Ahhh, Facebook. I have a love/hate relationship with the king of social media platforms. Yes, it provides me with entertainment in those times when I just need a break from the insanity of life as a mother of small children. But sometimes it feels like a black hole from which I can never escape! One minute I’m commenting on my childhood friend’s new vacation photos, and before I know it, two hours have passed and I’m wondering what I’m doing with my life!
Now, the pros of Facebook are plenty, especially for busy moms. I have utilized the Facebook Groups feature across multiple areas of my life. Facebook Groups help me stay up to date with school happenings and neighborhood news. I have a Facebook Group for fellow moms and one for women in my profession who live in Kansas City. I even have a Facebook Gratitude Group, where several of us post what we are grateful for on a daily basis, in order to build up our gratitude practice.
And what would I do without Facebook Events? I don’t remember the last time I sent out a paper invitation (or the last time I received one, other than a few wedding invites). My kids’ birthday parties, book club, dinner club, neighborhood block parties and more have all been exclusively conducted through the Facebook Event calendar. I wouldn’t have a social life (and not just social media life) without it!
However, especially as a small business owner, I have been watching closely as other social media networks have gained a little traction against the giant that is Facebook. The allure to move to something else is strong, especially as Facebook continues to change its viewership algorithm. Remember the good ole’ days, when you followed a person or business you liked on Facebook, and then saw their updates in your Newsfeed? These days what you see in your feed is determined by an equation Facebook created to determine what you’re most likely to interact with, something that makes it very difficult for small businesses to be seen and heard. In 2014, with the advent of paid advertising on Facebook, experts were sure it was on its way out…but here we are in 2016, and Facebook is more popular than ever!
There are plenty of other options for moms if Facebook is getting on your last nerve. Since it’s an election year and political opinions are flying wild, I have a feeling I will be spending less and less time on the site. I have transitioned my business and my personal time to Instagram, the photo sharing social media site. I can scroll through my Instagram feed more quickly, and I am less likely to get lost in an internet maze since users can’t direct link to any other web content from their photo captions.
I’m also really enjoying Periscope, where you can create live videos and interact with viewers in real time. Pinterest is always a favorite among moms, but I will admit as I’m not a crafty type, I find it very overwhelming. And of course, if you’re feeling feisty, there is always Snapchat! I love sending silly snaps to friends and family, and it’s pretty nice that you don’t have to see comments on everything you say and do (unless you want to enable that feature).
Odds are, Facebook is here to stay. It’s the most user friendly social media platform on the web, with a huge number of users. There are several functions that make it worth sticking with…but if you’re looking to try something new, there are tons of options for every mom out there.
