Losing Ourselves... er, Myself in Social Media, Part 2
As I mentioned in my last post, one of the projects I've been working on is a social media game. The title and platform are unannounced so I'm being vague about the project, but I wanted to write about how I've already learned some important lessons about designing for new audiences.
By the time I finished this two-part post I realized I had also learned a lot about myself.
Recently I've been working on developing Facebook, Web and Twitter relationships with potential players for our game. Off and on over the course of about three months (with time away for other projects) I've had the chance to get to know our audience base online. We have hundreds of friends on Facebook, hundreds of followers on Twitter.
These kinds of research and relationship-building are important any time you're reaching out to an audience that may be different from you. And since you're unique, that means it's important on every project.
Of course, I'm doing this "in character" as part of a game that hasn't been announced. My own Facebook friends? Well, uh...
Keeping in touch with my favorite people on Twitter? Um...
Sending an on-time birthday email to my considerate cousin in Germany? Oh-oh...
This isn't about how we can withdraw from the world playing games for a weekend, or about how crunch times at work can affect our family lives. It's not about time at all.
It's hard to be two different people online at the same time.
If I've spent an hour interacting with our player base on Facebook I have a hard time switching accounts and going back into Facebook as myself.
Play a different game? No problem! Go to lunch with someone and problem-solve on a different project? Easy.
But use the same tools I'm using in our fictional world to interact in the real world? I find myself thinking, "But I just finished everything I had to do today on Facebook!" And so I'm right on schedule in my fictional world and I've fallen behind in the real online world I live in.
I realized I have to consciously work at having separate days for staying in touch with friends on Facebook and "working the game in character" on Facebook. I have a hard time switching roles in the same system back-to-back.
Is there any place in your work life where you're so tired of doing something that it's slipping out of your real life?
Is there a way you could separate things onto separate days so that both your work and your private life get the time and focus?
If you're already balancing all these pieces really well on social media you're doing it better than I am, and I tip my cap to you.
Copyright (c) 2009, Don Daglow. All Rights Reserved.
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