My Twitter Poll and Pinstagram

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I sort of mocked the new poll feature on Twitter. And by “sort of”, I mean I did. It was rude.

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After a few silly polls, I realized this thing wasn’t going away and thought, “Hey! I can ask people stuff on here!”

So I posed a serious question to my Tweeps…

For writers, which is the better social media: Pinterest or Instagram?

I know. Mind-blowing.

But I really wanted to know this. Most of you are aware that I’m not interested in spending more time on social media. If I decide to get a new account, I need it to be beneficial.

I’m not sure how many writers actually saw the question, which was only up for 24 hours, but I did get an answer. And here it is:

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Wait. WHAT? Are you serious? A tie? A 50/50 split? Stupid poll. I was right. I don’t trust this thing. It’s evil.

And I am back where I started. So now I’m using my blog as a poll. A better poll. I will get answers. I will know who voted. I will receive explanations as to why people voted the way they did. Right? Of course right. Thanks, gentle readers.

 

Really, if you think about it, blogs are just big polls.
(Related ‘Thought Bubble’)

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.

ThoughtBubbleWhether or not you saw this or voted, what are your thoughts? As a writer, which social media platform is most beneficial? And if I get a tie, I’m going to send you low-fat, sugar-free cupcakes until you vote. Oh, yes, they do exist. Don’t make me send fat-free…

Ooh! Also, I’ll give a gold star ⭐ to the first person to give the correct number of times the word “poll” (or “polls”) was used in this one poor post.

ETA: You know, the answer could be 11, 12, 13…less or more. Because I didn’t specify if you were to count the words in the title, photos, or tags. So… “YOU get a star! YOU get a star! YOU get a star! Everybody gets a star!”

63 thoughts on “My Twitter Poll and Pinstagram”

  1. How are you reading my mind once again? I’ve been thinking of exploring a new social media avenue in the coming year. I’ve been on Pinterest for a few years now, but I haven’t really used it for writing. Although I would assume it would be good for list and tip type posts. I’ve seen writers use Instagram in interesting ways, so I was thinking of joining, but I’m still on the fence.

    I didn’t participate in your poll, but I’m very interested to see what people write.

    Liked by 4 people

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    • Don’t you know this? I’m a well-known virtual mind-reader. This has been established. 😉 I hope the comments helped. I think the blog poll was successful with a resounding ‘yes’ to Pinterest. Probably not anytime soon for me but, when I’m ready, Pinterest seems like the way to go.

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  3. I’ll admit it. I voted in the poll. It was the first one I’d seen and was curious as to how it worked. I thought maybe something cool might happen. Alas, it didn’t. Anyway, I voted for Pinterest, because, as addictive as Instagram can be sometimes, Pinterest is better for writing-related things.

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    • 😀 “I thought something cool might happen. Alas, it didn’t.” Well, thanks for voting, anyway. It seems I should have just asked on here because, clearly, the answer is Pinterest. I assumed, for the reasons you say here, that Pinterest was better for writers but I do see a lot of Instagram users and then the poll being 50/50…

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      • I suppose it depends on what you’re using it for. I find Pinterest more useful for gathering information for stories. But I suppose for the marketing side of things Instagram might be more useful.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Is the answer 12? I started on this struggle but decided it was just another blind alley to actually focusing on writing. Pinterest / Instagram – Great for photographers, bad for writers.
    Decided to just write for now and wait to see if I end up with something worth the effort! Something different may have come along by then anyway.. Lxx

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    • Lisa gets a star! ⭐ And an extra one for being the first to answer! ⭐
      I think, if you put time in, these (apparently Pinterest) can be of help but I agree it is yet another time-suck that takes away from writing which is kind of what writers are trying to do. So, right now, I don’t want to put the extra time in but maybe sometime soon, IF I learn how to use it and can benefit from it but not waste a lot of writing time, I’ll do it.

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  5. I counted 11? But then I always was rubbish at maths!

    I voted pinterest. because duh… Pinterest is awesome. I don’t get instagram – I mean sure I have an account but i rarely use it – I can’t figure out how you embed links that click through to your site – so WHATS THE POINT? if it won’t drive traffic then Im not interested.

