How to switch off from social media when your job is to be switched on? 0 3683

When was the last time you heard that, if you truly care about your mental health, you should stay off social media? With Instagram alone commanding 1 Billion users per month, it is easier said than done, of course. And for some people, like content creators, journalists, and digital campaign managers, being ‘in the loop’ is an extension of their daily jobs – even over the weekends – and we all have bills to pay, one way or another.

Take Instagram, for example. Since its launch in 2010 its picture-perfect grids have been linked to anxiety and depression, and the popularity of social networks, as a whole, have been questioned even by those that have a digital DNA. Last year a study conducted by marketing agency Hill Holiday found that 41% of generation Z, the most socially savvy generation made of those born in 1994 and later, were quitting major social media platforms because it is actually making them unhappy.

As a journalist and content creator myself, I have been working with brands and publicationsfor a while now and I have seen how unbalanced that relationship with social media can be. So, I went out there and asked professionals who make a living from being constantly connected and informed, how they find the balance between the content-thirsty online world and staying sane –  and how they manage to, eventually, switch off.

Get yourself organized

“I switch off by setting limits around how much time I am going to spend on my phone. That is not just for social media, but technology in general. I haven’t mindlessly scrolled in a while and I actually rarely engage with people’s accounts or follow them unless they are my closest friends. And yes, there have been times where it has been too much and I have forgotten to prioritize my mental health. That being said, I think social media has the potential to be an amazing platform to learn, to get information and be connected/inspired in ways I could not otherwise. I lacked role models growing up and many of the individuals I follow on social media have significantly impacted my life for the better. The key is just being mindful and aware of HOW and WHAT you engage with. I also switch off from social media and instead connect with REAL people; this will always be better than any online presence.

From a content creator’s perspective, the best thing to avoid social media burnout is to be efficient and produce many photos ahead of time, including shooting and editing, so that you don’t feel under pressure. I always have 25+ photos ready to go as backups so that way I can take breaks and still maintain a consistent presence on social media.”

Caleb Spiro – Influencer, Mental health advocate and creator of the #StrongerSelf podcast

Say bye to notifications

“I found myself getting too caught up in the numbers of likes, numbers, and followers. So sometimes I do take a little break. Right now, I’m not on Instagram too much on Fridays and Saturdays and I think a lot of people are starting to do the same! The weekend is usually centered around family and friends, so I want to be present rather than just staring at a screen. Of course, I have met so many wonderful people online and I love talking to them through IG — it can be such a great source to connect with like-minded people. However, you have to find that balance if you are finding yourself checking your notifications in your real-time.”

I switch off from social media by not allowing notifications to show on my phone — from Instagram to Facebook (which I actually deleted), and recently my email too! I used to have them on because I always felt the need to be “on” and respond right away, but I quickly got overwhelmed by the number of notifications and all the buzzing. The other major thing I do is that I set my phone to “do not disturb” starting at 10:30 pm and ending at 7:30 am! So, I take quite a few precautions because, over the years, I found myself just getting really distracted with my online life when there was an amazing real-life happening in front of me. It also kind of took my creativity and headspace away because I was so distracted.”

Hana Brannigan – Travel and mental health influencer

Put your phone away consciously

My Instagram account has been growing very fast since I started creating and posting content every day. Suddenly I got a lot of attention and, with it, external pressure increases. Because Instagram is almost like a full-time job, you always have to post and be active, so your numbers don’t drop. However, if you are not careful it can definitely influence you mentally. I found that taking time for yourself without your phone and putting it away consciously on a regular basis can be very helpful; enjoy moments with friends and family and have good conversations. The best thing to do is to not look at your phone in the morning, go for a workout and be productive offline first, instead.

Paul Pasytsch – Content creator and fitness model

Know your priorities

“When important deadlines approach academically, I naturally limit my time on social media however, never go cold turkey as I believe it will mess with the Instagram algorithm and stop your momentum. To find a balance I go to the gym and use that break as a time to be plugged only into my favorite music and focus on the present while going through my workout”.

Sergio Wynne – content creator

Be aware of who you follow

“My best tip to avoid social media burnout, especially if you use it as a platform for business growth and networking, is to make sure you set boundaries for when to be consuming and creating content, and to decide ahead of time how much time you will spend doing those activities. One rule I like to try to implement is to never spend more time consuming than I do create content. I also like to take one day off most weeks from creating and consuming content.

