So I spent yesterday moaning and groaning about how technology is making us lazy and how I don’t need a smartphone, tablet, or what-have-you. But truth be told, it’s easy for the fat man to talk about obesity while he eats his cake. Not sure how “smartphones” made my phone dumb, but even without internet access, I can still do social media work via text messages.
Surely I’m not the only one holding out and not cashing in on the smartphone craze. So how can we still be affective social media advocates with text messaging and not mobile internet? There are plenty of ways. I’ll share a few that I use, but really want to hear other methods you may use.
Facebook
Facebook has all sorts of mobile notifications via text message. I can update my status, post a photo, or even write on someone’s wall or message them. Also, I’ve had plenty of poking wars via text messages. I can get updates every time someone comments on my posts or status, tags a photo of me, or when they send me a message. It may only be 160 characters per message, but it gets the job done.
In the settings tab of your account, Facebook gives plenty of check boxes to select the notifications you wish to recieve. It may not be beneficial to those wishing to Facebook stalk at work, but it works well for staying up to date with and responding to comments and messages.
Twitter
I can do pretty much everything on Twitter via text message using my phone minus posting web links or photos. Sending and receiving mentions and direct messages fits right in with the 160 characters. I can even retweet posts, and follow certain users by subscribing to their feeds. I may not be able to follow my favorite hashtags, but I can have a conversation with anyone who mentions me.
Once again, text message settings are in your account tab. You can set time restrictions for text messages, so there are no midnight tweets waking you. On each user’s profile, there is an icon to subscribe to their tweets via text message.
Tumblr
To fix the problem with posting photos to Twitter, I created a Tumblr account, and made it into a photo blog. I can text photos from my phone, and Tumblr automatically tweets the photo for me. I may not have a cool description with the photo, as I could from an iphone, but that can be fixed when I get home.
Email
Do ya hate missing that all important email? Or do ya need a sticky pad for reminders before you get to the home or office? No problem. Just text a message or photo to your email address, and it’ll be waiting for you when you sit down at the desk. I use this to send photos as a reminder of blog post ideas, or important emails I need to send that night when I get home. If I have a cow or calf number I need to remember for vet or calving records, I’ll snap a photo of the tag, send it to my email, and it’ll be ready for me when I catch up on paperwork that night.
Blogging
Other than Tumblr, I don’t take advantage of blogging via text message, but I know the services are available. You can text message posts or even drafts to your blog account and it’ll save your brain when you’re trying to remember the next post topic when you get home.
Sure these social media interactions may not be the full capacity of smartphones, but last time I checked, while at work, we’re actually supposed to be working. If I carried around the internet in my pocket all day, it would be nothing more than a distraction from work. I would end up tearing up equipment from distracted driving or wasting so much time that could be used caring for my cattle. All of the spreadsheet work that other’s do on smartphones, I do on paper or make for time in the office for those tasks. It keeps my mind sharp and on task, and I’m still able to do the essentials of my social networking, and leave the rest for when I get home.
How do you utilize social media from your “not-smartphone”? Do you skip mobile all-together and leave it for time at the desk? Do you have other methods of social media interaction via text message?