    Pinterest is awesome for the following reasons:

    1. It’s a mess free pinboard with literally infinite brainstorming ideas.

    2. I’m a visual person – see above. I have character boards, place boards, novel boards, things I want to do at home boards, ideas for blogs, stories, hair styles, nail designs, individual characters or buildings in a story, halloween ideas, it is LITERALLY endless.

    3. If I ever get writers block you can GUARANTY I will unblock it with a cheeky browse of pinterest.

    4. You can actually buy some of the cool shit you find on there.

    5. Do pins right and my god does it drive traffic – one pin which I created in august has had over 11K views roughly 9K of which were direct refers from pinterest. I still get 450-550 views average per week of this post and ALL of those views come from pinterest… I mean… do you need any more reasons?

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    • Sacha gets a star! ⭐ (There are 11 not including the title.)

      So, you. You are awesome. Look at this! I love it! Thank you so much for all your info. When I’m ready to get another account, I’m so joining Pinterest.

      It seems I could get lost there for hours… Which I don’t want. BUT if I’m careful and limit my time, it seems this is a fantastic account to have. I’m so in. I’ll try it out. You are utterly convincing, my dear. 🙂 I do not need any more reasons. This is awesome.

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  7. I stick to Twitter and Facebook. Sometimes I remember to post on Google+. But from what I’ve heard, Pinterest can be useful, but Instagram not as much for writers.

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    • Ack! Right! Google. O_o I never list my Google+ account on any bios. I rarely use it. Occasionally, like you said, when I remember or when I’m commenting on a blogspot with no option to “like”, I’ll Google+ something. I should really learn more about that.
      Yes, that seems to be the consensus here: Pinterest for writers, Instagram…not so much. Thanks for stopping by and voting.

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  8. I agree with Lisa it is 12. I miss the edit button but it makes me think and it wasn’t that great anyway. Poll button I am unlikely to use though now you have mentioned it so many times I may feel I have to give it a go. Mind you though I don’t think I have even seen it or ignored it if I did.
    I use neither pinterest (although I do have an account and I think 1 or 2 followers) nor instagram (which I know nothing about at all). I struggle with twitter so until I get that under control I’m staying put.

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    • Irene gets a star! ⭐
      There was an edit feature on Twitter?! It must have been before I joined. Grr… Oh well. They change things so often I can hardly keep up (and with no warning) so I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t have the poll feature in a few months and everyone who sees this post is like…huh?
      I’m with you. I’m staying put for a bit. As I’ve said before, I don’t want to spend more time on social media. Though if I can spend a little time and get a lot in return, that I could live with.

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      • You have to live a life too. They used to say memoirists lived in the past and eventually all they could write about was the process of writing because they stopped living life to write about their life and eventually they had no life to write about other than the writing. I’m waffling but that is how social media can become as well and you have to do what works for you. If you do find something you get a lot of return on let me know.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Whoa… I’m trying to wrap my brain around that riddle. That’s kind of intense. (Or I’m wicked tired.) Anyway, I will definitely let you know if I find something quick/easy/relatively painless that is more help than bother. I need to think on this comment of yours. It might become a Thought Bubble. *pop*

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  9. I don’t actively socialize on Pinterest. I use it primarily for myself, to organize my research and other “back-office” purposes – like sharing design elements with my cover artist.
    The fact that my readers can also see what’s going on, makes it a “behind the curtain” type interaction for them.
    Facebook and Twitter are more than I can keep up with already, in terms of active discussions. I don’t even understand how instagram works, but from what I’ve seen you can’t group and see whole layouts the way you can with pinboards.
    My $0.02.

