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Focus Your Efforts and Set Limits Online

By

Allume Post May

There are so many things pulling at our attentions online. We aren’t sure what to spend time doing online that will be most effective for our ministry or business. It seems everyone has a different answer and many successful bloggers share their experiences. Before I go any further I do want to clarify–there is no “one size, fits all” for blogging. Some people have broken the “rules” of blogging and been very successful. Some have followed all the rules and have struggled to reach out further.

It’s important we each listen to the heartbeat and pulse of our own communities and follow their needs. They will be different, requiring that we tweak some of these said rules to fit within our communities.

It is very important to know your goals for your blog. This will be vital in knowing how to best spend your time online. Many of us don’t have a lot of time to spend online. So it’s helpful to know where to invest it.

Where to Focus Your Efforts

There is a lot of information telling us how we should be utilizing every social media outlet out there in order to be effective. I find that is not always the case.

Some say you have to spend lots of time reading and commenting on other blogs. But how many? How much is enough?

What about networking and blog work and maintenance and writing? All of this stuff takes time. How can we fit it all in? What is most important?

Here are the elements I have found to be most effective as a writer, blogger, and encourager to my online community.

Writing

I can’t get a message out if I don’t spend time writing it. Writing is the backbone of my entire ministry. If I don’t write, I don’t have anything for my community to grab a hold of when I’m not actively online. Nor will anyone have anything to share if they want to encourage someone with my writing. Writing posts and eBooks helps the message I have publish publicly, even when I’m not around.

However, my writing cannot stand alone, either. Somehow I have to get the message out there for others to see–and share.

Engaging

If I’m not engaging with people in an authentic and casual way, sharing my writing will only look like spam to most. I need to spend time connecting with people through social media.

How much time should I spend on social media and where should I focus my engagement? 

We actually do not need to spend our entire day engaging on social media. Choose one or two (at most) avenues that you enjoy, and focus your engagement there. That doesn’t mean you cannot utilize other social media avenues if you choose. But unless you’re working as a full time blogger, being present and active at the top 5 social media platforms is going to burn you out and zap time away from other important things you need to be focusing on.

I spend my most active times engaging on Twitter and Facebook. I still utilize Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+, but I do not invest in much time in them as I do my main two.

You could easily get away with spending 30 minutes a day, on your top two social media picks and still be effective–pending your engagement is focused, not random, and not all promotions. Then spend 5-10 minutes a day on the remaining social media sites to maintain a presence.

Reading

Another important and very personal way to engage with people is to visit their blogs and comment. This is simple and straight-forward. But many people wonder how much time should be spent doing this each day. It’s easy to get sucked into reading blogs and link-hopping.

If you consistently read and comment (daily), you really don’t need to comment more then a couple of blogs per day. That’s 10-14 per week; and 40-56 per month. They add up! And that consistency will follow you.

Research and Educating Yourself

It is very important for a writer/blogger to continuously educate themselves on what’s current in blogging and social media. If you want to publish a book one day, it’s also important to stay up to date with the latest publishing news.  We need to read to improve our skills as writers and bloggers. There will always be room for improvement and part of growing a ministry or business requires that we, ourselves, grow.

If you’re looking for answers, spend a little time researching.

Know Your Limits

There is only so much we can do in a day. It’s so easy (so easy!) to get sucked in to social media. We must know our limits and stand by them. We are wives, mothers, daughters, and friends outside of the online community as well. The internet is an awesome tool for making connections and creating ministry to reach places we wouldn’t otherwise be able to. But we cannot completely disconnect from life to advance our endeavors online.

It’s like anything else that we indulge too much of — it isn’t good for us or anyone around us. Know your limits.

How do I set limits?

Create a schedule. This helps to focus on the most important tasks, knowing you have to fit them in a time slot on your schedule.

Set a timer. This is especially helpful when you get on social media. It requires you to stay on task because you know you only have so much time to make the most of it.

Unplug regularly. This is such a refreshing way to refocus and actually gain new ideas. Stepping away once a week, once a month helps keep things in the right perspective.

What area listed above could you use more information in? I’d be glad to help answer any questions you have–just leave them in the comments.

Joy in Christ,

Christin Slade

 

Comments

  1. For me the biggest challenge is sharing my work and engaging. This year I began a new blog, and I’d like to invest more in it and make it something I do more with when my littlest starts school in the fall. Writing is my passion, and I really want to nurture that love in ways that encourage other women and glorify God, but finding out how to be part of that bigger blogging community is the hardest part.

    I love that you are encouraging us not to master every single social media outlet, because honestly, Twitter still escapes me. And I guess that’s ok, so thank you!

    I’d love to be part of a cooperative blogging project, because working within a team is something really rewarding to me, so that’s something I’d love to learn more about, also.
    http://shannonkwheeler.blogspot.com

      • I’m going to look into that! Thank you for the info. I also wanted to say I enjoyed reading your book last week! Really applicable for me. Thank you.

  2. Great information here, Christin! I see my greatest rewards from the relationship building I do through Facebook interactions and visiting/commenting on other blogs. Twitter is tough to engage in so I tend to lean on that more for promoting my work and others work, although I’m trying to be more conversational. Google+ is a total head scratcher to me. I get very little engagement there, have a large following and actually see a lot of traffic come from that source, yet I spend the least amount of time there. I love Pinterest and get decent traffic from that source as well. I have a writing schedule that includes social media and website maintenance but I’ve gotten away from it since my latest episode of total burnout. I need to get back on track with it because I’m finding I’m easily distracted with all the socializing and therefore not achieving the writing goals and deadlines I set for myself. With my Unemployed Faith ministry, I don’t have a lot of extra time to surf social media, but that’s where that ministry primarily is. So it’s hard. I do need to set limits. My biggest challenge is avoiding the notifications and the desire to quickly check my phone when I’m supposed to be enjoying intentional family time. I don’t want my kids to remember me as always having technology in front of my nose, nor do I want them to follow that example.

