Do you feel a little overwhelmed by all the things you are supposed to be doing on social media?
Tweeting, pinning, sharing, responding, creating, following – it’s enough to make you crazy. Or more crazy than you already are.
I’ve been there. Some weeks, I’m still there. Here are 5 strategies to get out of that overwhelm and get back to having fun with social media.
1. Step Away.
Take a break. Take the weekend off. You have to recharge. I have a whole pep talk on just that here: Take a Break – Grandma’s Orders!
2. Focus on the Best Platforms for Your Business.
Don’t try and do everything. Focus on what works for you. Do you get better traction out of LinkedIn? Then just do LinkedIn. Do just one or two things, don’t try and do it all.
3. Do What You Like.
Don’t worry if people tell you you have to do Twitter or you have to do Pinterest. Grandma isn’t going to make you eat your spinach and do Google+ if you hate it. I have seen every platform work well for a variety of businesses. Make sure you are having fun with it or it’s going to suck the life out of you.
4. Schedule Ahead.
Nothing like a little planning to make you feel like you have things under control. Have an editorial calendar. Spend an hour just figuring out what you are going to do the next week. You’ll feel so much better.
5. Get Some Help.
Don’t try and do everything yourself. Get a virtual assistant to help with some of your tasks. Even if it’s just a couple hours a month, it’s worth the investment in your business. Don’t know how to find a good virtual assistant? I have some great graduates from my Social Media Manager School who can help! I’ll have them post in the comments below.
So there you have it. What tips can you share to help get out of social media overwhelm? Have you been there? Share in the comments below! Then get back to having fun with social media – Grandma’s orders!
Wow, some fantastic points here, as always, Grandma! Thank you Andrea for the opportunity to share my business information here.♥
Its always sad to see people taking on more than they can manage, getting overwhelmed and burnt out trying to share their business information on too many platforms. As a Social Media Manager, I usually start them out with the one that is getting or will get them the most engagement for their business or Industry. We will implement the strategy I’ve created for them there and build their business community on that foundation.
Dyane Bradley| http://socialmediadepot.net
Getting help is key! Just like the rest of Grandma Mary’s points. 🙂 What we hear most often from our clients is how they are already so busy with everything that they simply don’t have any time to learn the Ins and Outs of social media and business blogging.
From training to strategy to management, we like to work with business owners in the capacity they most prefer.
Liz Jostes
http://www.elirose.com/contact/
Great ideas from Grandma Mary! I would also suggest that taking small steps is better than taking no steps! It’s easy to spend all your time researching and learning what to do – and then not actually doing anything because you don’t know where to start or are completely overwhelmed with WHERE to start! Instead, pick a few sources that you know and trust (like Grandma Mary!) and start doing one or two things TODAY!
And as a graduate of Andrea’s Social Media Manager School, I’m also available to help you if you need someone to work with you!
Kelly Ward
http://www.digitalkonline.com/landing/social-media-quote.htm
You made some great points Grandma Mary! Marketing messages about new social networks and how to use them will drive you bananas if you let them. I’ve come across people who said they are starting to feel like cattle being moved about from social media platform to social media platform in hopes of an edge against a competitor. So my suggestion is to stop chasing every new “hot tool of the week” post and Start looking at social media as platforms to carry out and/or enhance marketing strategies and tactics you already feel comfortable doing and are already having success with offline.
So, if you like small group settings for offline networking then find small groups online and enjoy networking in that space. But, if you need to focus your efforts on being a visionary, then building a virtual dream team to weed through all the noise for you may be the best option for you.
The great thing about working with social media vitural assistants is that we are flexible in the delivery of our services in order to provide solutions for someone who asks, “So, how do I find the right groups to network in for my industry?” as well as the overwhelmed emerging leader who says “I have an evolving online presence and I need a virtual partner who is in it to win it with me for the long-haul”.
After you’ve digested all of this great advice from Grandma Mary and you still feel like you’d be best focusing your energy on what you love while someone else handles the web..I’d love to learn more about your specific needs and if I could be the right virtual partner for you.
-Lynn Davis
http://www.AplusDmedia.com
Social media can certainly be overwhelming but this is some great advice from Grandma!
So many good points have been made already but I would like to add the importance of a plan. What goals do you hope to achieve with your social media? Is it part of your marketing plan? It is very easy to waste a lot of effort on social media if the effort isn’t directed with a goal in mind.
I hope readers will take Grandma’s suggestions on board – and should you want to “Get Some Help”, I’d be only too happy to talk to you.
http://www.hungrycat.com.au
Great tips, Grandma Mary. I especially agree with focusing on the best platforms for your business. It can be overwhelming trying to be on every social site. Finding out where the majority of your ideal customers/clients hang out and THEN having a presence on that platform is a better way to market.
You can also enlist the help of a social media manager which will drastically reduce your time and effort. I’ve been able to help many clients reduce their overwhelm and relieve the stress by assisting them with some of their tasks. And I’m available to help you too! http://CovertSocialMedia.com
Great delivery of the key messages as always Grandma Mary 🙂 Social Media is a marathon not a sprint, Your competitors are already in the race running, your customers are on the sidelines cheering them on and following them, learning about them and interacting with them. You need to get in the race but if you aren’t sure how to do this there are loads of people who can help! Speak to Dawn-Louise at http://www.sm2communicate.co.uk/
Having an editorial calendar specific to your social media is a such a helpful tool. Keeping track of your social content and when you are publishing it, allows you to make sure that you are staying on track and lets you measure the effectiveness of your social efforts. Plus you can compare your social calendar with your public relations editorial calendar will allow you to identify areas where you can cross promote items.