Margie Clayman

20 ways to improve your Twitter Experience right now

I’ve been taking some time lately to scan even more carefully profiles of new people I’m following. I’m seeing people do a lot of things that in my experience will not really make Twitter seem fun or even all that interactive. I thought I would pinpoint some of those items here as food for thought.

1. Do not try to get replies from Oprah Winfrey and Conan O’Brien: This is an extremely common strategy, in part because Twitter kind of sets you up for it by recommending accounts to follow. However, the chances of you getting a mention from these folks is extremely small, and in the end, your time could better be invested elsewhere.

2. Do not continually RT the “A-Listers” either: This is another common tactic that people who are new to Twitter try all the time. When I first started, I would RT posts by all kinds of people, thinking at the very least I’d get a thank you. Don’t bank on it. These folks get so many RTs that taking note of one person would be like telling a drop from the ocean that it was super duper. Not too likely.

Breaking News: You Both Could Be Right

by Margie Clayman

I was in, I’d say, about third grade. I was sitting in my Social Studies class and we were looking at two different accounts of the same battle. The accounts were completely different, and yet both men had been at the battle.

“How could that be?” The teacher asked us in a “I’m going to guide you” kind of way.

I pondered the question. In the end, we ended up discussing that people can perceive things in all kinds of different ways. It shapes how we tell stories, and it shapes what we believe.

This was in third grade, mind you.

Women and Social Media: Jill’s post is live

by Margie Clayman

Jill Manty of Manty Web Designs is our contributor for today. Jill has written a great post exploring how men and women use Social Media in different ways. Branching off what Heidi Cohen found, Jill explores the fact that women tend to socialize online more than men do and seem less keen on promotional activities. Give it a read! It’s a great post!

For the rest of the series so far:

Here is an overview of the series, and please give a visit to the following posts:

A Glass Ceiling in Social Media? By Daria Giron, aka @mominmanagement

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Oh My! Baby Boomer Women Transition Careers Through Social Media, by Chanelle Schneider aka @writerchanelle

On Facebook, Women Just Want to Have Fun. by Heidi Cohen, aka @heidicohen

Women and Social Media: Supporting Others by Amber Cleveland, aka @ambercleveland

The Woman’s Womb as Weapon

by Margie Clayman

My friend Karima-Catherine (@karimacatherine) sent me a link to an article yesterday from the Wall Street Journal. It was another article about why women don’t seem to be dominating in senior management positions. As I was reading through the article, it seemed like there was an underlying sentiment that women are not more prominent in business settings because women:

1. Lose ambition faster than men

2. Want to “live life” more than men (what does this mean, exactly?)

3. Are restricted by the hours that various schools and day care centers are open

Sorry to be blunt, but these all seem like convenient excuses for a continuing, easily spotted, easily identified problem. In two words? Gender bias.

How do you pick your battles?

by Margie Clayman

People in the online world often talk about engagement as a light, fluffy, kumbaya sort of thing. But let’s face facts here. Sometimes, interactions with people are not fun. Sometimes we disagree with each other. Sometimes someone says something that really throws you for a loop. Sometimes someone disappoints you, misunderstands you, or lets you down. It’s hard online to figure out how to deal with these situations. Do you defend yourself against every perceived offense? Do you ignore every scenario where your feelings get hurt?

I’ve watched a lot of people ignore some battles and fight others online, and I’ve done the same. I have a few ideas about how you can pick your battles in the online world.

I don’t feel like blogging tonight

by Margie Clayman

Sometimes, I sit down at my computer with the idea that I can write my blog post for the next day, but when I sit down, I really don’t have an idea in mind. Sometimes, I sit down at my computer when really I want to sit down in front of my television and watch something completely useless while I drink a delicious cup of soothing, warm tea.

Sometimes, I think about this site and the fact that you come here to read what I write every day, and I think, “Man, that’s crazy. Who would ever imagine that you would care that much about what I sit down to write?” It seems a bit surreal. Even so, sometimes I sit down to write, and it’s just not something I want to do.

Sometimes it feels a bit more like an obligation rather than a hobby.

Margie Clayman

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