Slow Living and Social Media: Twitter
Vincent van ZalingeOne of the most incongruous things about creating an online business while also advocating for a slower, simpler pace of life is the great big issue of social media. We're told that we need to be everywhere, be accessible, be responsive, be curated, be useful and entertaining and inspiring and authentic and honest and on and on it goes... But there's nothing remotely slow about that.Unsurprisingly then, one of the more common questions we're asked relates to this conundrum: How can we create an online business, build an amazing community, connect with people and not lose hours a day to the endlessly hungry social media beast?Instead of trying to cram an answer in to a regular hostful, Ben and I decided to create a series that looks at the main social media platforms we use (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) and the strategies we employ for each of them. It might sound a little dry, but getting a hold of the time you spend on and in social media can have further reaching impact that you imagine, and the next few Monday shows are for anyone who feels the pressure to "keep up" with social media, not just people who are looking to build something with it.Today it's Twitter, AKA the platform I used to love but is now basically a raging dumpster fire. The soul of Twitter has shifted a lot over the past couple of years and while Ben and I still use it personally and often rely on Twitter to keep on top of the news, it's become waaaay less central to our business. In fact, I barely use it for work at all.Twitter itself is now a bit of a "let's shout our opinions at each other" space which has made it a far less enjoyable way to communicate with people. Plus, the changing vibe of Twitter means a lot of slow living folk are no longer hanging out there anyway, so letting it dry up has been a pretty easy choice to make.I do still use it to follow comedians, writers (Stephen King and JK Rowling are cracking good follows, FYI) journalists, activists and organisations I support, and if I'm going to get overtly political anywhere online, Twitter is where I'll be. As always though, boundaries on the time and energy are the key in keeping it as a tool to be used, rather than an addiction to be battled.We also talk about scheduling vs real-time posting, which is part of the issue for balancing social media in a slower, simpler life. It ain't sexy, but if we want to make time for the things that are important, often we need to think about the unsexy stuff too.Do you still use Twitter? How do you strike the balance?
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Also a quick reminder about the Live Life Simply Online Retreat - a six-week program that brings together the wisdom and expertise of 13 mindfulness, simplicity and slow living experts into one blissful online space. The line-up is incredible and we can't wait to see you there! Head over to the retreat for all the details and to secure your place. Registrations close on October 22, 2017, and the retreat kicks off on October 23.
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Things to Check Out After Today’s Episode:
- Twitter: @brookemcalary | @ben0_mc
- The Live Life Simply Online Retreat is open for registration until October 22, 2017. Secure your place now!
- SLOW, my brand new book is now available in Australia and New Zealand! (US and Canada, Spring 2018) Head over here for details.
- Destination Simple is now available in North America! Grab a copy here.
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