My New Social Media Boundaries

Sep 5

I just finished a four-week social media detox.

I had been feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to post all the time, keep up with new features and algorithm hacking tips, and above all, discouraged by putting so much work into a post for it to receive little engagement.

The detox gave me the reset I needed and allowed me to gain perspective on how I want to use social media and how it will fit into my marketing strategy.

Here are my new boundaries:

I’m scrolling social media on my computer only.

In Anika Green’s “17 things I quit to simplify my life” YouTube video, she recounts her own social media detox and how she limits usage to her computer.

Because when you shut your computer and put it away, you’re closing it and all relevant activities.

Whereas our phones are a frequent companion that constantly pull us in.

Whenever I want to scroll social or engage with my audience, I do it from my computer.

If I didn’t have a business I’d delete the apps from my phone, but because I post reels, I use my phone to record and edit them so it’s easier to post from there as well.

I removed the Facebook app from my phone.

This is one app I was actually able to remove. When I want to post to my Facebook business page from my phone, I use the Meta Business Suite app which has no connection to my personal account, unlike the standard Facebook app.

I turned off Facebook Messenger on my business page.

The multiple channels of contact is another element of social media that overwhelms me.

Because I don’t receive much engagement on my Facebook page, I felt confident turning off messaging. (Here’s how.)

If my business were in hospitality or a brick-and-mortar, I’d definitely keep Messenger enabled, but the majority of people contact me via email or Instagram, and I like the simplicity of having fewer points of contact to maintain.

I’m reducing the platforms I use.

This is a work-in-progress. I read Zulie Writes’ post on how it’s more effective to limit your social media channels to two, and Becca of Inside The Square echoed this in a recent podcast episode.

If my business targeted a locally based audience, I’d totally keep it to Facebook and Instagram.

But because my business offers online courses to a global audience, my content errs on the educational side and thus I’m on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and now Medium. These are my main platforms, but I also post to Google Business for the SEO, LinkedIn, Threads, and Twitter/X.

I’m debating the use of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, but I haven’t committed to stop posting there just yet. Stay tuned.

I did make the decision to downgrade my account from business to personal on one platform and have loved using it for my own enjoyment. More on that in an upcoming post…

What boundaries have you set with social media?

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