I know this has been a trend in recent times. Many people are ditching the app and moving to other platforms. While they might have their reasons, mine aren’t motivated by politics, social, or ownership reasons.
Having a social media account is common nowadays. Having too many? Well, that’s even more common. We have Facebook to keep the older folks in our circle, Instagram for more of an among-age interaction, TikTok for influencer videos and Twitter for catching up with the news. Am I missing anything else? Oh, I am sure, I am. But I am sure you got my point by now. We wear different garb for different platforms.
I am not good with keeping up, in general. And that also pertains to the social media realm. I miss updates and posts sporadically and my interaction game needs to be refined… a lot! And, that’s all fine and dandy when dealing with your personal account/s. But, when you have a professional one, such neglect would not get you anywhere. This was the story of my Twitter account.
Since most of my social media was personal and private, I wanted to use my Twitter account for a more “professional” and public approach. Bear in mind that I am no professional blogger. I am a mere hobbyist. Thus, the use of the word “professional” is in a rather casual context.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s look at the reasons why, after years and years of rumination, I finally took the leap and left Twitter (at least for the time being):
🗣️ Inconsistent Engagement and Presence
As I stated, I am bad with consistent postings on social media. Maintaining a consistent presence on Twitter was becoming a challenge. While Twitterettis (is what Twitter users are called?) were coming up with great ideas to pump bite-sized content for their followers, I could not figure out how to do that. I know I know. I am a blogger, I should be able to come up with small-sized content. But I figured what I like the most about blogging is its long form. The sporadic posting and missed updates on the platform led to a lack of engagement and the inconsistent interaction affected the overall impact and reach of the account. All these made me reevaluate if I am putting my 100% into the game, and the answer was: no.
👩🏽💼 Struggle with Professionalism
My Twitter account was supposed to showcase me as a blogger. It was meant for my “professional”/hobbyist purposes rather than showing my personal life. Despite being a hobbyist, there was a desire to present a professional front. However, neglecting the account undermined these professional aspirations. The irony was that, apart from sharing my blog links and tweeting some of my blog articles in short form, I could not be more creative with my account. I am not good with promotion. Therefore, one of my limitations while using the account is that I never found a way to redirect my Twitter audience to my blog in huge numbers.
😞 Overwhelmed by Multiple Platforms
I am a girl who prefers simplicity. It refrains me from getting overwhelmed. Juggling a variety of platforms for different purposes can become overwhelming for me. So, when it comes to social media, I like to keep it simple. Each platform serves a different purpose, making it hard to keep up. Twitter added to the burden without offering a satisfactory return. Over the years, I have concentrated my social media usage to just Instagram (for social sharing) and WhatsApp (for private messaging and calling). I have come to realise that this has served me well over the years. Come to think of it, does this blog count as social media? It is the only public space where I feel comfortable to share my views and opinions publicly. And since I love long-form written content, this is just the place!
⏳ Changing Personal Priorities
Personal and professional priorities shifted, affecting social media habits. I am a huge believer in the notion: quantity over quality. I believe the more you do it, the better the quality with practice and time investment. However, the one landscape where I was unable to apply this is on Twitter. That is not to say that Twitter does not serve any value to creators/bloggers. I just meant that for me, the story is different. I admit that it is largely due to my not studying the intricacies of Twitter and the potential to grow within the platform. However, I would rather spend time doing and learning the stuff I enjoy and putting my Twitter time into blogging seems a better choice for me. Twitter did not fit into the evolving landscape of personal and professional life anymore. Thus, the decision to leave Twitter was part of a broader re-evaluation of social media use.
Final Take
So, do all these mean that I am never returning to Twitter anymore? Well… I live by the philosophy “Never say never.” All I can say is that right now, that is not my priority and I am all too content to use this blog to express my views and interests publicly. I do not need an additional platform for that. I only use Instagram for my personal life, and that is enough for now. Let’s see what the future has in store for me!
Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash
Anwesha RC 