How to use social media for your freelance business (without dying inside)
Image via Prateek Katyal
Social media is a fab inbound marketing tool for freelance business owners. It’s also a tool invented by Satan to literally kill your soul.
And we can’t have that.
So, here are a few common-sense tips to help you continue to rake in those inbound marketing leads and werk your branding without risking your vibe or your sanity.
1) Remove all apps and notifications from your phone
Time spent scrolling through social media is time spent eroding your very soul (especially if the aforementioned site is Twitter or LinkedIn). So let’s start nice and easy by removing the temptation altogether!
Get those apps off your damn phone and turn off all notifications. LinkedIn will probably try to email you every time someone so much as farts, so probably change your notification settings, too.
When you keep social media to business hours only, you’ll stand less chance of frittering your sanity away.
2) Schedule pockets of time for social interactions
This is a tip I had to introduce in the wake of my context switching revelation. I schedule time slots for social media maintenance into my workday — once first thing, again after lunch, and maybe again at the end of the day.
This tactic stops social media from eating into valuable work time (guilty as charged), and helps you create some distance between your self worth and your engagement. If I’m left to my own devices, I’ll keep checking back on a post every five minutes to see if anyone’s interacted with it.
It’s a nasty habit to get into if you ask me!
3) Use scheduling apps to take the pressure off
Make use of scheduling apps so you can spend less time on the sites themselves. I load Buffer up with all my promotional tweets so I don’t drop the ball on self promotion while trying to limit time spent on social.
4) Be trigger sensitive
If you’re anything like me, you frequently come away from social media feeling bummed the fuck out. Maybe it’s the emo in me, but nothing makes me loathe humanity like social media.
Try to be aware when this happens, and take action to help yourself. Shut down the app and make a note not to go back in for round two. Don’t be tempted to dive down into the comments section of a dickish tweet, either. No good can come of it.
5) Be smart about engaging with dickbags
Social media is a platform for anyone and everyone with a view. Sometimes those views don’t match your own and at that point, you have a choice to make: are you going to engage with the person, or are you going to shut it down and walk away?
Sometimes, it’s well worth taking a minute to share your experience and explain to the person why their view might be blinkered, hurtful, or ignorant. This is especially true if you think the person is genuinely looking for a learning moment or an open dialogue.
But there are (most often) people who just want to fight and argue. These people aren’t worth your engagement. Remember — any shares, replies or reactions count as engagement against that person’s shitty views. They’re being rewarded for spouting crap and, in some cases, that’s exactly why they’re doing it.
Is it worth the risk of spreading that person’s message just to give ‘em a verbal learning moment?
6) Block, unfollow, and mute with abandon
I do this all the damn time, and I’ve never regretted it. If someone in your timeline is acting the ass, why give them the opportunity to keep bringing you down? Block ‘em!
I’m very free and easy with my Twitter mute button, and I’m even more strict when it comes to LinkedIn — I screen everyone who sends a connection request. After that, it’s one strike, and you’re out — engaging with assholes or posting lousy shit will get you struck from the list.
When using platforms like Twitter, you could also try creating lists and only browsing tweets from people you know and love. Alice Hollis taught me this, and it’s a great idea!
7) Think about the energy you’re choosing to put out
You won’t believe the number of times I’ve opened Twitter with the aim of subtweeting some utter asshat before stopping myself. It must happen at least twice a week.
But I don’t do it. Because I’m just recycling that negativity, sending it back out, and ruining someone else’s day…all in the name of making myself feel better.
Nah, mate. I’ll take that emotional bullet for you fine folk any day!
Instead, I try to use social media to champion people who are doing a great job. I use it to celebrate my own work and share things I think people will enjoy or find useful.
Remember, guys — whatever you put out comes back to you! 😉
Do you have any procedures in place to make social media more bearable?
Find me on Twitter and share up!
Want some extra social media savvy? Check out this chat I had with health copywriter and Fifteen Minute Freelancer host Louise Shanahan.