Why Social Media Feels Like Another Full-Time Job

I don't think most business owners hate social media.

In fact, I'd go as far as saying I think most people quite enjoy it.

They like celebrating wins.

Sharing behind the scenes.

Talking about what they do.

Building relationships.

So why does it suddenly feel so heavy?

Because somewhere along the way, social media stopped being "something we do to market our business" and started becoming another job title.

You're not just running your business anymore.

You're also expected to be the content creator...

The copywriter...

The photographer...

The videographer...

The community manager...

The trend researcher...

The graphic designer...

The editor...

And somehow you're supposed to fit all of that around actually serving your clients 🙃

No wonder it feels overwhelming.

It's not just the time. It's the thinking.

When people tell me they don't have time for social media, I don't think they're talking about the 20 minutes it takes to write a post.

They're talking about the fact that social media never really leaves their brain.

You're driving to a meeting and wondering what to post later.

You're making dinner and remembering you haven't replied to comments.

You're watching television but mentally rewriting tomorrow's caption.

It's the constant background noise - that's what makes it soooo exhausting!

I recognised this in myself too.

When my son was born, my business was growing quickly.

On paper, everything looked positive.

Behind the scenes, I realised I'd built a business that relied on me remembering everything.

Client work.

Emails.

Networking.

Invoices.

Content.

Ideas.

There was always another tab open in my brain.

I remember thinking, "This can't be what growth is supposed to feel like."

That was one of the biggest turning points in how I built The Social Brain.

I didn't stop caring about marketing.

I realised good marketing shouldn't come at the expense of your capacity to run the rest of your business.

Social media shouldn't rely on memory.

True or false: successful people are simply more disciplined.

I don't think that's true.

The businesses that look consistent from the outside usually have better systems behind the scenes.

Content is planned.

Processes are documented.

Responsibilities are shared.

Visibility doesn't disappear just because someone has a busy week.

It doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't happen by chance.

It comes from prioritising structure.

This is why I talk about calm visibility.

I don't believe in being everywhere.

You don't need to jump on every trend.

And I definitely don't believe you should feel guilty every time you miss a day of posting.

I believe in building a marketing system that supports your business instead of constantly interrupting it.

One that means your business can stay visible while you get on with the work you're actually brilliant at.

Because that's what social media is supposed to do: actually support the business!

Something to think about...

If social media disappeared from your to-do list for the next month, what would you finally have the headspace to focus on?

And is that where your time is actually most valuable?