Navigating the Social Media Landscape: My Journey with Five Platforms

Social media is a powerful tool. When used correctly, it can connect us with thousands of individuals and bring visitors to our blogs, resulting in new followers and connections.

However, social media is a ravenous beast. Before you realise it, it’ll consume all your time while scattering you far and wide without delivering results. It’ll take everything from you and give little back.

Image of a tree with social media branches.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

One of the first pieces of advice I received from another blogger was to join as many social media platforms as possible to attract visitors. It turned out to be one of the worst pieces of advice I followed, as it wasn’t long before I found myself spending too much time on numerous platforms.

I realised that spreading myself too thinly on social media was not the solution, so I reduced the number of accounts I managed. This freed up significant time, allowing me to engage more on those platforms. Before long, I noticed increased visitors coming to my blog from various social media sites. Social media was finally paying me back for the time I was investing in it.

Since starting my blog in 2014, I’ve tried most social media platforms. Today, I will discuss five of them and explain why they have worked or not for me.

BlueSky 🦋

Profile Name: @hughsviewsandnews.com

I joined BlueSky in November 2024. It’s one of the new kids on the block. When this post was written, it had gone past the 27 million milestone of the number of users. That number is rising fast.

Not only have I found BlueSky a friendly place to engage with other users, but it’s simple to use, running a similar platform to X. Like any social media platform, the more you engage with other BlueSky users, the better the results.

I’ll write more about BlueSky in an upcoming post, but early indications are that it’s a rising social media platform that all authors, writers and bloggers should seriously consider joining.

I’ve also found a lot of photographers on BlueSky. If you have a photography blog or host a photography challenge, ensure you join BlueSky.

Don’t forget to add the BlueSky sharing button to the sharing buttons on your blog posts so visitors can share your posts to BlueSky.

Flipboard

Profile Name: Hugh W Roberts

I joined Flipboard in 2019. It has brought incredible amounts of traffic to my blog and has an excellent customer service team that reaches out whenever problems occur.

Users add information to magazines, so, as in blogging, setting up categories is essential. My most popular magazines are Blogging Tips, Entertaining (short) Stories You’ll Enjoy, LGBTQI, and Writing Tips.

Mastodon

Profile Name: @HughWRoberts

Mastodon is a big part of the Fediverse, which WordPress promotes heavily. The Fediverse is a global, open social network of independent servers that communicate with each other using a common protocol.

Users create posts in much the same way as on X and BlueSky. Posts appear on the timelines of those who follow the person who created and published the post, but other users can also see them.

I’ve had a steady flow of traffic from Mastodon to my blog, although out of the three social media accounts I use, it’s the one I use the least.

X/Twitter

After 14 years, I deleted my X account on December 31st, 2024, for reasons I won’t go into. This means that I will no longer share my blog posts or other bloggers’ posts on X.

Given that I had over nine thousand followers on X, I hope those who followed me there will now follow me on BlueSky. Some already have, but given that this post is my first mention of joining BlueSky, many will not know I am now active there.

Join me on BlueSky at @hughwroberts05.bsky.social

Instagram

I recently gave Instagram another chance. I did my best to boost engagement, but I struggled significantly. While some people interacted with my posts, it was difficult to stand out amidst all the self-promotion on the platform.

There is nothing wrong with self-promoting your own books and blogs, but I find it too overwhelming when it’s every post. I only saw a little of others promoting the posts of others.

Maybe I was following the wrong accounts?

Instagram wasn’t for me. I deleted my account in December 2024.

Avoid following the accounts of those who only promote their own work and who give nothing back to others.

Other Social Media Platforms

There are many other social media platforms that I have not mentioned, and other bloggers, writers, and authors use them successfully. But how?

I would love to know which social media platforms you use and which ones have been the most successful. In the comments section, feel free to share which platforms you use and your username so that anyone reading the comments can follow and connect with you.

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

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126 responses to “Navigating the Social Media Landscape: My Journey with Five Platforms”

  1. philosophy through photography avatar

    Thank you.
    Agree with you regarding limiting time with the platforms one is committed. Otherwise it eats out the precious time mercilessly.

  2. philosophy through photography avatar

    Thank you Hugh. An interesting article and so much to know and learn. Bluesky seems to be interesting. I opened the account @philo-s.bsky.social, and let me see how things are going to be. At present I just have a WP account and I am not having any other social media account.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Thank you for following me on BlueSky. I’ve followed you back.

      Like blogging, engaging with other users is key to making social media work. I limited my time to just 30 minutes a day on social media. Otherwise, it would take up more time than I want to allow.

  3. junedesilva avatar

    I haven’t liked how X has been going, so I was delighted to learn about BlueSky. Thank you for the recommendation and for following me on this platform, Hugh. I’m looking forward to learning how to use and interact with this new social media!

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      You’re welcome, June.

      I plan to write posts about how to use BlueSky. In terms of how to use it, it’s similar to X, but it does have some features that X does not have.

      1. junedesilva avatar

        That would be very helpful, Hugh.

