How Many Is Too Many?
An e-Marketer report that was released in June of this year predicted that nearly one in four people worldwide will use social networks in 2013. I’m interested to know out of those four, how many people are on three or more networking platforms. I’m betting at least two participate in multiple channels.
I’m an active user of Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest (please be sure to connect with me!). But, I don’t do much past that. Whew. That’s enough for me to keep up with. I think you can easily be overloaded by involvement in one too many social media sites.
I’ve recently been introduced to a couple new social applications and found myself debating on whether adding two more apps to my social media portfolio would be overkill. Figured I would try them out just to see. 🙂
Here are a couple to consider:
Snapchat. Snap and send a pic in seconds. It’s basically a conversation through pictures. Though a couple interesting features are that once the user views the picture, it’s gone. Vanished. There’s no record of the pic for you to go back and view. Also, you can edit the picture prior to sending (add text, change the tint, etc.).
Vine. The other day I ate at Mellow Mushroom and noticed they had a brochure on the table promoting this app. I have been meaning to download it to see what all the hype is about and so I simply scanned the QR code and put in on my phone. This app is for creating and posting videos. Videos that are on a constant loop. You can assemble a video by pressing and releasing the screen to record. I like how you can create a montage with such ease.
After testing these out for a few days, I don’t see incorporating either into my social media regimen for daily/frequent use. There is such a wide array of apps and networks out there to connect and share with others, that it’s important to narrow down which outlets work for you (this article is in that vein). The social sharing apps I already use allow me to record video, edit pictures, keep up with my friends, and stay up-to-date with other professionals. I’ve thought about exploring Foursquare. Ugh. One more to add to the list.
I will say that I have finally embraced my Google+ profile. I didn’t really jump on the Google+ band wagon when it rolled out a while back. But, the word is it will continue to gain momentum moving into the new year. Google+ is Facebook’s rival in a way. It’s an interactive and central place to post, share pictures, sync to YouTube…all within and linked to the realm of your Gmail account. Another neat feature is the Google+ hangout that essentially allows you to create an online chat room (it’s an improved version of gchat) with a video component. I do see the value of using Google+ to connect so I have beefed up my profile and will post from time to time. Here’s my Google+ page.
By the way, if you do find yourself using multiple social media channels, HootSuite is perfect for keeping track of all of them. It allows you to log in to one place to update, share, and post to one or all of your networks.
So, I’m now utilizing 6 social platforms and I think I’ll call it a day….for now. How many networks are you a part of? How many is too many?
P.S. In the spirit of the holidays, look at these fun social media icon ornaments on Etsy! I want one!