Social media can be a good and a bad thing. Social media can help a lot of us connect with people we may not otherwise connect with including old friends, colleagues, prospective leads on careers, and others who are feeling the same way as us. Social media can be great to allow us to feel a little bit less alone, but on the contrary, social media can make us feel even more alone when we see everyone leading their “perfect” lives through their perfectly placed photos.
Social media also helps with showcasing your work, telling people about who you are and what you do, and getting potential clients. Although social media is basically an essential now to be any kind of business owner, there can be so much pressure to post consistently. And I have fallen into that trap too often. A trap where you feel like you must post every day because if you don’t, the social media algorithms will put you at the bottom of everyone’s media feed and they won’t be able to find you. This can be scary when and if your business depends on leads from social media.
I recently have felt less and less connected with social media and more and more connected with the world around me. So many beautiful things have happened in my life these past few months and an exciting announcement is coming soon, and these beautiful things happening outside of social media are rightfully so distracting me from posting. I think less about scrolling and posting and more about being present.
My experience, and possibly yours too, with social media comes and goes. Some days, I am fully invested and ready to post all of the time. Other times, I even forget that it exists and that I am “supposed” to be posting.
Both places are okay to be. And even if you decide to take a break, post less, or not post at all, it’s okay if less people come to your page because of the social media algorithm, because there is so much more to life than what’s behind our cell phones or computer screens. Those people who are meant to be in your life or meant to show up and help your business grow, will find you, whether that be through social media or some other outlet. I try my best to trust this process, and more importantly, I try my best to trust my feelings and to only do things that feel right.
Wherever you are on your journey with social media, never force it. Only do what feels right for you. Don’t post 7 days a week because someone else is, if it is driving you insane. Do what feels right, follow your gut, and know that everything, and I mean everything will fall into place, no matter how much you decide to use social media.
Your mental health matters the most, do whatever is best for you to nurture that.
Xo,