  4. Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter avatar

    Thank you for following me on BlueSky. I just set up there recently after months of wondering how to replace Twitter/X when there seemed to be so many contenders. BlueSky does now seem to me to be pulling away from the pack. I admire your cold turkey approach but I’m not sure I can bring myself to delete my Twitter account just yet! I need to find more of my old friends on BlueSky and deal with all the bookmarks where I’ve saved information “that might come in handy someday”. As you do. There are still so many lovely accounts there, I can avoid the horrible stuff, but in principle I need to leave because of the ownership. Slowly weaning myself off …

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      You’re welcome, Anabel.

      It took me some time to finally delete my X account. At first, I wanted to stay and told myself to just skip past all the horrible hate tweets, but it was difficult, especially with what its owner was doing away from the site. It took me some time to finally click the delete button, but I’m glad I did.

      I’m gradually assembling a starter pack for bloggers on BlueSky, where I’m compiling a list of bloggers. I’ve included your name in it. I plan to publish it on my BlueSky account within the next few weeks. It will feature as many bloggers as I can find, allowing users to follow all of them with just one click.

      1. Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter avatar

        That will be useful. Thanks Hugh.

      2. Marsha avatar

        This is a great idea, Hugh. I’m going through your list of comments and doing it manually, and going through a lot of my other 13 followers as well. LOL This will be time-consuming. Your Beginner pack will be a big help. When I looked at all your followers, I didn’t know a bunch of them – you already have so many. Do you join people blindly.

        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

          No, I check out anyone who follows me and block (and sometimes report) the bots and females who want to marry me (there have been quite a few). The most important thing is to engage with other genuine users. Not everyone will reply, but many do. It’s the same in the blogging world.

          I love BlueSky and am so pleased that I ditched X for BlueSky.

          1. Marsha avatar

            You’ve certainly built up your following quickly. :)

            1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

              It’s all about the engagement, Marsha. So many bloggers drop their links and run, and their follower figures haven’t changed. Most are probably running too many social media accounts, thus spreading themselves too thinly. They’re just wasting precious time.

  5. Kevin avatar

    Thank about the Reddit, Mastodon comparison. For Reddit I only follow a couple of friendly topics. I didn’t realize promoting your own blog on Reddit was a faux pax. Goes to show how hard I’m selling myself. 😆

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      I visited a long time ago, and I remember how angry people got whenever someone shared their own work. It may have changed since then, Kevin, but those people certainly frightened me off.

  6. Kevin avatar

    Thank for this, Hugh. I’ll look at setting up a BlueSky account. I have an X account but haven’t paid much attention to since it’s new ownership. I should close it. My Facebook is ok. I use messenger for family chats and groups for specific interests. Linked In I almost never look at since retiring from everyday work.
    I have Reddit account I use regularly. I also have a Mastodon account I haven’t done much with. I think Mastodon and Reddit are similar?

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Hi Kevin, I heard you cannot promote your blogs on Reddit. You can promote other people’s blogs, but if you promote your own, users get very angry. It’s been many years since I visited Reddit, but I always remember it as an angry place. It may have changed since then. However, I do get traffic to my blog from it.

      I wouldn’t say Mastodon and Reddit are similar unless Reddit has changed a lot since I last visited. I see Mastodon more like BlueSky.

  7. V.M.Sang avatar

    I’ve not heard of Flipboard.

    I mainly use my blog and Facebook, although I’m on Instagram, Bluesky, Linkedin and Pinterest.

    My publisher set up a Pinterest account for me, and the other writers, but I rarely use it. I did read somewhere, though, that many authors found it useful.

    I deleted my Twitter account long before Musk took it over. I couldn’t get on with it. I had an invitation to join Bluesky when it was in its beta form, so I joined. I’ll follow you when I get on my pc. (I can’t remember my password, so can’t do it from my tablet.) What a stupid name, though, X!

    I might investigate Mastodon. My blog posts are automatically shared on Bluesky and Linkedin.

    Thanks for the info about the other platforms.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Thank you for sharing those details with us.

      WordPress automatically shares posts with BlueSky and Mastodon, although a user has to set it up. However, I wasn’t aware that they also share posts directly with LinkedIn.

      I hope you’ll remember your BlueSky password. I’m sure they have a password reminder link.

      1. V.M.Sang avatar

        I just followed you on Bluesky, Hugh. I’m @aspholessaria.bsky.social

        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

          Thank you. I followed back.
          I hope you’ll use BlueSky more. It’s fast becoming very popular. Let’s hope it does not go the same way as X.

  8. Eugi avatar

    Hugh, I am following you on Bluesky, which I just joined a few days ago and still learning how it works. I am also on LinkedIn, Mastodon, Tumblr, X, and Instagram.

    Though LinkedIn doesn’t bring any traffic to my blog, I’ve been there for 12 years and use it to keep in touch with people I used to work with. I use Instagram only to follow others and have no real presence there.