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    • I don’t see how you can socialize on Pinterest (at least not like FB or Twitter) but I’ll look into it when I have time. I think your use of it is how I would use it. I like the idea of organizing and having “behind the curtain” peeks for your readers. I agree… I think when people have 4, 5, 6, 7 accounts, it would be difficult to keep up with them all. I’d rather have two I’m really active on then ten I haven’t updated in a year. (That’s what would happen with me.) Thanks for your $0.02 and vote for pinboards. 🙂

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  11. I spend almost no time on either site, if at all…so I really can’t answer the question. Maybe adding a I Don’t Know will keep from there being ties. On writing blogs here, however, I believe I see more pin than insta, so that might be one answer. But I guess my question to your question is are looking for site that is better for inspiration and exposure to other’s writing or for networking? or both?

    Liked by 2 people

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    • An “I don’t know” would have been nice but the Twitter poll only allows two possible answers. Ah, yes. Good question for my question. I suppose I’m looking for more networking… Not sure. I don’t need it for inspiration and I don’t want to share pictures of my lunch (I have Twitter for that). 😉 I guess I should examine my motives here… Thanks for the comment!

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  13. Hi Sarah,
    I’ve been out of the loop and missed your poll, so I’m pleased I’ve seen your post. I want the cupcake! It’s 12! It looks like I may have to share it with a few others, but that’s okay. We’re all good friends. 🙂
    I am beginning to use Pinterest, mainly to keep track of articles I like or want to be able to read, comment on, or blog about later. I find that rather than keeping them in folders in my inbox I can put them on Pinterest boards. I had it explained as a filing cabinet for keeping all of those interesting articles you come across. What Sacha said sounds awesome. I hope she shares what she has learned with us. Also Kimmie from @stuckinscared seems to be pretty good at Pinterest. She has a board that she invited me to join: Blogs and books
    She put me onto Elena at @livinwithBATman who she describes as the Queen of Pinterest! She has articles on her blog starting with this one I haven’t done much yet. I haven’t thought about using Instagram though I am “on it”, mainly to keep up with what Bec’s doing. It’s great for photos.
    So my vote is Pinterest. I am looking forward to learning how to make better use of it. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Norah gets a star! ⭐ (It’s 12…counting the one in the title.) You can have a cupcake, too. 🙂
      No worries. I miss a lot on Twitter. Ooh, I like that idea. A filing cabinet for interesting articles (and posts). I will most definitely check out your boards (and Kimmie’s and Elena’s…thanks for the links!) *gives you another cupcake — with sprinkles*
      Thank you for stopping by and voting. I think Pinterest is the clear winner here.

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  14. They serve different purposes for me. I consume on Pintrest and produce on Instagram.

    For writing related stuffs, I use Pinterest. Primarily, I pin settings that I relate to my world or maybe characters that appear. I’ve also pinned some videos to a playlist of music that inspires me.

    Some of the boards I’ve abandoned, such as the ones with my photos or drawings, because those required me to produce.

    That being said, I spend more time on Instagram, but hardly any of it is writing related. It’s mostly my kids.

    https://www.instagram.com/lonitownsend/

    You should be able to view both without an account to get an idea. I don’t use either for marketing though. If I were more into producing writing-related visuals, then I would aim more for Pinterest. I should, really. Like my book covers. Maybe I’ll go build another board now.

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    • I do see Instagram a lot but just wasn’t sure how it helped writers. I see that it could be fun but I wanted something with a return if I was going to spend the time setting it up and actively using it. So thanks for the comment (and links!) because I’m going to skip Instagram. I do want something writer-related. I don’t want to produce more (at least not on social media). I want to write. And I love your ideas for Pinterest. World-building, music, et al. Thanks, Loni!

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  16. Chiming in a little late but I have no clue how to make either work for fantasy writers. I write urban fantasy but pinning neighborhoods on Pinterest (for example) seems like a good way for that neighborhood to be annoyed at the people who might show up hunting vampires….

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  17. Aargh, I am SO out of the loop! Didn’t see your questions, didn’t get hold of the fact that Twitter now has a new poll function, have never yet used to Instagram and, while I have started Pinterest boards for both my short stories and my novel, I haven’t kept them up. I can’t manage to connect up by Facebook, although I do have a page. Was quite smug at how I was managing Twitter – now you’ve got me feeling too old!!!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • No, you’re not. I don’t see a lot of things on Twitter. Most people didn’t see the poll (hence, this post). 🙂 The poll thing is just a tiny pie-chart thingy at the bottom of the “tweet” box. They didn’t announce it (as per Twitter), they just added it. They change things constantly without notice and I, frankly, can’t keep up. So…you can continue to be smug. You have PInterest, too? Everyone has Pinterest. Okay, I have to get on there and start figuring out what I’m going to do with it.

