a peek inside the fishbowl

Blogging, as it intersects with social media, is something I’m asked about quite often when I’m at conferences or giving a talk. Do new bloggers and small businesses have to be on Twitter? Facebook? Google+? If so, how should those channels differ? I wanted to take a moment and briefly explain how I do it here at the Fishbowl. Maybe it will shed some light for those who are new to social media and to the blog…?

Facebook 

I jokingly refer to the Fishbowl Facebook page as the “little sister” of the blog. There’s quite a bit of content that goes on the Facebook page that doesn’t make it to the blog at all. News articles, and items with looming expiry dates such as Ottawa events and/or charitable requests are posted there between reminders of new posts. I’ve also hosted contests and giveaways through the Facebook page, especially if it needs a quick turnaround and I’m pressed for time.

If you’ve “liked” the Facebook page and aren’t seeing it in your news feed, that means you haven’t interacted with the content lately. (By “interacting” I simply refer to commenting or liking a post.) If you are a serious Facebooker and you don’t want to miss any posts – and I’m not just talking about my own page here obviously  – just mouse over the “liked” button near the top of the page and make sure “Get notifications” has a checkmark beside it.

The Twitter

And then there’s Twitter. I’m @missfish on Twitter, and the things I post there are a bit of a grab bag. Here’s a recent example:

Let’s raise a glass – or a cone – to #OttWestboro Beach! BTW water testing/lifeguards aren’t in place yet. pic.twitter.com/hphguTQj2R

— andrea tomkins (@missfish) June 7, 2014

I post things for my own amusement, and if it’s useful information for someone, that’s a big bonus for me. I tend to post interesting articles that I am reading, photos, recipes, and various Ottawa-related ephemera. If it’s related to Westboro I add the hashtag #OttWestboro so it’s easy to track. Secret confession: other than tapping out a blog post, Twitter is my favourite way of connecting with people. It’s a research tool, it’s a window, it’s… immediate.

Instagram

My user name on Instagram is quietfish. Instagram is All Photos/Zero Blog Posts. I see Instagram as an extension of my eyeballs and brain. It’s a peek at what I’m seeing and doing at that moment. The content is purely visual. Sometimes I share my photos with Twitter followers, sometimes I don’t.

The Extra Helping

The Extra Helping is an occasional email newsletter I send to subscribers. It’s super hyperlocal, and it profiles one Awesome Thing I’ve scoped out in my neighbourhood in Westboro. This insider scoop doesn’t appear anywhere else; not here on the blog or on Twitter or Facebook. I like the exclusivity of it, and knowing that the people who’ve signed up are truly interested in what I have to show and tell.

Anyway, these are all different channels, with slightly different content, that appeal to different people. If you’re a new blogger or a small business who wants to step out into the world of social media, I recommend choosing one channel and getting really good at it before picking up another. Think about where your audience is, and go there first.

This is my view when I’m sitting on our back deck:

This is what I usually see when I turn around.

I think about how long it took us to get to this point. Of course, I’m mostly referring to our massive reno. The planning of this particular part of the house was a mini-headache in itself, but that is all water under the bridge. Now, it is truly an oasis, even though it sounds cheesy to phrase it that way.

Sometimes I eat my breakfast out here, or share a glass of wine with Mark, but at the moment I’m sitting with a coffee at my elbow. Every once in awhile I zone out, stare into nothing. I take a deep breath, and then another, and return to my thoughts.

I look up into our maple tree. It was just a little thing when we moved here but it’s become a Tree Of Substance that gives us two storeys worth of shelter. The wind blows, shimmering through the leaves. It speaks in a long rustling whisper. A robin calls, and another bird I can’t identify sends a trill from our neighbour’s yard. These are messages being relayed, and I haven’t been invited to understand them.

The only distraction is the occasional hum of a car on the other side of the hedge and the footfall of passersby, but I can tune them out for the most part.

Piper curls up next to me and everything.is.good.

We sit amid sun-bleached couch cushions, wrapped in the fragrance of a bouquet of peonies I’ve placed into a jug that was given to us by a good friend. The smell of peonies is one of my happy smells, much like campfire, and charcoal grills, fresh bread, and freshly mown grass.

The peonies always remind me: what things will I miss most at the end of my life, and what can I do to fit more of those things into the time that I have? In a way it makes me glad I filled the vase with so many peonies. They’re almost all finished flowering and I won’t see them again for a whole year.

It’s something worth thinking about, don’t you think?

Update: These are the ones that remained on June 11.