My Favourite Social Media Site

Facebook is where I spend most of my time on social media. I have a personal profile and author page, belong to many groups, and also administer pages for Glendon Playground and Park Society as well as InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship. I appreciate the following benefits of Facebook:

1. My personal profile allows a connection with an audience as large or small as I choose. Facebook allows me to decide whether I share information with specific people, only my friends, or everyone who chooses to access the information. I’m able to post plain text, pictures, and videos and so are my friends. Facebook is a great way to build connections with people I’ve just met as well as keep in touch with friends I’ve had for years. Some of my friends on Facebook are people I went to school within grade 6 over 30 years ago.

2. Facebook Pages allow me to spend as little or as much as I want for marketing. There is no charge to have a Facebook Page. Although Facebook does regulate how many people see the information I post on my page, it does provide a free venue for sharing information. If I want to increase the exposure of a particular post, I’m able to pay to boost it. Facebook allows me to pick the demographics of the people I’m targeting with my content so that I’m not paying to send it to those who probably are not interested.

3. Facebook Groups provide an avenue for me to build a closer relationship with a group of people who are all interested in and passionate about the things that I’m learning about or doing. Through groups, I’ve participated in Bible studies, received help and support in healthy living and marriage, and had the opportunity to learn and share about writing, blogging, marketing, my book launches, and many more things. Groups can be public, private, or closed – allowing administrators to choose who belongs to the group and how far and wide the information is shared.

4. Facebook Events allow people to share information about upcoming events including anything from a baby shower to a drama presentation to a book launch. Event pages can help market the event, provide the possibility to participate either in person or virtually, and also provide a venue to share pictures, etc. during and after the event.

Some facts I try to keep in mind when I use Facebook:

• Facebook is hosting my information and can choose to close my accounts at any time.
• Although Facebook has security measures in place, I still choose not to post certain content because once it’s on Facebook I may not be able to control what happens with it.
• I never post on social media when I’m angry or post anything that I would be ashamed to see on the front page of my local paper.

My second choice for social media is Twitter. But that will have to wait for another day!

What’s your favourite social media site? Why?