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  18. Wow, great question! I have been thinking the same thing. I’m going to confess that I haven’t looked at the above comments (I’ll check them out soon), so it’s possible these points have already been made. One of my kids told me that you can’t post links in Instagram, other than changing your profile link with each post. Can you post links on Pinterest? Since I deleted my Google+ account I feel I have room for one more, as long as it’s useful!

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  19. I know I’m a bit late but figured I’d still give my $.02 here. 😀

    Twitter – make lists. Omg, make a list. I have one list with the people I care about and I ignore everyone else. It’s horrible, yes, but that’s how I do it. No one seems to read Twitter anymore, but we’re all still supposed to to have it. 😛 (Silly, imo)

    Pinterest – I use this more for things that require a tutorial than I do for oh…. random pretty blog post. Does that make sense? I am likely to pin a recipe or a list post (that has good links) or a costuming tutorial… not so much a “musings” style post. (And most of my writing falls into that category as well.) I kind of blipped through your comments and didn’t really see anyone who seemed to be writing that style of post who was also getting a lot of pinterest referrals… am I wrong? (I’d love to be proven wrong, I just don’t know how to do it!)

    Instagram – I actually use IG and love it. I’ve not yet successfully tracked how much traffic it drives, but I like that I can essentially post “flash posts” (really short + photo thoughts that are like mini blog posts) and get responses to them. Now… that having been said, I recently start switching over to a more art based IG account…. but that was not for lack of writing and more because I’m feeling pressure to make my IG “pretty” from a business class I took. 😛

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    • I NEED lists on Twitter. I really do. It’s a mess without them. Pinterest…I keep seeing awesome ways to use this. Maybe now I’ll have some free time to check it out. O_o But I’m the “musings” type, too, so I don’t know what that will do for me. Now I don’t get Instagram. I mean, yes, pretty pictures but…? Well the idea of “flash posts” really interests me! Mini blog posts? That sounds awesome.

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  20. For me it depends on your take on beneficial. For me, each social media platform has its advantages. Pinterest for me is purely for research and I honestly don’t connect with much anyone there. Have several boards for inspiration although funnily I rarely revisit them but have them if need be. Google + is wonderful for deep discussions since there’s no character limit and I’ve met some really great people there AND twitter. Instagram is an odd beast in and of itself and Facebook is BY far the hardest sell for me. In terms of reach, Twitter wins hands down versus G+ (3,800 followers vs. 527) but what matters the most to me is that I adapt content and offer and obtain something unique from each. Which has moved more people to my books? I think Twitter, but I long ago lost track of where people find out about my books. Lol. Now can I please have a fat laden cupcake? 😀

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks for your comment because I intend to bug you for help with Google+ as I’ve never figured out how to manage anything at all on there. It is so not user-friendly. You’re amazing on there. What am I missing??? (We don’t use the F-word on this blog! No FB!) 😉 *hands over cupcake*

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      • Bug all you need, though really I’m not even sure how the hell I make it work lol. hands over cupcake???? hahaha love it. And I’m happy I seem to be doing well. I think it’s been a combination of wonderful people who want to interact. I’m part of several groups but I rarely interact VIA the group. I just engage in conversation and since I’ll even talk to a wall, that works for me. Some things are indeed unuser friendly, but I think it’s all a matter of getting it to work. For example, I have ZERO interaction on pinterest. but it works for research. Twitter is its own beast though lol. Anywho, if you have questions, by all means, let me know 😀 Cheers

        Liked by 1 person

      • I think we all just need to get used to different platforms. (Interesting because I’ve heard such different views about Pinterest.) You can keep the cupcake and I’ll email you regarding Google+. Then I’ll send some beer. 😀

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