3 tips for managing your social media accounts

17 Aug 3 tips for managing your social media accounts

Twitter getting you down?

LinkedIn getting you down?

Every social media workshop I’ve hosted I start with something along the lines of “No one ‘needs‘ social media. If you feel it’s not for you in any regard, feel good about that choice and walk away. People are successful without it.”

I read two posts on LinkedIn this morning relating to dissatisfaction with a particular social platform. One was about #Twitter (LinkedIn folks who don’t like Twitter because of the nastiness, but love LinkedIn) and LinkedIn (folks who don’t like LinkedIn (!)). 

So, social media is not a science. Experiences vary. Wildly.

Of course not every platform will work for every individual, every team, business, organisation or sector. However, if more than 5% of your daily experience is unkindness or nastiness then there’s work to do on your feed or you need to leave the platform.

So, for what it’s worth, three tips for “managing a #socialmedia account” and finding community, business and value:

1. Purge. Regularly. 

If a follow doesn’t bring value to your feed then fight the FOMO and let them go. Years ago I read that 250 is the maximum (reasonable) number of follows for anyone to cope with. Of course that now goes against everything we’re taught about the algorithms. 

Regardless (factoring for inactivity) I limit who I follow on Twitter to around 750. And (on LinkedIn too) I have a “three strikes” policy to unfollow or disconnect anyone who carries a hint of negativity.

2. New to a platform? Or want to start from scratch (either a new account or purging the existing one)? 

Find an existing community. 

A place you can contribute to and benefit from. 

• LinkedIn has a great “find nearby” feature for connecting at gatherings.
• Connect with an influencer in your sector and chances are you’ll find other like minded contacts. 
• Search relevant hashtags to find good people and good content.

There’s sure to be a rich seam of support, conversation and connections to make the effort worthwhile.

3. Avoid trending topics. 

On Twitter in particular the “explore” tab is a cleverly disguised portal to “the upside down”.

Occasionally I get sucked in and I’m quickly reminded why I stay away. 

Unkindness can be found in the most unlikely of places but the “explore” rabbit hole is more or less a guarantee.

I hope that’s helpful. 

Maybe you’ve followed a similar strategy and it still hasn’t worked… in which case move on a feel good about your choice.

Bonus tip – I focus mainly on LinkedIn and Twitter. I’ve tested other platforms but these two bring me the most value and work. Trying to be active in too many places can be another reason you can’t get traction on one or the other. 

Please let me know how you get on.