I have definitely had moments of feeling overwhelmed from social media. This past winter I deleted Instagram off of my phone for about a week and it was really refreshing. I honestly didn’t miss it and felt much more connected to my emotions and the people I was with. I think it’s an incredibly valuable platform, but it’s also addictive and it’s important to be conscious of that and take breaks when it becomes too much.

Another tip is to unfollow/mute anyone who is not adding positive value to your life. Once you “follow” someone, you really have very limited control of what and when they will pop up on your newsfeed and what emotions that might bring up for you. If you find yourself feeling bad, unhappy, upset, or like you are in a constant competition to someone you follow, it might be time to clean the house”.

Emily Louise – Online Entrepreneur, health and fitness expert.

Temporarily delete social apps

“To switch off from social media I just put my phone away and do something with my friends in the real world. I am studying to be a teacher and once when Instagram got to a point that became too much during my exams and it started to disrupt me, I made the decision to delete the app for a whole month. “

Florian Whitewalker – Model and content creator

Think before posting

“I don’t think I have ever got to a specific point where I have had to absolutely take a day or week off of Instagram or any social media channel. I realized I needed to make a change when I began attending events for bloggers/ influencers and I found myself scrolling through my own Instagram page to see how others were expecting me to be. This was a turning point for me. If I was having to look at my own social media pages to see how I should show up, I needed to make a change with how I used that platform.

So, rather than taking time off social media altogether, I decided to take more time to find myself. Instead of sitting on the couch scrolling, I would go for a walk or write. I needed to find a new way to show up online as myself – not with what would receive the most likes.

To most people’s surprise, I actually don’t spend much time on social media anymore. I always ask myself “why” every time I open an app. Am I posting something I am proud of? Am I getting on to look at content that will inspire and encourage me? If I find that I am only getting on because I am bored, or want to check the performance of a post, I step back.

I try not to check social media within the first hour of waking up. This helps to get my day started without distractions and to keep you focused on the tasks that are ahead. For me, spending that first hour planning out the day, connecting with myself, and easing into it all, truly helped my mental health for the better. And if social media is beginning to make me feel insecure, I immediately exit.”

Hannah Neese – Lifestyle Blogger

Conclusion: The key is to find a balance that works for you that helps clear up your headspace a bit for other things like being in the moment or being able to be creative.

#InfluencerMarketing #SocialMedia #ContentCreators

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Marcio Delgado is a Journalist, speaker and a Content Producer working with brands and publications in the UK and Latin America.

Instagram reels: will your business be using this new feature? 0 543

Probably the last thing we needed in 2020.

But Reels, a new feature launched by Instagram earlier in August, is officially here, allowing people to record and edit short multi-clip videos with audio and effects. This feature is already available in over 50 countries around the world. Just a few days after hitting the market, some of the short videos uploaded to Instagram Reels are already getting 5M+ views – not bad for something that is supposed to be ‘new’. We use the term new loosely, as this feature barely differs from Tik Tok, which has been around for years.

Like it or not, brands, influencers, and marketing professionals have to be quick in adapting to features brought to the market by social media platforms. New features are their way to keep its user-base online for longer and it may benefit your business. However, with marketing budgets and resources as tight as ever, will businesses be adding Instagram Reels to their content calendars and overall social media strategy?

 

Instagram’s eagerness to push Instagram Reels will help you

“I have been testing it out from the beginning. I posted some short educational content and quickly gained 200+ followers. I also had one coaching client signed that found me through Instagram Reels. The views are exponentially higher than my follower count, as Instagram pushes the new feature and its video content. I can totally recommend trying it and posting educational, inspirational, or informative content at least once a day.

Hannah Geuenich – Social Media Coach at www.thecreatorconcept.de

 

Adoption by brands might take some time

“I expect Reels will help engage newer audiences, while also helping businesses to serve their current followers with interesting new forms of content. This will ultimately be good for business. The short-form nature of Reels is going to be great for experimenting with storytelling for paid/sponsored programs. However, adoption by brands might take some time. Data is hyper important to determining ROI; however, Reels does have the advantage of being built on Instagram’s strong data-centric creator platform.”

