Angela Crocker

Write. Teach. Organize.

How Many Social Networks?

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Digital Cleanse Day 3:
How Many Social Networks?

social networks, pins for WordPress, Foursquare, Twitter, Social Media Camp, Northern VoiceHow many social networks do you belong to? Last time I checked, I had about 450 accounts. Now, I am decidedly ABOVE average as most of my accounts were created for research purposes. Mashable’s research finds that the typical social media consumer has two accounts. If you’re doing a digital cleanse, I suspect you are also above average.

A digital cleanse is a good time to revisit your social networks. Think about each account and ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do I use this social network all the time?
  • Do my friends/colleagues use this network?
  • Do I use this social network at home?
  • Do I use this social network for work?
  • Do I create content suitable to share on this network?
  • Do I know how to use this account?
  • Is this account for a current project?
  • Does this account amuse me when I’m bored?
  • Does the network still exist?

If you answered no to any of those questions, it might be time to break up with one or more social networks.

Before you delete, deactivate or close your account, consider whether or not it’s important to you (or your business) to keep control of your name. (I’m aware of 21 other Angela Crockers who use social media. Maybe you have doppelgängers, too?) Also, consider that you may need to keep select accounts as the log-in for other purposes. For example, don’t delete your Facebook profile if you manage any Facebook pages or groups.

When you’re 100% ready to break up with a social network, proceed with the delete, deactivate or close procedure for that network. Generally, you’ll find the appropriate link on your profile page. It will likely be tricky to find. The social networks don’t want you to leave the party. It’s ok if you’re ready to leave! In some cases, there is a waiting period before your account is fully closed. Those social networks give you an out in case you change your mind. An oops is possible if you’re digital cleanse ritual includes a nice Pinot Grigio!

More on the 30 day #digitalcleanse tomorrow. Hope to see you then!

(If you missed yesterday’s installment, take a couple extra minutes to explore Turn Off Notifications. For links to the complete Digital Cleanse series, click here.)

 

Turn Off Notifications

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Digital Cleanse Day 2: Turn Off Notifications

Turn off notifications for all of your mobile apps and desktop applications. They distract you from your current task, ruin your productivity and stress you out.  Plus, a notification alert derails a task list in less than one second.

Turn off notifications from Twitter, App Store, blab and KickstarterNotifications drive many people crazy! Bing. Bing. Bing. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Frankly, in public, your notifications are as annoying as mine. So, turn them off. It’s very freeing. 

You’ll still see the flags, mentions or comment alerts in whatever tools you use. The difference is that you’ll log in when you can deal with them in a focused, organized and thoughtful way. 

Check each app or application at the interval that makes sense for you. That might be twice a day, once a week or randomly when you have a few spare moments. If you’re worried about response times, schedule regular, recurring “look at notification” appointments in your calendar.

During your notification time, do the following:

  1. Read to gather information communicated.
  2. Deal with the quick replies in the moment.
  3. Diarize any action items arising to act on them fully when you have time.
  4. If possible, archive or delete anything you won’t need to see again.

Clustering your notification time improves your productivity, protects your daily task and keeps stress at bay. Sounds good, right? Go turn off notifications now.

I concede one exception to the rule. Kids. The school’s got to be able to reach you if your child is injured or ill. Or you may have some equally important reasons you must be reached. For example, stock market information if you’re an investor, medical professionals if you are in their urgent care, or the security alarm system for your business.  If you must be instantly reachable, then settle on one communication method for urgent situations.

More on the 30 day #digitalcleanse tomorrow. Hope to see you then!

(And, if you missed yesterday’s installment, take a couple extra minutes to explore The App Diet.)

The APP Diet

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Digital Cleanse Day 1: The APP Diet

An important milestone in your digital cleanse is the APP diet. You can do it! Don’t delay. Grab your mobile phone (or your tablet) and do this now. Here’s how to take control of your APP-etite.

iPad apps with the X for deletingI know. I know. I can hear your resistance. “But I might need that app.” is a common refrain. Try the APP Diet anyway! A deleted app can always be re-installed. Plus you’ll enjoy some useful benefits:

 

  • Save time with fewer/less screens or folders to swipe through.
  • Free up some memory so you can take more pictures, download more music or keep your favourite ebook on hand.
  • Reduce your data charges. So many apps work in the background, checking for updates or backing up data. Save some Moola by slimming your data needs.
  • Lessen the load on your processor. This is especially helpful if you have an older device. I’ve experience this first hand as my iPhone 4s struggles to keep up after 3+ years of service.
  • Focus. With less clutter, you hone in on whatever you planned to do. Who needs the distractions?

Let’s get to it:

  1. First, swipe through all your screens and delete anything that’s unfamiliar. Don’t recognize that icon? If yes, odds are you haven’t used it recently enough.
  2. Next, peruse your apps and delete the apps you rarely use. Travel apps are a great example. I love to fly with Westjet and they offer a handy app. Yet, I only fly 6 days a year. The other 359 days of the year I live without the app. DELETE. (And download again later, whenever needed.)
  3. Next, think about how you use your device. What apps do you really use? Be brutally honest and get rid of the ones that you no longer use to do tasks on your device. For a while there, I had nine photo editing apps. Yup, nine. Now, I just PS Express on my tablet for the occasional crop or rotate. Easy!
  4. Next, consider the functions that can be done more efficiently on a computer. Delete ’em! Why waste time fumbling on a small phone screen? I write much more efficiently on a full size keyboard with my dual monitors in front of me. A surplus of word processing apps were easy to delete. (It’s ok to keep one app per function for times when you are away from your computer.)
  5. Now, think about the time waster apps. Do you use your mobile or tablet as a productivity tool? Then delete the games. Conversely, if your device is all about relaxation then delete the work apps.
  6. Lastly, protect your essential apps. What can’t you live without? E-mail? Instagram? Facebook? Tiny Death Star? Make a mental note that these apps aren’t going anywhere. (And if you accidentally deleted something essential, take a moment and download it again now.)

That’s it. You’re done. Great job! I’m proud of you.

Now, the real trick is to stay on this diet! So often, we’re wooed by shiny, new apps. It’s sooooooo easy to click download. Resist the urge. Well, most of the time!

One last thing, on occasion, I’m giving you permission to go on an app binge. Visit the App Store or Google Play and go download crazy! Try ’em out and find some new favourites. Just remember to delete all the apps that don’t meet your expectations!

More on the 30 day #digitalcleanse tomorrow. Hope to see you then!