Social media away messages
Since the dawn of internet time, email away messages have been widely used, understood, and accepted, but when social media users send messages to people that are absent, they are often ignored for a lengthy period of time.
While it is common for people to post a status update that they will be away for a specified period, people attempting to communicate over social networks don’t always check for the latest update before reaching out. This leads to missed opportunities and potential frustration for all involved.
How Relaxed works
Enter Relaxed, an auto responder you can set up to tell people that message you on Facebook or Twitter that you are away. Relaxed also works with private messages on Facebook but does not auto-respond to direct messages on Twitter.
The free tool takes three steps and works just like an email auto-responder that immediately responds with anything you set it up to say – it may include when you’ll return, maybe what you’re up to, or other ways people can get in touch with you in case of emergency.
Be aware of security risks
Be sure to keep information vague so as not to make yourself vulnerable – if you’re concerned with security, we recommend a simple “I am currently away from Twitter/Facebook but will message you upon my return to the internet,” which does not offer any information about vacation or how long you’ll be gone.
The most apparent downside to the Relaxed service is that all messages sent out through the service will include “autorelaxed.com #relaxed,” not only limiting your update to 125 characters, but advertising for the company with every tweet or Facebook status update.
The takeaway
It’s a free tool, so you get what you pay for, and it could be the difference between a frustrated friend/follower, and a well-tended to online relationship.