Kyle Hjelmeseth – Founder at digital talent management agency www.gb-dm.com

 

I will strategically add it to my monthly content calendar

“Reels is perfect for business because Instagram audiences are already used to being sold to. This was not the same for TikTok. I plan to do short-form videos that tease and get people to click the link in my bio for a free training or lead magnet and follow from there.

I will be learning on a daily basis and adding it to my monthly calendar of posting every day for a month. This is the same approach I took on TikTok and this helped me to grow fast.”

Olumide Gbenro – Public Relations and Digital Nomad Summit Founder

 

It’s an opportunity to repurpose content

“For a brand or someone who isn’t utilizing TikTok or short-form content yet, this might be an opportunity to repurpose content from YouTube or Facebook Live. So, don’t think of Reels as a new branch, but rather a means of repurposing.

From what we are seeing so far, there may not be as much visibility for smaller creators through Reels. The biggest benefit for me will be recycling TikTok content and reviving it in another discoverable format. I truly believe the more content, the better. If there is a new means of blasting your product or ideas to your followers in a fresh and engaging way, without sacrificing the quality of your content, why not give it shot?”

Victoria Jameson – Social Media Strategist, radio host, and Lifestyle Influencer

 

Create new ways to use new tools

“Developed as a direct competitor to TikTok, we are looking at the platform’s new addition in a different light. Rather than shifting our content from one platform to the other in its entirety, we are working on developing two separate content strategies for our clients – each with different goals in mind. For TikTok, we are capitalizing on viral trends, topics, and partnering with influencers to leverage the rapidly growing audience in a new and creative way. With Instagram Reels, we feel it will be beneficial to align this content with our already-existing brand voice hosted on the platform. However, we will seek to delve deeper with the new visual, interactive offering. Hopefully, this will create a seamless experience throughout. Case in point, why cut the content in half? We see this as an opportunity to broaden the scope of our coverage online for each brand we represent.”

Anneliese Peper – Director of Social Media at PR News Agency www.heronagency.com

 

Having all your tools in one place is helpful

“From a business perspective, the Instagram Reels feature is a clever move from Facebook as it allows businesses to stay up to date with the latest trends in marketing. For me, one of the biggest benefits is that it’s all done within one platform. You are already starting off with a following that you have gained over time. You don’t have to worry about starting all over again on another platform. Reels are also easy to create and they sit on your profile in a similar way to an IGTV.

I’m discussing the possibility of adding Reels to our social media strategy in two particular ways. Firstly, they’re an ideal length for sharing small, snappy pieces of information you want people to remember. Secondly, as a business, people like to see behind the scenes. Quick but fun videos could allow our followers an insight into how we work.”

Jaye Bonser – Social media manager at online advertising platform www.adzooma.com

How NOT to promote your Instagram if you want it to grow 0 529

Every business regularly spending time creating and adding content to an Instagram account has two things in mind: sales and growth. In the beginning, every new follower is celebrated, and engagement is followed closely.

However, not all businesses are the same, and nor is it a new Instagram account. Starting to see tangible results on social media can take a while, leading some small business owners and digital marketers to try and get ahead of the game.

From buying followers – a tried and tested technique that can seriously harm your Instagram – to binge posting, mass following, and other hidden ways of gathering more followers and leads. I have seen it all. The more desperate a new business or a novice social media professional is to get to the top of the social media pyramid, the more likely they are to fall into traps promising instant fame and money.

Here, 10 entrepreneurs, content creators, digital consultants, and even a magician share 10 hacks to avoid while promoting your business on Instagram.

 

1. Follow/Unfollow

“The worst hack is using some sort of automated application or Chrome extension (like Everliker) to gather followers through automatic following/unfollowing. On the one hand, it works…for a while. But the users you get from such techniques, for the most part, don’t actually engage with your content. This is also a great way to get your account temporarily or permanently suspended, as Instagram heavily monitors and cracks down on such abuse.”

Jay Andrew Allen – Technical Writer

 

2. Posting for the sake of it

“One Instagram hack or myth that should be busted is that you need to post every single day.

While consistency is key to keeping yourself visible, it doesn’t mean you need to post everyday. Curating an Instagram account is all about quality and not quantity. If you can post a quality image only 4 times a week then

That is better than several poor-quality posts per day. However, make sure you keep that weekly habit in place.

