Social media is, my opinion, one of the best and worst things created this century yet it has become a necessary tool for every entrepreneur. However it can be a distracting, time consuming, productivity thief!
I dare anyone to tell me that they haven't gone on Instagram or Facebook with the intention of posting something or checking in and an hour (or two) later you're pages deep into an abyss of status updates! And don't get me started on the latest blogger/entrepreneur obsession: PERISCOPE! We tell ourselves that it's not a waste of time because we're gathering all of this information to actually help our businesses grow but guess what. . . .at the rate you're going you'll never have time to implement all these tips or research the countless resources being shared. Why? Because you're watching Scopes all day or on Facebook forums getting said information! It's truly a vicious cycle! I've started a social media regime that has really been beneficial to me with regards to productivity: 1. Schedule. Schedule. Schedule.- This one is the oldest trick in the book but I swear by it. I schedule Facebook posts and blog posts everyday (or every other day) this is a big time saver. I actually schedule my Facebook posts directly from the Facebook Pages app. I typically do all my scheduling for the week on Sunday evening. 2. 3, 5, 7 Rule- I use this when scrolling through social media. I scroll through at least 7 posts on my feeds, like at least 5 and comment on at least 3. If there is something that really catches my eye I might adjust these numbers. I usually do this during lunch, or while waiting in line somewhere, or at the doctors office etc. I also try and do it a couple of times a day, so I don't miss too much but once I hit my quota, I log out. 3. Team #IDontFollowBackEverybody- I'm sorry but I just cannot do this. You miss out on notifications from people you really want to connect with or events you really want to know about when you're following 1,000 people! 4. Screenshot for Later- If I see an event or website or quote or book I want to read, I screenshot it on my phone for later. This works for me because I take a lot of pictures and I'm constantly being warned about space on my phone, so I have no choice but to go in and transfer those screenshots to my Evernote resources list or bookmark the websites. What are some of your tried and true social media tips?
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I did a Periscope broadcast on this topic last week but forgot to record it. . .so, I thought I'd do recap of what I discussed. First, let's define what it means to be "authentic". au·then·tic (ôˈTHen(t)ik) | adjective In other words, original. I think it is hard to be authentic with respect to your work simply because the world has been around for so long and there have been so many brilliant minds that have come before us. It's very rare that something can claim to be truly original. Not to mention, in the current environment (access to everything and everyone) it's hard to truly be authentic with all the great examples to emulate. We're all sharing and recycling the same blueprints for success.
Therefore I think authenticity has to come from the individual and your approach to your work and interactions with others. But being authentic goes far beyond "keeping it real", there is a way to bring honesty to your experiences without being callous or alienating folks. My suggestions: 1. Stop following the crowd. This one is hard but sometimes you've got to stop looking at what other people are doing, so you can discover what YOU like to do and what YOU bring to the table. 2. Stop acting like you have it all together. Be transparent & allow yourself to be vulnerable. 3. Become self aware. Embrace your flaws and work on things that will make your better. The goal is to allow the real you a chance to shine. I think I've talked ad nauseam about passion and purpose on this blog or maybe that's been in real life. Sometimes the lines get a little blurry. . .
I was watching a Periscope the other day and the Scoper mentioned the idea that maybe you're not actually following your passion or your purpose but you think you are. . .whoa! That really struck a chord with me because several times in my life I thought I was following my passion or fulfilling a purpose and it turns out I was just sharpening my ax, so to speak, to be ready for the REAL THING when it came along. I think we often feel because we're good at something that means it's automatically what we were placed on this Earth to do. I disagree. You can be good at something and not like it; you might actually dread it. But you stick with it because it pays well or you're getting some type of notoriety that gives you a false sense of accomplishment, When you are truly, truly passionate about something, you think about it ALL. THE. TIME. You can't escape it. It keeps you up at night. You are constantly thinking of how to make it happen or make it better. You get up early to work on it and go to sleep late working on it. It consumes you yet it makes you happy and you get a great sense of fulfillment. It drains you emotionally, mentally and sometimes financially but you go to bed at night (when you do sleep) with a smile on your face. Writing does that for me. It has ALWAYS done that for me but because I was too afraid to share my work and because I thought there was no way I could make money as a writer- it just became this thing that I did as a hobby but I didn't take it seriously. But once I decided to invest in myself, believe in myself and trust my instincts I was able to truly follow my passion: writing and live out my purpose: to inspire & entertain others with my words. I saw a post on Instagram the other day that said: "We're getting too old to be telling folks who know what they did wrong, that they did something wrong. Let them go and move on." At first I thought that was kind of harsh and then I thought about it. . . .how many times have you forgiven someone or let something slide that someone did or said to you but they never apologized for their behavior?
It's happened to me quite a few times AND whenever I mentioned the behavior to the person in question they managed to find a way to make themselves the victim. I can't deal with people like that. Seriously. I believe in owning your mistakes, taking responsibility, apologizing and working to making things better. But there are some people who will NEVER admit they are wrong nor do they feel like they should have to apologize because you were "in your feelings". Having those type of people in your life will always be the source of conflict and frustration, which will distract you from your goals. So yeah, I totally agree with that post- Let 'Em Go. Move On. Join me on Instagram (@mzm40) with my lovely cohost Drea (@sodrewrites) as we host our first ever Instagram Photo Challenge! This one is for all the book lovers! Using the prompts above, post a photo each day based on the prompt. On the days in RED you will post a book of your choice with the item shown, for example "Book & Beverage" it can be a copy of any book and a cup of coffee or bottle water or wine, etc. It's your choice on those days. Be sure to use the hashtag #wearebookedphotochallenge on your posts so we can see your photo's! We are also having a giveaway for people who participate in the challenge. You don't have to participate every single day but you must participate for most of the challenge for a chance to win. The prize is a $25 gift eGift card to Barnes & Noble!! To officially enter the giveaway follow the instructions below:
GOOD LUCK!!!
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Writer. Reader. Designer. Creative Spirit.
“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.”
—Harper Lee Book Recommendations
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