Throughout our lives and careers, some may experience work fatigue, while others will experience social media fatigue, but those who create and manage social media accounts at work may experience a fusion of work and social media burnout.
Over the years I’ve seen so many friends, influencers and celebs say, “Taking a break from social media, talk soon!” This isn’t a luxury awarded to social media marketers because our job literally is social media. So this begs the question, “how do you avoid burnout and unplug when your job is social media?”
I, myself, have experienced social media burnout and have so desperately wanted to be like my friends who take breaks from being constantly plugged in. And although I am still learning how to avoid this burnout, I have learned a few lessons along the way.
1. Tools help
Social media has evolved so much over the past few years. One can scroll and scroll for hours and never reach the end of their feed, because social media is always on. There is always something happening on social media, causing many to think that a social media marketer or manager’s job is to be on 24/7.
Fortunately, there are tools and alerts available that help make social media management easier and less time consuming. By utilizing tools like Sprout Social, our social media management platform, and setting aside time for each platform, we can better avoid burnout and manage our clients’ accounts more efficiently.
2. Time blocking
Another social media management lesson I have learned is to block off time for notifications, comments, content creation, etc. This allows me to focus my time and energy on certain tactics, rather than tackling them randomly throughout the day. I have found that this works really well, especially when I am interacting with others on behalf of the client. A few days a week, I set aside time to go through comments, like posts, etc. As noted above, tools like Sprout Social help our team do these things more efficiently.
3. Recognize burnout signs
One of the best things you can do for yourself is recognize when you are beginning to feel burned out and experience social media fatigue. I had a clear wake up call to my burnout last year when I was “doom scrolling” Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on Friday and Saturday night (!) looking at any comment that could pertain to my client, whether it be negative or positive. I quickly realized that I was allowing my social media work to take over my personal life, and I knew a change needed to be made to streamline the process.
4. Utilize a Team
Here at Commonwealth PR, we have a team of individuals that can jump in and assist with social media, as needed, or as burnout starts to become evident. Being able to share some of this tactical work with a colleague is often the remedy needed.
At the end of the day, we have to remember that social media will still be there tomorrow, and that with the right tools, management is easier. If you are finding that managing your company’s social media channels is becoming overwhelming, reach out to us to talk about how our team of professionals can help make the process easier, more strategic and effective.
