Are You Addicted to Social Media?
Now obviously, my company manages social media and other marketing efforts; therefore I am constantly on virtually every platform at once. So this blog is not only for those of you that are seeing social media take over your life, but for myself as well. Let's start by looking at the infographic and you diagnose which "Social Sickness" you may have (oh come on anyone into social media has one of these ;)).
Kersten's Confession
I must admit to you all that I have more than once "Social Sickness" according to this infographic. The first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem right? Currently I have symptoms similar to the following infographic patients:
- The Social Guru - although I do not promote this, it is what I do for a living.
- The Alert Lover - hey I have to know what is going on, my excuse is alerts for my clients, but honestly I am just an addict.
- The Constant Checker - because who wants to be sitting in line at the grocery store staring into space....am I right?
Steps Towards Managing Your Social Sickness
It may seem impossible, but there are steps you can take to manage your symptoms and these can help with any of the symptoms listed in the infographic.
1. Social Media Breaks
Designate times during the day to "check" your social media. Set a time limit for yourself such as 5 or 10 minutes and stick to it. I find it helpful to set a timer on my phone, because let's be honest, social media can be a vortex for time.
2. Healthy Boundaries
If you do social media for work (like I do), turn yourself off once the workday is over. I always keep my alerts for my clients and myself on if something does happen, but other than that, do NOT get on social media. You need to begin setting up a healthy boundary between you and social media.
3. Create a Schedule
For those of you doing social media for business, set up times on your phone of calendar to tell you when to post. This way you are not haphazardly posting and are not wasting time. I set up a calendar on my iCal that tells me what I am going to post about that day, such as a broad category. For each of these categories I have resources already pre-set up that I can pull from for content. This way you are not wasting your time or your bosses and are being highly efficient.
4. Have Fun
This is sometimes that hardest thing for me since I am all social media almost 24/7, but I have to remember that I do social media not only because it is my job, but because I love it. There are times when I post nothing on personal accounts simply because I am exhausted and do not find it fun anymore. If you have gotten to this point, you are not alone. It is because of this that it is important to follow steps 1 through 3 so you do not get burned out. The worst thing you can do for your brand is get burnt out and then disappear on your platforms. Consistency is key to building a loyal following, so learn the steps and stick to them. You and your fans will thank you!
I would love to know what is your social sickness. Leave me a comment below and let us know which "patient" you are. Are you taking steps to help? Let us know!
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