Recently I was listening to a podcast (Thought Row Podcast), which featured Terri Nakamura talking about harnessing the power of social media. She mentioned filtering Twitter by creating conversations with people, responding to those who reach out to her personally. It’s very similar to the way that I use Twitter. I think we all need to filter our social media accounts. If we listened or read every single message that came across our screens we’d surely go insane. So here are some of the ways that I filter what I read, not just from Twitter, but from Facebook and Instagram, too.

Twitter lists, lists, and lists

On Twitter, lists are my saviour. I’ve noticed lately that people aren’t as excited about them any more. I wonder why?! To me, they’re one of the best things about Twitter! In fact, I’ve written about this feature: Twitter Lists for the Power User. It was written and updated a few times, by the way. Of course, responding to those who mention you is another great way to filter. There are people on Twitter with whom I’ve had conversations spanning years and maybe over a decade now. So if you do nothing else, respond to your notifications and you should be in pretty good shape.

Facebook groups

On Facebook, groups are a terrific way to filter. I use just a few of them and ignore the rest. Those that my friends run, or groups where I can discuss my interests are my favorites. History, social media, and knitting are some of my interests. There are also some nifty ways to filter out what you see in your news feed. Why not check out this post from Facebook, err Meta, itself? You can also filter by type of post. For instance, I like to watch videos on Facebook, so I’ll often only watch those. Or you could filter on status updates.

Filter Instagram using hashtags or close friends

On Instagram, I usually look at what my closest friends are doing first. However, I’ve noticed that this feature doesn’t always work. So I might be filtering social media by hashtag, which also works. In my area, the hashtag I like is #SantaCruzMountains. When I’m posting for clients in San Francisco, I use #SFBay, #SF, and #SanFrancisco. There are many others, since you can have up to 30 hashtags. I’ve written about hashtags before: How to Discover a Wealth of Friends with Social Media Hashtags.

Filtering the Social Media Firehose So You Don’t Go Insane. Image by Pexels from Pixabay

How do you filter?

If you have some other way of filtering your social media, I’d love to hear it. Probably everyone would love to hear it. It’s so exhausting to always be hit by so much stuff, isn’t it? Short of leaving the online world, there has to be a better way to make sense of it.

Although I subscribe to the idea that shorter blog posts are better, we’ve all heard that longer is better when it comes to blog posts and to articles in general. But what if you’ve said all there is to say in just a few shortish paragraphs? Should you keep on writing? For me, shorter is better. Of course, that’s generally speaking–there are always exceptions.

Strunk and White

As someone who grew up on Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, I’ve always heard that it’s better to use a smaller, more concise word when it’s available. Have you heard that, too? On the other hand, according to SEO experts, longer blog posts get more attention on the internet. That line of thinking can sometimes lead to bloated writing, with lots of filler. If you’re unfamiliar with The Elements of Style, Strunk “concentrated on the cultivation of good writing and composition; the original 1918 edition exhorted writers to “omit needless words,” use the active voice, and employ parallelism appropriately.” (Quoted from Wikipedia.)

A combination of shorter and longer posts

For me, I tend to focus on blog posts that are around 500 words. Some people will only publish longer posts, while others focus on images in their blog posts, with very few words at all. For example, Matt Mullenweg, founder and creator of WordPress, writes fairly short blog posts, although sometimes there are podcasts or videos embedded.

What’s the best length, though?

The best length really depends (you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?). For interaction, shorter is better. To attract those doing research or for SEO purposes, 1,000 words or more is a good length. Those that write “how-to” articles tend to write longer articles, upwards of 1500 words. I like interaction, so keep my articles around 500. In the olden days, 350 words was a good length, but that has grown. It also depends on your audience, or, if you have no audience, then the audience you want to attract.

