Do you struggle to put ‘you’ in your social media posts? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many business owners, especially new ones, have a fear of posting on social media and constantly think twice about clicking that ‘publish post’ button.
Thankfully, there are tips that you can follow to guide you out of your comfort zone and to change your social media mindset.
To discuss ways of stepping out of your comfort zone on social media, I want to share with you the insights that I’ve learned from Dr Jo Baldwin from Jo Baldwin Coaching.
A bit about Jo
Jo took a decision a few years ago to change her career path so she could spend more time with her two young children. She left behind a career as a doctor to launch her very own coaching company. She combines her medical knowledge with the lessons she’s learned from being coached herself, and her own experiences, to nurture her clients’ mindsets, empowering them to make positive changes, to build confidence, to become comfortable when faced with life’s transitions, and ultimately achieve their goals in a sustainable and impactful way.
The reason behind our social media struggles
Before we begin let’s take a closer look at how our brains function. This will help make sense of why you sometimes feel the way you do, and why you may frequently experience a social media block.
We all have an inner voice. Our very own inner critic. This is our brain’s way of protecting us. It doesn’t want to put you in any harm so may tell you not to do something that it deems a bit risky – sadly it has an awful habit of expecting the worse! We’ve been hardwired like this since time began when our brain told us not to approach or do something dangerous – but we’ve moved on since then. Social media posts have become the dinosaurs of cavemen times!
You should also know that our brains are actually quite lazy, they take the path of least resistance. They’re busy doing things for you every second of the day, so they’re not super keen when you ask it to do something it really doesn’t want to spend the energy doing – things like stepping out of its comfort zone. That takes energy it’d rather conserve.
OK, so biology lesson over – let’s dive in to learn how we can shift our mindset to really embrace the power of digital marketing and start being brave on social media.
Your social media posts are just moments in time.
When printed material was in abundance, there was a phrase, ‘today’s paper is tomorrow’s chip wrapper.’ It means that what is written today, will be forgotten about tomorrow. Consider social media posts to be like that printed material.
- People who will want to hear from you, will digest what they need from your post.
- People who aren’t interested in what you have to say won’t read your posts. That’s ok because these aren’t your potential customers.
- Social media posts disappear down timelines.
- Tweets only have a lifespan of around 15 minutes!
- Your previous posts will only be found when someone actively opens up your social media accounts and scrolls to see your past activity. These are your hot leads and they’re simply wanting to learn a bit more about you. They’re not trying to catch you out!
- All posts can be tested too. If a post hasn’t hit the spot, you’ve learned a very valuable lesson.
- Edit and delete buttons exist.
So, that doesn’t sound scary does it?
You are an expert in your field
Remember that not a lot of people share the same knowledge that you do. It’s highly unlikely that they’ll share the same background, the same experiences, or the same values. It’s typical for an expert in any field to think that what they say is common knowledge or common sense – it really isn’t.
Create posts that demonstrate your knowledge, and be confident knowing that many people will benefit from what you have to offer.
Visualise an expert in another field. I can guarantee that they are thinking the same as you. To them, YOU are an expert too!
Believe in yourself. Surround yourself with others that believe in you too!
Know that feelings of discomfort don’t last long
Nothing lasts forever. This is sound advice if you’re really struggling to get over the first hurdle.
It’s best to use your imagine to help explain this one. Imagine a scary scenario: standing up to do a speech or a presentation for example.
- Think how you would feel doing it.
- Now, think how long you’ll feel this way for.
- How will you feel when it’s over?
Jo talks about gaining a spot of inspiration from Farrah Storr, editor in chief for Elle UK. Farrah urges others to practice BMD – pushing through Brief Moments of Discomfort. It’s the same principal as doing a high intensity interval training session; it’s going to hurt, but it won’t last forever, and when it’s over you feel immense pride.
Plus, the more you do it, the more comfortable you become with it.
Discomfort is just a phase we have to go through to put ourselves in a stronger position. Even taking small steps are steps forward.
So, if you’re planning on putting your ‘face’ out there for the first time on social media, keep doing it until you get comfortable. But in the meantime, get yourselves a set of photos that you love. Getting a set of professional headshots is a good idea as you know you’ll look your best and reflect your brand. You’ll be surprised at people’s reaction – posts that include your picture will be just that bit more interesting. And we all love to see the person behind the brand don’t we.
Nothing is insurmountable!
The low down on procrastination
Procrastination is a killer when it comes to getting things done, but it’s not to be confused with prioritisation, or perfectionism.
Prioritising is ok, it’s a method of doing the most important things first and then carrying on with tasks of lesser importance.
Perfectionism isn’t great, but if you suffer from it, you’re in great company. It’s common among female entrepreneurs and high performing individuals. Letting go of perfection and learning to accept that ‘your best’ is good enough is key. If you were to publish a post that you didn’t think was 100% right, do it anyway, and walk away. Head back to it later to check if any comments need replying to but don’t be too concerned if there’s a lack of likes. The fact that you have posted, is better than not posting at all. Just do it and accept the outcome!
Procrastination stops us from getting things done. Procrastinating gives us permission to do something tomorrow when in fact there’s no reason why we can’t get it done today.
To stop procrastination, you need to get better at energy management and identify the best times of the day and the days of the week when you’re at your best to perform specific tasks.
Practice these social media posting tips:
If you’re creative in the morning, then block out this time to do your social media posts. If you’re tired come the afternoon but still have a bit of energy left, diarise time to do a spot of easy admin. Maybe just after lunch when you are energised to look to the future, do a spot of business planning.
Making appointments with yourself is a great gift. You’re allowing yourself to get things done effectively without stress. You’ll experience more joy, ease, and flow.
Just don’t break these appointments. YOU are as important as all the other appointments you have in your diary!
Eat the frog
You may have heard this saying before, if not, it means to get the most unpleasant task of the day complete first. This frees up the rest of your day allowing you to get on with the things that you enjoy more without the worry that you’ve got to do something you don’t like.
Don’t think that likes and comments are the be-all and end-all
Don’t fret if some of your posts don’t collect likes, comments, and shares. Many of your future clients will be watching you, lurking from the side lines, and really love what you do. When they’re ready, they’ll be in touch.
Getting further support from Jo
Head over to Jo’s website to hear about her upcoming workshops and how you can work with her. You can also email her for a copy of ’10 Tips For Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone at jobaldwin.coaching@gmail.com.
And if you’d like to work with Jo soon, then check out her ‘Time and Energy Strategies For Busy Women’ using this link. It’s being held at the Lymm Business Centre on 27 April.
What’s coming up?
If you’ve enjoyed this blog and keen to soak up more social media advice, then you’ll love my ‘Social Media Content Workshop’ that I’m delivering next month. From 19 April 2022 for 5 weeks. you’ll develop social media knowledge and learn how to create the ultimate content to resonate, encourage engagement, and attract new customers. Click here to book.
To view all of my upcoming workshops, head over to my website.
Bye for now,
Becs
