No - I'm Not On Facebook and Twitter All Day!

This may seem like a rant, but I promise it's not. I've had a few comments made to me in person over recent weeks about my "frequent" presence on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. As I have become a student of several on-line influencers, I have been able to provide content on a consistent basis, three or more times a day. Some may ask, "Why even post all of that stuff?" I'm glad you asked...


It's a New Year
As we all kicked off 2012, I was so excited to crack open my new Moleskin for the new year. I have been disciplined to keep a journal since starting in 2010. It has changed my Quiet Times and brought a sense of clarity to my time in the Bible. Journaling is a lost discipline that many need to adopt. (Here's a link to a great post on journaling.)

I was also in a process of helping a team of people craft the purpose statement for their organization. During this process, it occurred to me that I had never stopped to craft my own personal purpose statement. What did I want my life to look like to other people? More importantly, what did I want my life to look like before God? If I didn't have an idea myself, how was I to expect others to know? This had to change.

The next few days took me on a journey to put to paper in as few words as possible, what I felt like God wanted my life to look like. I wasn't looking for what specific tasks I would accomplish by the end of 2012, but what I would strive to do every day. I'll spare you the entire process and just share where I landed:

"I desire to be a catalyst who connects people to God and helps them leverage their lives for His Glory." - Dwayne Morris (Click to Tweet)

Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Seems harmless...right? It is if it's just a phrase to put on a piece of paper to keep in your Bible that you may or may not read. I wanted this to be somewhere I could see it everyday. I wanted it in my journal, on the first page.

Enter Social Media
I'm sure some are still wondering, "But what does this have to do with all of your post on Facebook and Twitter?" 

Social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Insta-gram and other social media venues are vehicles that allow one individual person to connect with an larger audience of people at one time. If I was going to see my purpose statement realized to its fullest potential, I needed to find a larger audience.

My desire is to share information that will add value to the people who opt to keep up with my posts. I strive to provide content for parents, students of leadership, spouses, and influencers all through a Christian filter or worldview. My goal is for people to trust they can keep up with what I share and know that it will be valuable and not a waste of time.

"Secrets of the Trade"
But how can I find and post so much material (three or more post a day) and NOT be staring at a computer screen everyday for hours at a time?  Let me share my tools...

• Google Reader - This is a service Google provides that allows you to subscribe to online resources you want to keep up with. These can be blogs or websites. Once I subscribe to a resource, I get updates on my Google Reader screen.  I have all of my resource sites on one screen. It doesn't take me long to browse over the list of subscriptions for links to sites I think hold valuable information.

• Link Twitter and Facebook - You can do this in either direction, but I have my Twitter account set-up to update my Facebook page. This means I can just post to Twitter and it will automatically post to my Facebook page.

• TweetDeck - This is a third-party application that allows me to see Facebook and Twitter on the same screen. It also allows me to create my posts and SCHEDULE them to post through out the day.

So how does this all work together?
Here's what I do at least once a week, sometimes twice:

1. I browse my Google Reader for current posts I may want to share. When I find something I want to share, I can put a star by the post on Google Reader. (15 - 20 mins)
2.  When Sunday arrives, I make the effort to sit down during the day or evening to retrieve the post I marked in my Google Reader. Using TweetDeck, I compose the posts with the links I want to share and set them to be posted at 7am, 2pm and 7pm each day. (30-45 mins)
3. I post these to my Twitter account that is linked to my Facebook. This allows me to update both at one time.
4. All of this happens while my family is napping, playing, studying or has gone to bed for the evening.
5. One other tip...When I want to share something that is "real time," I use Text Messaging on my phone. I have my phone connected to my Twitter account so that I can update without hovering in front of a computer.

There you have it...my secret to my social media presence. It just takes the right tools, a few minutes and some planning.

Do you have any secrets to add? Or maybe a question; use the comment box below...