    • It is a tough balance and sometimes cutting out less important things is necessary to manage that time in be successful in other areas.

  3. This is so pertinent and true. I focus on FB primarily with Twitter and Pinterest, and google+ being my lesser outlets. I have strategies I use for all of them. I am tired of the rules for growing. I don’t have 24 hours a day to devote to growing my blog. I have 2-3 at the very most. And this includes the writing, reading, commenting, and social media. I have a life and priorities beyond my blog. Which means that I must be purposeful when online. Thanks for sharing your strategies.

  4. I’m finding that unplugging regularly is SOOOOO beneficial. I’ve snagged a TON of free books on my Kindle about blogging and writing. I’m also in a marketing class right now too. So whenever I’m “offline” I’m still learning. When I get back online my work is more targeted and much more potent.

  5. This is very timely for me. Just recently, I felt the Lord lead me to set up office hours each day. I have 3 times during the day (week days) where I have scheduled online time (for blogging, hanging out with friends and VA work. I set a timer and when it goes off, so do I! It has really helped me in many many ways. And I don’t feel guilty for my online time because I control it, it doesn’t control me!

  6. Thanks Cristin! This is a really fabulous article. I have been blogging for several years, but abandoned my own blogs because I didn’t ever feel like I had the time to invest in them and they weren’t growing as I liked them too. I wanted a ministry, I loved to write, but I didn’t have the time to invest when I wasn’t making enough money to go with everything. I didn’t want it to be something that was not meaningful for my family as well and a time sucker for me. So now, I always have plans for my own blog in the back of my head but I end up freelancing and making money where I can. I want to develop my own brand, and my own online presence, but it seems so daunting with everything else on my plate. Maybe it still isn’t the right season for me, I don’t know. But I really liked this article. It gave me some good food for thought. Thanks so much!

  7. I’ve just started implementing a social media schedule where I only spend 15 minutes 3x a day on facebook and twitter. During that time, I share and engage with my community, and look for other posts to comment on and share at a later time. So far it’s been working! It allows me time away, but I still feel like I’m interacting with my community.

    On another note, when you talked about following all the rules and not seeing much progress, I feel like that is totally me. I did all those things! But then I had to step back and reevaluate what I was doing and why. Readers need to be first, no matter what the probloggers say.

  8. Great advice! I’m a published author and for years I’ve been so overwhelmed just thinking about doing all the things you’re “supposed to do” with social media…I haven’t been willing to give it more than a half-hearted try. But this year God’s given me a fresh vision and I’m diving in — updating all of my SM accounts and launching a new blog later this month. I so appreciate the reminder to focus on priorities, to strive for balance. And it’s always nice to meet another Christin. 🙂

    • Hi Christin!! (Whoa, it feels like I’m talking to myself, ha ha!)

      I look forward to seeing your new blog launch!! I’m quite sure I’ve landed on your blog in the past! 😉

      • Thanks! I’ve let transcripts of my radio broadcasts substitute for a blog for too long 🙂 But I’m ready now — thanks to lots of advice and encouragement from women like you! Looking forward to the conference in October…

  9. Thanks for addressing what I call the “Scattered Syndrome.” It is easy to get so scattered trying to do it all that nothing seems to get finished well.

  10. Thanks for the wise advice. It is a hard balancing act. When I should be writing, I’m wondering what’s happening on FB, etc. Discipline is so key!

    Since I’m a grandma and a bit older than many in the blog world, I feel a bit disconnected from what’s happening out there. I have 5 traditionally published books, but still working to build my blog and online presence. I’d love to concentrate on the books – just received a contract for my 6th – but today’s publishing industry requires that I also be a marketer, blogger, and social maven! It’s tough!

    • Kathy, I would love to get in touch with you about a project I’m working on. No pressure at all, but it may help offer you more of that exposure you need. Email me at christin@joyfulmothering.net and we’ll chat! Your books look fantastic, btw! I will need to get my hands on a few of those. 🙂

  11. Such a wonderful reminder, and one I needed today! My husband and I were planning an “analog evening” tonight, anyway. It TOTALLY is refreshing to just unplug and get away from it all. I’ve often found I come back to blogging with renewed writing energy and focus, so the momentary “lapse” of stepping away actually amps us up later.

    Thanks so much for this post 🙂 I’ve saved for future reference!

  12. So good Christin and very practical! I love how you laid it out and made it simple. I appreciate you and your insight so very much!!

  15. I finally was able to read sit down and read through this post – and I’m so glad I did. It’s so helpful to step back and unplug. The research, though, is so key to moving forward in ways that don’t make you feel like you are spinning your wheels. I love interacting with my readers and need to stay on top of the best ways to do that. Thank you for sharing your wise thoughts on these thing, Christin!

  16. It’s always so hard to find the balance with social media…I think I always fall into the trap of feeling like I’m not doing enough. I love your thoughts about not negotiating your writing. I have come to the same conclusion…it’s the one thing that matters most. Really good practical advice here..Thanks!

  17. Thank you for this! I struggle with this daily and need clarity. Writing, connecting and building relationships is the foundation.

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