discussion. Don’t get caught up in the “magic money” mindset: “Set up Facebook/Twitter and watch the money roll in”. 

Social media provides great opportunities to engage communities. Connecting with a wider audience without much monetary cost is fantastic. However, there is the time cost to consider. Also, everyone is on these channels, as the cost is so low. Developing a distinct voice can be challenging, yet is critical. A key part of that is focus: you can’t be everything to everyone. Trying such dilutes that focus, and you lose sight of what’s critical. It’s better to have 300 engaged fans than 10k unengaged ones. Follower and Like counting are not always the best metrics. Be thoughtful how you measure success.

Your social media meditation for Sunday. Go forth and do great things!