Facebook, PR and Blogging
Guess which day I published my blog post?
I’ve found Ping.fm to be quite useful in updating any relevant social media outlets at once, as well as via SMS. This allows me to spend less and less time on intellectual ice cream like Facebook and more time doing things that actually matter. However, the relations between Facebook and my own website still remain frustrating.
Many ‘professional’ blogs or sites post information in updates on Facebook. The reason for this is easy: it increases unique visitor count, it increases visibility, and it’s cheap and easy. Doing this seemed poetic, since I would be both manipulating Facebook for my own gain as well as contributing to the overall content degradation of its site.
I was shocked.
On days that I posted my blog updates to Facebook, my unique visitor count nearly increased by an order of magnitude – and quite reliably, too. However, this raised even larger problems. Publicly blasting my blog updates feels cheap and crass, something a salesman might do. On the other hand, public visibility is a well-confirmed field of study – and it says “broadcast away.”
In the blogosphere, things feel different. The act of starting and maintaining one’s own website is leagues away from starting a Facebook profile. Although the influx of turnkey web hosting solutions has made blogging more accessible, it remains intellectually nutritious and contains a degree of class that Facebook never hoped to gain. Maybe I’m just sentimental, but there’s nothing the social media world can offer me that’s half as rewarding as having a real website.
I’m unsure what direction I want to take things, but dealing with Facebook – a company the Better Business Bureau rated a “D” – is something I will avoid as much as possible.
Great post.
Since when did you start blogging? If it’s just recent, relax and keep calm, your time will come :)
On the contrary, Facebook has been helpful to me. I think it’s because I have a thousand friends there (?). Anyhow, try learning when to publish, that’s a key secret. The time clusters (6-9 AM, 10-12PM, and so on) can determine who are online and who’re not :)
Nice site btw! :)