Social media is a double edged sword. It can help promote your content, expand your audience and provide you with a voice. However, it can also be a negative place to be. People can be cruel rather than kind.
Social media has long been known for having its good and bad sides. Not everything you read online is a bad thing. However, there is a whole world of negativity that you can easily stumble across without even looking for it. It sucks you in and can often be very hard to then snap out of. Once you’re in, you don’t typically leave.
For many, social media is a place for promotion and growth, but what happens when this goes the other way and causes damage to your own wellbeing? Having an expanding audience is one thing, but having social media effecting your daily life will only lead to a negative impact on your creative content in the long run.
How to safely use social media for work
If you treat social media as professional platforms, it might help you find a healthy balance between too much and not enough. Providing you allow yourself the separation between the two there should be no reason you can’t use various social platforms. However, you need to make a promise to yourself that you will take breaks from it.
Here are some ways you can help create a separation:
- Allow yourself to set working hours. If you’re online creating social content, give yourself a log-off time before you start. This will ensure you get the work done needed, and then you allow yourself time away. It will also likely increase productivity because you only have a certain amount of time to complete your work.
- Remind yourself it’s not your account. Keep telling yourself it’s your business account rather than your own personal account. You don’t need to respond to people at any time of the day. You shouldn’t be glued to your phone checking every like and comment.
- Keep your personal account separate. Don’t fall down the path of following friends and family. Keep your personal platforms for that. If they want to follow you and support your business, that’s great, but you do not need to return the favour. It could lead you to distraction.
- Follow accounts relevant to you. Leading on from the previous point. Try to follow accounts that are similar to you. Social media is a great place to network.
Separating working life from normal life
As mentioned, it’s important learning to set a work/life balance, but this can be hard. There are however many ways you can put a schedule in place to prevent the two lines being blurred at any point. Having a schedule will help you ensure you are organised, and your work isn’t falling behind, while also keeping your personal life in order.
Digital options for setting limits:
- Set a timer. Whether it’s a screen timer or a digital wellbeing timer. However you wish to set it, make sure you add a limit to the amount of time you’re allowed on social apps.
- Delete each app. If you can’t stay away then delete the apps once you’re done with them for the day. This will mean you cannot save drafts as they will be deleted, however.
- Use desktop only versions. By uploading content through your desktop, you can pull yourself away easier. Once your computer has been shut down, you cannot then access your social media accounts.
- Schedule social posts. Using a third-party platform, schedule posts ahead of time. It will reduce the amount of time you need to spend on the platform.
- Have a different device for work. If the desktop version doesn’t suit you, get a second phone or tablet and keep that for work only.
Getting organic likes and followers is far more rewarding than trying to game the system. If you want to see interaction from your followers, you’ll have had to grow them fairly rather than using various methods to try and rack up followers quickly. Therefore, try not to focus on likes and numbers when starting your business social media accounts.
If social media ever gets to a point where you’re not enjoying it, and you feel it is soul sucking, then try and find a way to take a step back. Perhaps by asking someone to step in and help manage your accounts for a while. Or, just let your followers know you’re taking a small break and then come back feeling refreshed.
