In 2022, I spent a lot of time trying to work out what contribution I wanted to make to the world. That led to the articulation of my core projects, roles and responsibilities.
In 2023, I’m interested in getting better at utilizing the various communication channels I have available to me to promote that work. Social media, including this blog, are high on the list.
A big challenge with social media is that you can waste spend a lot of time trying to keep multiple channels updated with the same content. If only there was a service that could help!!
I’ve known about IFTTT (If This Then That) for years now. I set up my account in 2011! Laziness and a somewhat chaotic relationship with social media have meant that account has lay unused.
Until a couple of days ago.
If you haven’t come across IFTTT before, it is a web-based service that helps you connect the various apps, services, and devices that you use, in useful ways. This is done through ‘applets’ which are simple ‘if this………then that’ statements.
I have two very simple applets currently in play:
If a new post appears on my blog…………….create a link to it on my Twitter account
If a new post appears on my blog……………..create a link to it on my LinkedIn account
What this means is I can focus my attention on building content here on my blog knowing that it will be promoted on my other channels.
With only two social media channels, this might seem like a minor improvement but it opens the doorway to setting up other social media accounts, without worrying that I will have to spend hours cultivating each one. I can do my thinking work here on my blog and have it promoted in many different places automatically.
My two applets are incredibly simple, but the number of devices, apps and online services that IFTTT can connect is mindboggling and the ways they can be connected seemingly infinite. Because users can share applets, integrations that are particularly sophisticated can become quite popular. You can search for applets that connect the apps, services and devices that you use. You can see the top applets of 2022 here.
Free accounts allow for up to 5 applets. Pro and Pro+ accounts increase the number of applets you can run, the speed at which they run, and the complexity of them. I’m OK with the free account at present as I get comfortable with simple applets first, but I can easily imagine a time where my communication strategy is underpinned by multiple sophisticated automations.
If you juggle multiple social media accounts, or are interested in exploring how to make your various devices, apps and services talk to each other, check out IFTTT.
Dr Gareth Furber 