More than half of the world uses social media. According to Backlinko , an estimated 3.96 billion people currently have a presence on a social channel worldwide. Whether you’re a business owner or an entrepreneur, keeping on top of social media marketing can be an exhausting process. It’s found that being exposed to social media can cause social media fatigue, which is identified by the feelings of anxiety, overwhelm or disconnect. The challenge for marketers is to create engaging, relevant content for clients without becoming tired out themselves. Here’s how to make sure you don’t get burnt out next time you find yourself on social media:
Be Selective
Sometimes we think that the more presence we hold over a variety of social media platforms the more likely we are to get successful engagement with content. But by refining your business’s social media strategy, it allows for a better focus on the channels which appeal more to your clients. Focussing on one or two platforms can help ease the pressure of handling social media and can reduce the feeling of overwhelm. It also allows a better chance to establish meaningful connections with clients as well as produce content which is relevant and informative.
Set an Intention
Before logging into social media, ask yourself what’s your goal. Establishing a reason why you’re logging on and setting a time limit allows you to be more focused on achieving it. For example, “I want to engage with three different customers who have recently commented on our Instagram posts, this will take me 15 minutes”. By doing this it reduces the aimless scrolling we sometimes find ourselves doing, where we get wrapped up in ‘research’ and hours have passed without any real productivity. It also allows us to recognise how much time we’ve spent on social media and to step back before we begin to disconnect with it.
Be Authentic
Trends aren’t always successful for every business. If you see competitors producing content that gives them successful engagement but it’s a bit off brand for your business, then it doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. By creating a voice for your business, you are able to put out content for clients that you believe in and are passionate about. The more authentic our voice becomes on social media, the less likely we are to become anxious and overwhelmed by the feeling of our business getting lost amongst the trends.
Outsource, Outsource, Outsource!
If you own a small business, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea that you can do everything on your own, when in truth it’s not always the case. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed with social media, it might be time to step back and analyse what you’re finding difficult. It may be that you need to hire someone else to help make up for your limited resources. For example, a freelance writer could be hired to help handle your blog or write social media posts and as a result, it can allow your time to be better spent. If you'd like help with this, feel free to get in touch !
Schedule Time Wisely
If you have a variety of different platforms, constantly curating content to appeal to your client can be a task which takes up most of your day. If you dedicate certain hours in the office to work on different platforms it can help to avoid overwhelm. During this time, it’s a good idea to create batches of content and schedule those posts. This will save time and will allow for your energy to be focussed on your clients and competitor research. It allows for clear boundaries to be established which can help reduce the burnout we can feel after too long on social media.
Social Media marketing doesn’t have to be an exhaustive process. If your time is scheduled efficiently and used with intent, it can be a productive day in the office and you could leave feeling more refreshed than what you would have.