Are Longer or Shorter Blog Posts Better? Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay

Daily writing to exercise that writing muscle

To get to a longer post, you’ve really got to write a little or a lot every day. Friend Randy Clark recommends writing 500 words a day. By the way, if you get stuck writing, you might like 6 Ways to Never Run out of Blog Post Ideas, by Randy. You might also like this post: How to Quickly and Easily Unleash Your Blogging Creativity, by moi.

Do you have an ideal length?

Do you just keep writing until you run out of steam, or time? Or do you write to a certain length, or is there something else that drives the amount you write and publish? I really do want to know! Let me know in the comments. Or by carrier pigeon. Or send a post card! Personally, I think that it’s important to write no matter the length of your article.

Wait. There’s a best time for a Social Media break?

Recently, nearly everyone has been on vacation of one sort or another. We’ve had Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day in succession. People tend to add on more vacation days to make these holidays into longer breaks so they can have a week or two off work. Because there aren’t as many people online it’s a good time to take a break! What are some other good times for a social media break? Or do we have to be on 24/7?

Everyone talks about the best time to post–how about the best time not to post?

Nobody tells you the best time to do nothing. Personally, I think we need to honor the seasons. Look at the trees, all losing their leaves and taking a break. We ought to take a cue from nature and shut down sometimes. Healthline has a terrific article about taking a break around elections: Why now may be the best time to take a break from social media. If elections and/or the Pandemic give you more stress, then the times leading up to and immediately after elections could be particularly beneficial. (In other news, taking a break when nearly everyone is asleep is also a good idea.)

Any holiday week or weekend

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is an excellent time to take a break. Fewer people are online, although it’s an incredibly busy time for merchants and small businesses who do much of their main business during this time. Of course delivery drivers wouldn’t want to take this time off, either. But for most of us, it’s a great time to rest and recover. Simply add a few days on either side of a holiday, and voila! If you’re up for cooking, you might like some of these Japanese recipes a bunch of us tried for Thanksgiving. You could cook them on your social media holiday. Don’t worry–they’re good any time of year!

The Fourth of July week

Historically, the 4th of July is when a lot of people take vacation, and taking a social media break in the summer is a good idea. School is already out for most kids, the weather is warm, and there’s not a lot going on online. It’s a great time to focus on the best chili recipes, to argue about what condiments belong on a hot dog, and to test comfy hammocks.

Take a cue from nature and take a social media break! Image by Pexels from Pixabay

If you’re tired

Sometimes, social media can be overwhelming. If you feel that the well has gone dry and you’re all out of energy, it’s a good time. You might want to take some time to plan for the next year or few months. By the way, have you read this post about Slow Social Media? It’s related, and you might like it. If you’re stuck, friend Randy Clark also has great ideas about what to write about: 6 Ways to Never Run Out of Blog Post Ideas. (He advises people to get 6-8 weeks ahead of their blog.)

Before you’re sick

Of course, taking time off when you’re sick is mandatory. But how about taking some time for yourself before you’re sick? Doesn’t that sound like a good idea, too? How about calling in well for once? As Kristen Fuller, M.D., says in Social Media Breaks and Why They Are Necessary, it’s good to schedule social media-free days: “Maybe it is every Sunday or maybe it is the entire weekend where you actively decided not to check or engage in your social media accounts.” I couldn’t agree more.

Every year we all have the best of intentions, starting the new year off right and going all in on those resolutions. Then, around mid-January, reality sets in and we give up. At least that’s how it often goes for me. How about you? I often like to use analogies about new year’s resolutions (among other things), and this time is no different. This year, I’d like to simplify my resolutions so they don’t make me crazy. By the way, I’ve written about resolutions before: 100 Best Questions That Will Guide Your Social Media resolutions. You might like it!

First idea: pack a suitcase, then remove half

When you pack a suitcase, do you often find that you squish too much in there? Do you end up having to sit on your suitcase to get the zipper closed like I do? When I haven’t traveled for awhile, I tend to forget about this trick: I put everything in the suitcase and then take out half. The zipper closes easily and you don’t have to call your bestie to help you get the zipper closed. So why not put down all your crazy, ambitious resolutions and then divide them in half? As Randy Clark says in his 7 New Year’s Resolution Mistakes: “Don’t make too many resolutions at one time.”

