Social Media Myth or Not?
Consistency is the key. Yet everyone who I’ve ever worked with struggles with it, especially when they’re starting their social media and online presence. The biggest myth I’ve probably ever heard is that it’s almost impossible to post on social media without killing yourself over it. (And your schedule.) The myth is that to be consistent, you need to spent hours online every day with tons of interruptions but there are a few more things that people made up. Although their reasons are valid, we often make these reasons so that we don’t actually have to put the work in. Do you believe any of these myths? Then read my tips how to overcome them.
Myth No. 1: You Must Spend Lots Of Time Online Every Day & Social Media Interrupts Your Other Daily Activities
It’s true that if you want to be active and build an audience online, you will need to spend some time on the social platforms every day. But it doesn’t have to be a full-time job – definitely not when you’re staring out.
Social Media Myth or Not?
Eight hours per week will be the minimum you’ll need to create content, write the message, and auto-schedule it. You can split it between three days/occasions. One for creating the visuals, one for editing the visuals, and one for writing the photo descriptions and auto-scheduling. Simple as that. Make sure you block out time for it and for the rest of the day, stop “hanging around” and consuming content — this is the real time killer.
<Read More: 4 Valuable Business & Social Media Lessons from Prague>
Myth No. 2: Consistency Kills Creativity
Many people think that if you sit down every week at the same time to create, you will lose all your creativity. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. If you show up week by week, you will start mastering your craft – what pictures you take and the descriptions you write.
Social Media Myth or Not?
Consistency is the result of discipline. You must show up to do your work, so create time slots and conditions that will support you with content creation. If you know your kids won’t leave you alone for two hours, then try to go out or ask your partner to watch over them or take them to a park. If you can’t fit things in the evening, try early mornings. Everyone’s schedule works differently and you need to assess yours.
Myth No. 3: Social Media Is Overwhelming – I Just Can’t Keep Up With It
If you’re don’t have consistency, chances are that you will almost always feel overwhelmed. It’s because you’re up for something and you’re not doing it. That is what is making you feel guilty and overwhelmed. And usually when you feel overwhelmed, you will begin to think that you can’t keep up and that you’re simply not as good as everyone else on the social media.
Social Media Myth or Not?
I get it. When I used to post on Instagram ad-hoc, daily, when I had time during the day, I couldn’t keep up with it, either. Luckily, I developed a simple structure (see Tip No. 1) that I follow every week. On Thursdays I take pictures. On Fridays or Saturdays I edit them. And on Mondays, I write photo descriptions and auto-schedule them for two weeks ahead. This creates a buffer of content for me, so I don’t have to think daily about my social media.
If you don’t believe me, try these tips yourself and see the overwhelm melt away.