I remember setting up my first social media profile. The background featured a beach photo of an island I had never visited. My photo, my school picture that I had retaken multiple times because my flyaways were just too much for my ego to handle. After perusing my top interests, you would find the “creme de la crème” of any profile, the “Top 8,” showing the world the people you considered to be in your inner circle… or those you wished were within your inner circle.
When one friend would move another out of the eight without the other knowing… drama. When a friend added a new boy to her eight… drama. When your friend got added to the “cool” girl’s eight, but you missed the cut… drama.
This is where I believe my issues with social media began -- decades before the start of my career in digital marketing.
Years later, clearly much has changed. But a whole other side of me will always be that person, seeing the “cool kids” get (what feels like) more likes, more attention, more superficial adoration, and, therefore, they must be living a better life.
We know it’s fake. And yet, the emotions are real. We’re real. We’re human with real human feelings, emotions, and needs.
For the past 20+ years, I have run social media profiles from celebrities to brands you would know on your local grocery store’s shelves. Every single client desires the same things -- more likes, more comments, more follows, more people saying, “You’re the best!”
It’s a difficult spiral to get out of, but I promise you that it CAN be done. You can remove yourself from a constant desire for more. Maintaining your mental health while being in the world of social media doesn’t mean you have to delete your account and run away from it entirely. Though it does require you to change your patterns and habits.
Some quick tips:
- Do NOT check your accounts first thing in the morning. Start your day prioritizing your needs, thoughts, and feelings.
- DO set time limits on apps and stick to them. Small business owners should not need to spend more than 30 minutes posting each day. Larger brands may spend more video editing and engaging, but I would suggest handing that off to a team that focuses on social media as soon as it’s financially possible so that you can focus on actually running your business.
- Do NOT try to get millions of followers. Unless you’re a celebrity who needs followers to get roles, who cares that some follower from Indonesia knows you exist? DO focus on getting the RIGHT followers who are in your niche, want what you are selling, and contribute to your bottom line.
This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but it’s a good start. Stepping into the world of social media with your brand is exciting. It’s sometimes scary, absolutely worthwhile, and just one important piece of your marketing puzzle.
Jessica Tepas is a public speaker, and growth marketing consultant and social media coach. She can be found at www.JessicaTepas.com and on Instagram at @JessicaTepas.