There are different ways to divide resolutions in half

For instance, you could simply use the same resolutions but not quite as ambitious. Instead of losing 100 pounds, how about 50 pounds? (Don’t we all have a weight-loss resolution?) Instead of running ten miles a day, how about five?

Or…you could just tear that list of resolutions in half!

Literally just tear the sheet of paper in half (this analogy is better with actual paper). Remove half of the resolutions. And maybe you’ll breathe a sigh of relief at having less to do!

Second Idea: Baby Steps!

Baby steps are the way you get to the bigger resolutions. If you want to exercise for an hour, start with 15 minutes. Or maybe even 5 minutes. Be easy on yourself. After all, if these are your New Year’s Resolutions, it’s January, and winter. There’s snow outside and it’s cold. I’ve written about baby steps before, and you might like How to Get out of a Dismal Social Media Rut.

Step up those baby steps

Start with five minutes, then work up to ten and then 15. Don’t start with an hour of exercise, or whatever it is you’re planning to do. My friend Bridget Willard has a hilarious example of using Baby Steps to set up your Twitter account, and you can see it here: A Beginner’s Guide to Setting up Your Twitter Account.

Third Idea: Look at last year’s resolutions

Which were you able to commit to and accomplish? If there weren’t any, consider maybe scrapping the idea of resolutions altogether! Seriously, why torture yourself? Consider starting something later in the year, say around February 15th, when the snow isn’t so deep! Simplify those resolutions (that can be one of your resolutions!).

Getting things done ahead of time takes planning, but is so worth it

We all love the rush of doing things at the last minute. You can whiz around and really test yourself as you speed around the interwebs, looking up things on Wikipedia and testing your memory. But isn’t it even better to get things done ahead of time? (That’s a rhetorical question, by the way!) You might like this article: Simple systems for social media marketing.

So far today

On Monday, an atmospheric river hit our area. We got over 10 (11? 12? who knows what insane amount?) inches of rain within 24 hours. The river right behind the house threatened to overflow its banks. Lawn furniture, huge trees, and debris from the burn scar appeared, along with the roaring water. Then a couple of trees came down and blocked the road. Then some power lines came down. So that was an adventure. But you know what? It’s really great to have some things done ahead of time so I don’t have to worry about them. Plus, I got to find out about my neighbors and their his-and-hers chainsaws! Yes, really.

There was still a lot of panic

What would I do with the cats? The last time we had to evacuate, one of our cats, Stevie Wonder Paws, was really sick. He threw up, had diarrhea, and started to foam at the mouth. We had to stop at the vet to get him sedated, which still didn’t work. Plus, there was Covid. What would we do if we had to evacuate with Stevie again? That poor widdle guy was so upset! And what would I need to pack? I examined all the cat carriers–dusty from having not been used during the pandemic except for the last time we evacuated because of fire last year.

Social Media Managers need to be prepared

It’s important to know ahead of time what you’ll do if there’s an emergency. Of course, it’s not always possible to prepare for the unthinkable. Emergencies can find you no matter what you do. But being as well prepared as possible is always a good thing for your peace of mind. In this case, I was really happy that I had prepared and scheduled a lot of content ahead of time since our power could go out at any time. By the way, you might like: Made Up Holidays Social Media Managers Will Absolutely Love.

Image by Helena Jankovičová Kováčová from Pixabay

Baking takes prep, too

Many of us have been baking this season, or at least preparing to bake. For me, the prep work involved making dough for 18 dozen cookies. This weekend all the baking will take place. Like baking, content creation takes prep work, too. Not just writing, but deciding where to post, when to post, and which images to use. All of these can be done ahead of time. If there’s an emergency, your writing and/or content creation will already be done.