Experiment #2: We Need Batches! (Day 5: Social Media)

Batching!

For now, this task is cake. I only regularly use Facebook to post content, so I can just batch-check my notifications and new posts. In general, I post first thing in the morning, without much regard to checking every new status update, link, or picture in my feed. At night, I have more time, so I generally do a second status update, but only if there is something I have to say or share. Then, I check everyone else's interesting posts for the day, and skim/skip the rest. Most importantly, I set a time limit. On weekday mornings, I'm really not willing to spend more than 5-10 minutes playing around on Facebook, and at night, no more than 30 minutes. (The 30 minute time limit assumes that I find an interesting link worth following.)

I also use Twitter, but I have fallen out of the habit of updating it, regularly. I think that I just have to decide what to do with that space, and then I will probably use it more frequently.

I also turned off the notification sounds for both Facebook and Twitter on my phone. It prevents me from obsessively checking social media sites during the day, instead of checking them at set times. It definitely helps to cut down on distractions, and I am actually more likely to post comments, @replies, and re-tweets when I can focus on doing so.

The Downside of Batching & Automation

Quite honestly, I loathe automated responses on Twitter, but I truly despise having to read the same update twice on both Facebook and Twitter. In my opinion, these two tools function in too similar fashion to email bots. There is a reason that Spam folders exist, but sometimes, I think it's a shame that we don't have anything functional for social media other than the ubiquitous "Block this person/app" button. Because Twitter integrates Facebook and can batch updates to post to both your Twitter feed and your Facebook wall, I find myself getting sick of my friends. It's a waste of time and necessary white space when I have to read the same things over and over again. Thankfully, Facebook has finally gotten wise, and allows most tweets to be buried in the feed, though you can choose to expand them. I almost never do.

I can see greater value in batching and automating social media updates for those people who must focus on marketing/advertising and customer service, but I much prefer a more human touch. For now, I am happy to avoid social media automation and instead, stick with batch-checking instead.

Estimated time saved

I don't anticipate saving much time, since I'm just lumping all of my random check-times into larger chunks of focused batch-checking. I do think that it will save time at work and at home, because I will be able to focus more clearly on other tasks rather than running to my phone every time I hear it DING! Also, I think that I will be more likely to keep in touch with people when I actually give myself time to respond, rather than trying to remember everything that I have checked throughout the day.