Why I'm Not as Active On Social Media as I Should Be

Social media is the cornerstone of modern civilization. It's how friends and family stay in touch from different parts of the world, where creators can share their talents easily, and how businesses can interact with consumers directly. But when all is said and done, I've just never really been a big fan of social media in general.

Avoiding social media as a creator is essentially avoiding the potential to build your brand, though. As a vast portion of your followers and fans will want updates and that social interaction, it's important that you make time to engage them.

So, why do I avoid social media like I do a Karen throwing a fit at clerks at a Walmart customer service desk?

Only Contribute When I Have Something to Add

I often live by the adage, "A wise man speaks when he has something to say; a fool speaks when he has to say something."

Meaning, I don't just toss my words out to the universe for people to scrutinize just because I want to. There's usually a purpose to everything I create on sites like Twitter or Facebook.

Sure, there have been a few times when I posted something to get a laugh or to make a statement about my industry. However, I stay in my lane and usually keep to myself while watching the others unfold into chaos.

As for selfies, how many pictures of myself making the same face can I cram on an Instagram feed? As a freelance writer/author, I kind of live a boring life. Usually, my day is spent in front of my computer cranking out a new piece of content, writing another book, or making a video showing people how to do what I do for a living.

It's not all that riveting.

Lack of Time, Usually...

I wish I had as much time as some of these social media folk who post 30 or 40 times a day, especially on TikTok. But alas, I have a job and need to keep paying my mortgage.

Seriously, throughout any given week, I am managing five blogs, four YouTube channels (one of which isn't mine), writing my book, an audiobook series, a Twitch stream, two live shows, and client work. I barely have time to eat breakfast or lunch, let alone crank out clips on social media.

Though, I am trying to organize my time better so I can get more done in the day. But still, it's an awful lot for this 45-year-old. I'm not in my 20s anymore and push myself harder than I probably should.

I Forget Quite Often

With age comes the inevitable inability to remember short-term elements. I'm not losing my mind or anything yet, but I do often forget the smaller things throughout the day. And playing around on social media just isn't all that high on my list.

In reality, I'm glad I have access to a few automated tools to keep my accounts from being too stagnant to follow. But still, being interactive with my fans and followers would be ideal.

What's sad is that there are some days when I genuinely want to interact with people on social media and simply forget. And I do get curious once in a while about using another platform to promote myself. But unless I add it to my daily schedule, I'll be sure to remember it 6 months from now...if at all.

I Really Should Try to Do More on Social Media

With the blogs and YouTube channels that I am trying to build up, I really should use social media more often. The only social channel I actually pay attention to is YouTube itself. And it's a bit different than something like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Still, building a brand of any kind relies on social interaction in today's online-driven world. In fact, it's something I often explain to small businesses for one of my clients. And I have no doubt that I would be far more popular and successful if I took my own advice.

So why haven't I? Because until fairly recently, I really didn't take myself seriously enough. Yes, I do some amazing things for my clients as a freelancer. But when it comes to my own projects, I have an incredibly hard time with self-promotion. Probably because I don't want to sound arrogant or self-centered.

I know, it's a weird problem to have for one who specializes in helping people become freelance writers, bloggers, and self-published authors.

This year, though, I plan on making a few changes. If I really want to make an impression on the world, I need to be more active on social media. Besides, it might help me sell more books in the end.

How Do You Approach Social Media?

Social media isn't for everyone. Take my cousin, for example. I don't think he's ever set up a social account on any platform. Not that he's paranoid that they'll sell his information, which is a strong possibility today. But it's that he just has no interest.

Then again, he's also not a public figure trying to help others en mass as I am.

I guess when it comes to social media, it really depends on what your purposes are for using certain platforms. As a creator, I really need to dive into it more often. And with all of the automation tools I have today, it shouldn't be that difficult. That is as long as I remember to set them up.