We are all overwhelmed by social media (except my friend, Jackie, who refuses to join any social media platform). Every day there is some new “must be on it” platform and we are driven by the urge to respond immediately when we get a notification that someone has posted something about us or something that interests us. So we respond and then they respond and the cycle keeps on going.
Stop.
Don’t let managing social media take over your life (or force you to turn your back on it like Jackie).
Here are four tips for reducing social media anxiety.
- Turn off notifications. Yes, it is important to reply in a timely fashion when someone mentions you or your business. But you do not necessarily have to respond right now.
- Along those same lines, schedule social media times. Set a timer, go on your different platforms and interact until the timer goes off. For clients, I usually recommend starting with 15 minutes three times per day.
- Limit the number of platforms you are on. Where are your customers/potential customers? Go there and interact. Sure, there are the big ones like Facebook and Twitter, but maybe commenting on an industry blog is a better use of your time.
- Free social media posts are not reaching all of your fans/followers. Invest time on communication streams that will reach customers like newsletters, customer experience/staff training, paid social media ads, etc.
Of course, sometimes rules must be broken but I have found that these steps help me manage social media (for myself and my clients) and not go crazy doing it.