A Helpful Guide On How To Use Social Media

          I've been seeing a lot of people make a number of faux pas lately, and thought there is no one better than myself to help correct them. Since the Super Bowl is just a few hours away, I'll write this as it relates to sports. But make no mistake, these rules apply to ALL posts you may make.

Facebook

          Let's start with most popular, since most people these days have attention spans the size of a gnat, I'll get this out of the way as quickly as possible before its time to check Facebook for any updates. This is where you put a brief write up of your pre- and/or post- game thoughts and predictions. Between 1 and 5 sentences is about average, and you really shouldn't go longer than that (remember the gnat attention span from earlier). The biggest mistake people make here, is the number of posts. 1-2 posts per day per subject. This is not the place for your play-by-play. For that, read on...

Twitter

          This is your play-by-play area. Updates in real time, about what is happening right now. This is also where your hash tags come in to play. Posting about the Super Bowl? Put #SuperBowl at the very end. Any word or phrase you think is important gets a hash tag with no spaces. No limits on the amount of posts here. You can not post for a week, then send out three dozen tweets in an hour, and it's ok. The only limit is the size per tweet, which is 140 characters. 1-2 sentences, your hash tags, and that's it. Have more to say? Break it up in multiple back-to-back tweets, or move to a different medium.

Blog

          Here's your newspaper article. Your tease is on Facebook, your play-by-play is on Twitter, now it's time for your in-depth thoughts. Break down plays, pull up the stat sheet, take as long as you want to make your point, and always mention your sources just like from school. Links, pictures, screenshots of your previous posts from above... there is no limit on the size of the post here. Though I would say anything less than a paragraph probably belongs on Facebook, not your blog. And try to limit yourself to 1 or 2 blog posts per day, otherwise you run the risk of overwhelming your audience, and thus losing them.

Google+

          I saved the best for last. Google+ offers the best of everything above, and none of the negatives. While I would still leave the play-by-play on twitter, Google+ can handle everything else. Anything you want to say that is ok on Facebook, twitter, or your blog is all ok here. Google+ also works best with additional content. Pictures, links, videos, all enhance your post here. And with the help of ifttt.com or postolog.com, everything you put on Google+ can be automatically shared on our twitter and Facebook feeds.

Everything else.

Foursquare - Where are you watching the game from?
Pinterest - Your favorite pictures from or about the game.
YouTube - Your highlight reel, and/or video of you talking about or reenacting the game.
LinkedIn - See if the network is hiring someone that isn't as biased or annoying as those guys broadcasting now, then submit your resume.
Reddit/Tumblr- Look, is wrote something so ignorant, rude, and hate filled on this picture that I have to share it with the world!