    Tumblr, owned by Automattic Inc., the company behind WordPress.com, I enjoy because it is unique and filled with a lot of photography.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Thank you for following me on BlueSky, Eugi. I have followed you back and will also add you to the Bloggers’ start pack I am creating, which I will share on BlueSky over the coming weeks.

      I thought WordPress had a connection to Tumblr. Thank you for confirming this. I get a lot of traffic from Tumblr to my blog, but I don’t have an account there. So, bloggers who have Tumblr accounts are sharing my posts. My thanks to all of them.

      1. Eugi avatar

        Thank you for the follow on Bluesky, Hugh, and adding me to your Bloggers’ start pack you are creating. I am enjoying Bluesky as I become more involved.

  9. Dave Williams avatar

    Interesting to read of your experiences on the different platforms, so thanks for sharing them. I hadn’t heard of Flipboard. The number of social media sites feels a bit dizzying. The second paragraph of your post does a great job of describing the downside of attempting to use several sites. I couldn’t handle lots of sites, so I’m mainly on WordPress, and some occasional visits to YouTube.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      There are so many social media sites to choose from, Dave. It’s all about finding the ones you enjoy using the most and then limiting your choices to one, two, or, at most, three.

      I have a YouTube account and have used some of my videos in blog posts. One of my videos there has received a significant number of views. I was rather shocked by the figures, but I do not seem to attract any traffic to my blog from YouTube.

  10. Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged.com avatar

    I don’t promote my blog on any social media platforms, and I like it like that. I never had a Twitter account but I was tempted to open one so I could delete it (JK). I set up a Bluesky account but, much like Facebook, I don’t post much or at all. It’s probably the introvert in me. I prefer to read what others post. I’ll follow you… my fingers are also crossed that it stays friendly. @hep6.bsky.social. Who knows, some day I might get brave and post something :)

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Thank you for sharing your BlueSky details, Janis.

      I would recommend at least posting a brief bio on your BlueSky account so that visitors know a bit about you. I’ve found that BlueSky accounts with no posts can often be perceived as BOTS or scammers by many BlueSky users.

      And there is nothing wrong with not using social media to promote your blog posts. Many bloggers do the same.

  11. petespringerauthor avatar
    petespringerauthor

    One of my best friends just deactivated her Facebook account and has encouraged me to join Bluesky. I appreciate learning a little more about it, Hugh.

    Yes, we need to be selective, or this social media thing turns into a giant suck-up time. Blogging remains my favorite way to connect with others.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Pete, I’d like to follow you on BlueSky, so please share your username here. I’m also building a BlueSky blogger starter pack and would like to add you. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share the starter pack on my BlueSky account.

      1. petespringerauthor avatar
        petespringerauthor

        I will if I decide to join. I honestly don’t spend that much time on social media because there are a lot of other things that keep me busy.

  12. Michelle (Boomer Eco Crusader) avatar

    I use X, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for my blog. I also share the odd post on LinkedIn if I think it would be of interest to my followers there. I get very few views from X or Instagram. What I do share on LinkedIn definitely results in some views. Pinterest is the only platform that has given me any consistent results. It is one of my top sources of traffic, usually bringing people to older posts, which is where Pinterest differs from other platforms.

    I’m very disillusioned with X and Elon Musk at the moment. I may have to check out BlueSky.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Thank you for sharing those details, Michelle.

      It’s good to hear that Pinterest works for you and produces such good results. I tried it years ago but never managed to get it to work.

      If you join BlueSky, be sure to share your username with me so I can follow you. Or you can follow me there, and I’ll follow back, especially as I’m building a BlueSky blogger starter pack, which I will share on my BlueSky account over the coming weeks.

  13. Danny Watts avatar

    Hugh, Thank you. I am not familiar with Blue Sky, having just published a post discussing alternatives to Flickr (my conclusion is there is no alternative to Flickr). As I refuse to use FB or IG or X. I never considered Flipboard. You have given me a lot to consider.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      That’s good to hear, Danny. If you do try BlueSky, let me know your user name or follow me there, and I’ll follow you back.

      I don’t use Flickr, but I hope you find an alternative.

  14.  avatar
    Anonymous

    We connected on Bluesky, Hugh. I also deleted Twitter in December. I share my blogs on BlueSky and Facebook. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

    Blessings,

    Lisa

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Hi Lisa,

      Thank you so much for visiting my blog and leaving me a comment. It’s great to have connected with you on BlueSky.

      Good to hear you don’t have too many social media accounts. Thanks for sharing which ones you use with us.

  15. Suzanne avatar

    I have never heard of Mastodon. Will definitely give it a go so thanks for the recommendation, Hugh. Followed you on Bluesky though tried to do that on Mastodon with no luck. Will try again another time. I’m not a big user of social media, WordPress would be the one where I spend the most time on. Thanks for the information on the various platforms you use, Hugh.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      I checked, and you’re following me on Mastodon, Susanne. I’ve followed you back, similarly, on BlueSky.

      I limit my social media use to a maximum of 30 minutes per day. Once that time is up, I do not return until the following day.

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