Billions of people have accounts on social media, and businesses around the country use the platforms to create awareness and sell their products or service. But posting every day can get tedious, and social media burnout is a common problem. So, how can you keep yourself and your followers engaged and prevent fatigue?
Are You Suffering from Social Media Burnout? Here’s What to Do
You’ve built up an awesome social media platform with engaged, active followers. People share your content, and you often get new customers from your online accounts. But after a while, you start to think of social media interactions as more of a chore than a pleasure. You dread going online and checking the flood of messages that have come in overnight or while you’ve been working.
This kind of burnout is common, especially because successful social media accounts have to be updated regularly. Luckily, there are many strategies you can use to combat social media fatigue and get excited about your accounts again. Some of the keys are limiting your networks and the time spent on them, automating content, mixing it up, celebrating your success, and knowing when to get outside help.
Limit Your Networks
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest … The list of social networks is endless, and new ones are created all the time. But does your company really need an account on every one? The answer is almost always “no”. Instead of trying to be a part of everything and burning yourself out in the process, select two or three networks that fit your business the best.
For example, a company that creates beautiful baked goods might do well on Instagram and Pinterest, which are both focused on visuals. On the other hand, a business related to writing, books, or journalism would be successful on Twitter, a platform based on writing short texts. When you contact a marketing expert, they can help you determine which social networks are the most important for your industry, so you don’t have to spread yourself too thin.
Set Boundaries
The best social media profiles have followers all over the world. While it’s amazing to connect with so many people, it’s also stressful. Due to the different time zones and people’s different habits, you will receive notifications around the clock. If you don’t shut off your device or turn off the notifications, this can quickly lead to stress and burnout.
Instead of trying to update your accounts every hour and reply to everyone’s messages immediately, create set “social media times” throughout your day. During these slots, you can interact with your followers and answer questions. At all other times, keep your notifications off, and don’t allow yourself to log into your accounts. That way, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of messages.
Automate Content
Many experts agree that posting content regularly is one of the keys to social media success. But as discussed, you shouldn’t log onto your account every hour if you want to avoid burnout. Luckily, there’s a great way of engaging your followers even when you’re not online: scheduling content. On most social media platforms, you can write all your posts at once and schedule them for a later time. Or with certain tools you can automate social media posting.
That way, your followers will receive fresh content even while you’re sleeping, spending time with your family, or occupied with other aspects of your business. Together with your social media marketing specialist, you can decide how many posts you need to create each day and then write them ahead of time. This frees up a lot of mental space because you won’t have to think about updating your social media accounts all day long.
Change It Up
Weekly blog posts can be a great way to engage followers, but it can also lead to boredom. For your followers, it might be beneficial to vary the types of posts you do. For example, you could post customer-based content on Follower Fridays and other customer-focused topics throughout the week. You could update them with new products and features every week or tell them what your team has been up to this week. This will not only help keep people interested in what you’re saying but also give you more flexibility when scheduling content for long term blogging. Professional burnout from social media is a real issue not only for the person doing the work but for brands and businesses.
In addition to your regular posts, you should experiment with new content and formats. Why not do a competition or giveaway? These can be great for building up a following, and they can inspire you to be creative with your content. Another popular idea is handing over your account to one of your employees for a day or a week. That way, your followers can see what others in your business are doing, and you get a social media break.
Many social media marketers use a timer or a productivity software to limit their screen time. You can check your screen time by checking at the data that certain social media apps automatically record.
Try different relaxation techniques like going on a walk, dancing to your favorite song, or meditating instead of using social media to unwind.
Social media platforms have mental health programs built into them because social media networks are aware of burnout and want users and social media administrators to be more aware of how they’re using them.
Celebrate Your Company’s Victories
It’s hard to keep going when you don’t see the effects of what you’re doing. But a good social media marketing strategy pays off, and you’ll soon see the benefits. Don’t hesitate to draw attention to them and celebrate them with your team.
Whenever you reach a new follower milestone, sell something online, or make a meaningful connection, pause and savor your success. When social media marketing starts to feel tedious again, you can think back to how you felt when you achieved an important goal, and you’ll be more motivated to work towards the next one.
Ask for Help
Running a company is a major challenge, and you have to do a million things at once. Keeping several social media profiles up to date on top of all your other tasks can be almost impossible. If you feel that your strengths lie elsewhere, don’t be afraid to ask for help. By working with an agency, you can reduce your stress levels. What’s more, social media professionals can upgrade your strategy and help you make the most of your accounts.
Social media burnout is a problem for many companies. Although you might have started out strong, the appeal of posting every day soon wears off, and your account suffers as a result. To combat burnout, you can focus on a few platforms, set clear boundaries, automate your content, vary your posts, celebrate the victories, and enlist the help of marketing professionals. Call us at Anthem Software and ask us about our social media strategies.
