Some days I really dislike how far we have come with social media and the instant messaging means of communication. We sometimes forget to talk to the people around us and have real conversations with words, and expressions, and annunciations. People get offended so much easier when you aren't right there in front of them to explain yourself further. It is making it that much harder for people to talk to each other face to face when there is a screen to hide behind.

I don't know about you, but when things get tough, people are more inclined to go to the internet to vent or write about the things that are bothering them, rather than talk to someone else about it. This is happening more and more within families, close friends, teachers, and spouses. When you spend more time sending e-mails or text messages, we start to lose the personal feeling of a simple conversation. We forget how to talk things out when things are hard.

I have personally experienced this is my own relationships with my close friends and family. We text through a whole conversation and then before you know it someone is upset because something you typed out came across differently then you had intended. Now you are spending more time texting back and forth trying to smooth things over. Now if we had just picked up the phone it could of gone a lot smoother and maybe the hurt feelings would of been avoided.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying I dislike social media and instant messaging for quick messages and keeping in touch with people, but when it comes down to important subjects or catching up, picking up the phone or talking in person is probably the better option.

I am going to start getting the people I love on the phone more. I am going to invite them over to appreciate their company. I am going to ask questions when I feel like I am misunderstanding someone. I want to make it harder to build walls around the important issues because someone's feelings might get hurt. We need to talk to one another. We need to get everything out, even when that means the hard stuff.

What do you think?

Do you ever feel like you are in blogging limbo? You know that place where you aren't exactly a new blogger anymore, but you also aren't well enough known yet to have a larger readership? That's where I am at the moment. I feel like I am on the verge of bigger and better things but I need to take a few more steps to completely get there. This is where it gets hard and sometimes confusing. Ever feel like that? After participating in Helene's from Helene in Between "Get Paid to Blog" webinar I have had this constant urge to push myself harder to reach my goals.


After some brainstorming of my own and listening to Helene's topics, I have narrowed down some of the things I want to work on to reach my goals. Listing them here will help me remember them and hopefully inspire some of you to leave feedback of your own. These topics don't have to be just for my blogger readers. You can use these topics to build any business. Today I am going to touch on social media.

Social Media: Any business owner can take advantage of social media as an outlet. We can use it to get our message across, engage with our audience, and gain visibility for new ventures. As bloggers we need all of these things to get our content in front of people. We don't only build an audience of readers, we also build community and professional contacts.

I personally need to work on my blogs Facebook page. I have had the hardest time getting it off the ground, lingering in the 400's for likes. It is the place I struggle the most and wish I could have more visibility. Any suggestions?

I do my best with Twitter and Instagram. I watch my followers grow there which makes me happy. It is a slow steady pace, but I do see it growing. I intend to step up my game this fall and really engage. Instagram is my favorite past time these days and I am working to improve my images so it will become a favorite to view. Not such a bad goal right?

I am working on my Pinterest page. I have had a Pinterest page for 4 years and used to pin like crazy before it became a popular social media outlet. When it started picking up and my feeds got super clogged with advertisements and recommendations I stopped using it. I know that was a mistake as it has become very useful for bloggers. Wedding planning has taken me back to pinning so we will see where that takes me.

Periscope has really grown in the last few months. I have an account but my phone is in desperate need of being updated so I don't do the best with it currently. I do team up from time to time with one of my friends to offer some TV commentary on shows like The Bachelorette which turns into a night of laughs and wine. I will announce the next time we are doing one and hopefully you will all join in!

Over the next few months I am going to work on a business plan for myself. I have decided to take my blog to the next level. I want to make it my own, yet a place where people want to come back and read. Join me in the next few weeks as I talk more about my goals in individual topics like this one. It would be to more overwhelming then it's worth ti post them all at the same time. Social media was a good place to start as it is one of the easiest ways to get your name out there.

How are you utilizing social media to get your name out there? What can you recommend that works for you?