Although I am a freelance copywriter, occasionally I will help clients with other content needs, and this includes orienting some of them to the concept of social media. I’m pretty comfortable using social media as a form of personal PR. But more and more I am realizing how nearly impossible it is to impart the nuances of these platforms to tech-phobic clients. It has to happen in person, and it takes a real beginner’s mind on both of our parts.
Often, I find myself spiraling down the rabbit hole of existential conversations like this one:
CLIENT: Why is Facebook asking me if I want to allow check-ins?
ME: So that your friends can tag you places.
HER: What does that mean, “tag”?
ME: That means that your friend might say, like, Jennifer and I are at such-and-such restaurant together.
HER: Why?
ME: Just cuz.
HER: Why would I want anyone to know where I am?
ME: I don’t know.
Or regarding Twitter:
ME: You can customize your bio.
HER: Why?
ME: Just so people know a little bit about you.
HER: Why would I want people to know about me?
ME: Good question. Never mind.
It’s kind of like talking to a 2-year-old (with all the “why”s) and it’s also kind of like talking to a really brilliant thinker-outside-the-box. I often find that when I try to answer these questions, I can’t. When I look at social media through their eyes, I do get how inane and trivial it probably seems. “A waste of time.”
But actually, I don’t think that social media is a waste of time. Like most people, I was resistant to it at first, but now I have fully integrated it into my life not just as a way to fuck off at work and procrastinate wildly every day (not just that way), but also as a creative tool. Yes, that’s right: A CREATIVE TOOL. To me, nothing creative is ever a waste of time.
All of the various social media outlets have their own parameters, which make them fun for self-expressing in different ways, depending on the mood and the message.
I like the witty banter aspect of Facebook. Witty banter is one of my favorite types of creative expression. A lot of people love to hate on Facebook. Long ago I gave up on trying to convince the haters that it’s a benign and useful tool. It’s not for everyone. But I dig it. Of course, I’m not an especially private person (obvs), so that helps. What I don’t like about Facebook? Political rants, repetitive platitudes, viral videos that came out a year ago and have been reposted a tetrazillion times by my 700+ Facebook friends. For these people, there is a handy thing called “making them invisible.” I utilize this often. Sorry, but you’re boring.
Twitter is actually my favorite of the “being creative with social media” tools. The brilliance is in the 140-character constraint. Twitter is for being clever. For writing haikus. And for stalking celebrities. My favorite celebrities to stalk include: Alec Baldwin (my dream sugardaddy), Ryan Adams (my soulmate), and Chelsea Peretti (one of the funniest women alive). It’s also amusing to make fun of your friends on Twitter. They love it. Swear.
Tumblr
I like Tumblr because it’s primarily picture-driven. Expressing yourself in pictures with captions is great when you’re feeling mildly illiterate. I recently documented my entire trip to Thailand on Tumblr. And back at home, I use Tumblr to post spontaneous things that come up in my life. Like when I was feeling particularly morose one day and just happened to walk over a sidewalk square emblazoned with “Sylvia Plath.”
Oh, how do I have time for all this? Well, I’m a freelance writer, which means my days have a lot of built-in procrastination time, and I’m already in front of my computer all the time. Also, iPhone apps and grocery store lines are an amazing combination. Try it; you won’t be disappointed! Well, maybe you will. It’s hard to say.