Mollie Newton – Founder at www.petmetwice.com

 

3. To use someone’s comment section to promote yourself

“There are several approaches that are not effective for promoting your Instagram. A few things that I see most newbies doing is spamming other accounts’ comment sections with self-promo and having no posting strategy at all.”

Brianna Desira – Content creator at www.girlhustlers.org

 

4. To buy cheap ads in countries with no potential clients

“I am based in San Francisco, however, when I first started using social media I bought lots of ads in Egypt. I did this because, for a long time, they had the cheapest cost per click. Over time I learnt that buying ads in countries your potential customers were not in is a waste of resources. On top of this, it also skewed who saw my future ads.”

Daniel Chan – Award-winning magician at www.danchanmagic.com

 

5. Aiming your content at the wrong audience

“I’ve known some companies tapping millennial influencers for IG growth but seem oblivious to the fact that it just won’t work because they’re in the wrong market. Millennials are, by nature, true digital natives. They’ve learned to know which brands to trust and which ones to avoid. They understand how brands are marketing to them. So, they approach campaigns with scrutiny rather than enthusiasm. However, they will react well if the message is authentic, if the product or service is valuable, and if the brand isn’t too pushy. Because of this, the best way to market to them is to avoid being overly aggressive and straight-in-your-face. It’s the reason why influencer marketing has become big business in the first place on Instagram.”

Michael Hamelburger – CEO at Expense Reduction Group.

 

6. Buying fake followers

“The worst technique that you could possibly use to promote your Instagram account is to buy fake followers.

By doing this, there is no promise of user engagement or promotion of your business. Essentially, most of these

accounts are bots or fake personas created for the sole purpose of inflating your follower count. Not only are these followers useless, but the spammy visuals often associated with these accounts is sure to deter potential customers away.”

Tom Mumford – Co-founder of Undergrads Moving

 

7. Promoting your Instagram while commenting on someone else’s content

“The worst hack that I have observed on Instagram is people engaging with others in the community with a reference back to their profile. This means commenting on a post with some valuable information, then ruining this connection by referring straight back to your profile. The comment with the valuable information is ok, but the reference back to your profile is not fine. In fact, this is considered spam by Instagram.”

Anjana Wickramaratne – Social Media Marketing Manager at Inspirenix Digital Marketing

 

8. Following people with the sole intention of selling to them

“One of the worst techniques I’ve seen is mass following, then immediately sending a copy/pasted sales message. Then, unfollowing a day later.

This approach will leave you disconnected from long term growth & authentic connection! Plus, it leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths. This hack is even worse as people do it so often. I’ve seen people follow/unfollow multiple times. This world is smaller than you think!

Sara Tea – DJ and Creative Consultant

 

9. Following everyone is not a strategy

“As the founder of a website, I made promoting my business my main responsibility. I do it on every platform that is willing to help, especially on social media. However, not all tips and techniques that can be found online can give an advantage to your business. For example, following everyone who follows you. More often than not, they are just following you so they can tag you in their posts to widen their reach. To prevent this, do not follow every account that follows you.”

Samantha Moss – Editor & Content Ambassador at www.romantific.com

 

10. Off topic comments is a no-no

“One of the tackiest tactics to get more followers and likes on Instagram is commenting on something completely irrelevant under the photos of other Instagram users just to get more attention.  I’ve seen a lot of smaller accounts try to comment completely ridiculous things under the photos of celebrities and popular influencers to try to get people in the comments to follow them. Commenting under popular photos and videos for the sole purpose of getting more followers is not just tacky, but it can also anger the person who posted the content.”

Liz Jeneault – Influencer and VP of Marketing at product review website www.faveable.com

 

Bonus tip – Using someone’s content without crediting it

“Our Instagram account is popular because it reposts content from customers, including celebrities, that use our products. These products include vehicle restoration projects and custom cars. Hence, reposted photos of those transformed cars always help grow our Instagram. However, a mistake you don’t want to make when sharing other people’s content is not properly crediting the person who made or owns that content. When you don’t properly credit customers or creators for their content, you are increasing your chance of frustrating others and potentially getting reported. You also want to properly credit people for their content on Instagram because those people will often share the reposts that you tag them in, which can help your account gain more followers.”

Sturgeon Christie – Auto industry expert and the CEO at www.secondskinaudio.com

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