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Is Social Media Hurting Your Business?

Does social media help our hurt your business? Here are five tips to make social media work for your business and not be the death of it.

Photo: Lisa Jeffs, Toronto Life Coach; Source: Courtesy Photo

Social media is an integral part of many online businesses. It allows clients and customers to connect with brands on a personal level.

For soloprenuers and online service based entrepreneurs this can be vital to build  the know, like and trust factor.

So how could social media possibly harm a business? Well, it’s not so much social media, but rather how you use it.

For many newbie online entrepreneurs, social media can turn into a black hole of distraction, overwhelm and comparisonitis. Nothing good ever came from mindless hours of scrolling social media newsfeeds and comparing your entrepreneurial journey to others.

Unfortunately for some, it’s easy to fall into this trap without a solid social media strategy.

I spent many nights in my first year of business aimlessly scrolling, distracting myself from the more challenging entrepreneurial tasks.

Here is what I learned — five tips to make social media work for your business and not be the death of it.

 

1. Focus your social media efforts

Don’t try to master every social media platform. Trying to be seen on every social media platform will spread your efforts too thin. It’s not as effective as establishing your brand on 1 or 2 platforms.

So how do you pick which platforms to use? Where does your ideal client hang out? What platform do you enjoy using the most? Answer those two questions, and you have a solid starting point.

 

2. Be intentional about your time spent on social media

Create set times when you log on and always have a specific intention in mind. Going on social media without a clear purpose can steal valuable time away from other important business tasks.

Again, it’s very easy to get caught up in social media. After 30 minutes you realize you’ve been scrolling through Grandma’s funny cat memes the entire time.

 

Is social media hurting your small business
Photo: © loftflow, YFS Magazine

Schedule two to three times a day where you can log on and have a specific intention and goal each time. For example, I make sure to go on for 15 minutes every morning and evening to connect with my followers and make new connections. I set my phone alarm for fifteen minutes, when it goes off, I get off.

 

3. Leverage tech to prevent mindless scrolling

Use Apps Or Extensions That Help Prevent Mindless Scrolling

Use apps or extension to help you prevent mindless scrolling. My two favorites are the Newsfeed Eradicator For Facebook and Freedom.

Newsfeed Eradicator is a Google Chrome extension that replaces your newsfeed with an inspirational quote. 
Productivity never looked so inspirational.

Freedom is an app that blocks websites and apps on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Windows computer. This app is the perfect tool when you need to work on your computer but don’t need the internet. If you’re like me and have the bad habit of having an obscene amount of tabs open while you’re working, you’ll see a significant drop in open tabs with this app.

 

4. Get cured from comparisonitis

For service-based entrepreneurs such as coaches, consultants, mentors — you are the brand. So comparing your business to someone else’s is like comparing your body to someone else’s. How often does that turn out in your favor?

 

Photo: © nenetus, YFS Magazine

Often when you feel the urge to compare it’s because you’re feeling insecure. This feeling sends your brain on a hunt to find something to validate that insecurity. So in short, if you ever find yourself in that rabbit hole of comparison, just stop! Copycats don’t stand out in the market anyway, originality does.

 

5. Uninstall social media apps from your phone

Rid your phone of social media apps or at the bare minimum, turn off all notifications. As a busy entrepreneur, notifications can easily distract you as they constantly blow up your phone during the day.

I have to admit. I was once a slave to app notifications. Everytime my phone buzzed, I would feel the urge to check it. I now believe the ability to work with laser focus is what builds a business fast. You can’t be laser focused and constantly check social media.

 

6. Use a social media scheduling app

Using a social media scheduling tool such as Sprout Social or one including a free version, such as Hootsuite, allows you to stay visible on social media without having to be on it all day.

I don’t recommend scheduling every single post. I’ve noticed that real-time posts do seem to get more engagement. However, using a scheduling tool for 50 percent of your posts is a much more efficient use of your precious time.

 

Final thoughts

Social media is an incredible tool to build your business. When you can run your profiles and avoid them running you, you will have powerful medium to grow a dedicated community of followers and potential clients.

 

This article has been edited.

Lisa Jeffs is the founder of Lisa Jeffs Enterprise. A business dedicated to helping purpose-driven leaders step into their power and create the life and business of their dreams. Lisa is specifically passionate about ending the overwhelm many new online entrepreneurs experience. She is having the time of her life helping her clients gain clarity, focus and make an impact. A lover of travel and exquisite cuisine, she lives in Toronto with her family. Connect with @lisajeffscoach on Twitter.

 

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