Today I’m going to be talking about all of the social media platforms I use or have used in the past. Please keep in mind this is just my opinion based on my own experiences; I’m not intending to recommend or diss any of the apps.

Twitter – This has been the best social media site for promoting my books and meeting other creatives. A few people have become long term online friends. While there can be drama on Twitter sometimes, I’ve noticed when you mute/block the offenders, eventually they give up and stop trying to bother you. If you engage in debates and arguments, it won’t be a nice experience as people will always have their opinions about things. The great thing is you can control who can respond to your posts – I usually have it set so that only my followers can reply. It reduces the amount of drama or unwanted advice on my posts. Out of any other social media platform, this is where I have made the most book sales.

Instagram – This app has evolved over the years. I like that it’s become a little more down to earth again, though it’s been forever changed by influencer culture. You see more promoted posts than posts from people you follow, it seems. I use this on a just for fun basis on my personal account. My author account is used to help promote my books – I don’t tend to make many sales through Bookstagram, but it happens.

Tik Tok – I love Tik tok for its calming videos – that’s the space I prefer and thankfully the alogarithm usually shows me what I want to see. I’ve been honing my videography skills by creating reels with music and editing them as best I can. Apparently there’s potential for authors to sell books via Book Tok, but I haven’t jumped on that train. I really wanted an app where I don’t talk about my books or writing – I like being balanced.

Snap Chat – I like the concept of it and it can be fun if you have family or a group of friends who use it. I guess it’s one of those extra apps I didn’t really use because I don’t want to have *too* many social media accounts. I’ve also found SC can be a cesspool of guys wanting to follow you, spam you, and ask for pictures before they move on to their next target. It could be fun if you’re college age or younger (Or if your close friends use it to send pictures), but I can’t be bothered with that type of thing.

WordPress – WordPress is overall my favourite space on the internet. The people and energy here and so chill, supportive, and kind. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I enjoy blogging here and the community is pretty amazing. I have found some great books to read in addition to consistently entertaining blog posts. I’m really happy I’ve devoted more time to my blog here.

Goodreads – I think it’s helpful both as a reader and as an author. Some people prefer to post reviews there rather than on Amazon, so it helps promote your book(s); it’s a reader heavy userbase, so the potential of your books getting discovered is good. I also like how you can set reading challenges and keep track of all the books and reviews you have completed. It’s a handy website though it could use a little streamlining to make it look more modern.

Facebook – While I don’t go there often, I will always keep my account because there are pictures from literally 2007. Lots of memories surrounding family and college friends. I pop on sometimes to catch up on the fam’s posts and to post my own stuff.

Reddit – This is a huge information sharing site. It’s pretty popular. When I held a certain unpopular opinion about something that outraged one user (I could literally feel her rage over the internet, which I haven’t felt too often in my life) I was blocked from commenting or liking everyone’s posts after that. I use it if I have a particular question that needs answering, but I’ve noticed Quora seems to come up more on Google searches than Reddit does now.

Whatsapp – Some strange men online ask for your Whatsapp #. For this reason I deleted my account, because I don’t have time to chat with total strangers on an app whom I’ll probably never meet. What’s weird about their proposition is that there’s no build up to them asking for my # – they just send a brief greeting than get right into asking for my #. I’ve met some amazing people online, but they’re all so balanced – we message each other sometimes, but they generally interact with me publicly rather than demanding an intense private conversation. Anyway, I will get the app back if an employer requires it for communication (It’s a great tool for that), but I don’t think it’s good if you’re using it to connect with strangers – there’s a lot of romance/money scams on Whatsapp. But hey, if it’s a great way for you to talk with your family or friends, that’s awesome. I prefer using regular texting/calling.

Tumblr – This is the aesthetic lover’s app. It’s the stuff dreams are made of. Seriously. It even doubles as a blog. You can exclusively post photos and art, or you can write, too. One thing I noticed with Tumblr is that I started to feel a dark vibe when I was on there (This is just me, I’m not saying it’s the app causing it) and I’d go into venting sprees. I also found it became a place where guys message you and it wasn’t really good for my mental health. I love the concept of Tumblr, and for a few years it was such an inspiring place to go, but I think it’s good to cut out some apps, great as they can be, so you’re not wasting too much time on the net.

Pinterest – This is also an aesthete’s dream app. I love Pinterest, because you feel a sense of peace there as it’s all just pretty pictures. It makes me want to start drawing again. You can create your own boards and pins and there’s a lot of really inspiring, calming, or motivating things. There’s also a messaging feature there, but I’ve only used it twice. The art on there is stunning.

Wattpad – I love the concept of this story posting app. Authors can find readers by posting stories, get an exclusive deal with Wattpad where they get paid, and enter contests like the Watty’s. I had all of my books posted there at one point – the thing is, to get readers you need to be active on there. I know that’s a given, but I realized I don’t have the time to network on Wattpad on top of everything else I do. I also noticed the genres that seem to do well there are romance, erotica, and teen-aged issues. That isn’t the genre I write in, so I don’t think most of my audience is there. The staff have chosen a couple of my books as their pick before – which was flattering. Maybe I should give Wattpad more of a chance.

Quora – Man, I’ve had experiences with this app. The first time I got Quora, I was writing a lot and also posting photos of my fitness journey. It admittedly got a little too personal at times (maybe it was due to the pandemic and being unable to meet anyone new). I got 3 million views and a couple thousand followers within 3 months. Quora isn’t the most popular app out there – I’d say it’s a niche of people who are intellectuals (in addition to some trolls and creepy guys searching for pics of women). I realized I didn’t have the audience I wanted once it had grown – instead of attracting an even number of men and women interested in health, fitness, lifestyle, etc. it seemed to be 95% of men who wanted to message me and/or were just there for my photos. I realized it was becoming a weird fan club on what was supposed to be a forum for curious and smart people – so I deleted it. Since then I have started over a few times.

I find that every time I go back to Quora and try to be more low key, there’s still a certain audience I attract. You get messages or the answer requests become really personal or facetious. If you have online stalkers, your Quora platform is a gold mine for all their projections, assumptions, and general nastiness. I’ll admit it and say there’s a high percentage of sociopaths and narcissists on the site – which is okay with me when they’re there just to discuss stuff, but if you strike their interest, it can get weird, especially if they’re in a bad mood and they start being mean.

The bottom line is I like Quora when I have a question about something. You can usually get a pretty good answer, and the people there are generally well-read. Quora can become a vortex where I spend way too much answering questions; I also don’t want to give the impression that I’m pretentious or attention-seeking. Despite it not being a popular app, you do attract enough attention there even if you don’t post pictures of yourself. I think I’m already doing enough with blogging, book marketing, video reels, and photos. I don’t need to add Quora to the list.

You’ve got the draw the line somewhere, and Quora is another app I cut out.

Linked In – I’m not usually active on this site, but I do login from time to time. It’s useful for job searchers or recruiters to confirm your work experience and it can even be used for networking. Many people have found a good job there. It’s definitely an account I will keep.

Youtube – This one has been added a few hours after I originally posted this (I almost forgot about Youtube, of all things!). I love this channel as I often listen to music there and all of my workouts are on Youtube as well. It’s great for learning or educational videos as well, and sometimes I’ll even buy a movie there. I will definitely always have this one.

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So there we have it! Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful morning/afternoon/evening.

What are your thoughts on the different social media apps?