How to make social media feel less ?? as a consultant

This was originally sent as a newsletter to my email list. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for women consultants here .

Social media.

It's a great thing in lots of ways.

But it can get toxic like nothing else ????

And it's something that a lot of women consultants I speak to have decidedly mixed feelings about.

Posting on social media can feel like something you 'have' to do if you want to grow your business.

And yet - it can make us feel so gross at times, we wish we didn't have to play the game.

Here's my 2 cents.

#1 - Do you really need to be on social media?

So much advice aimed at B2C (business to consumer) online businesses spills over into how consultants feel they need to promote their business.

The problem is - as consultants selling to corporates, you're not running a B2C business model. You're running a B2B (business to business) set-up and the rules are totally different.

So many coaches and consultants are told they need to be posting on social media to get clients.

While there's a place for a good content strategy, most B2B sales happen through conversations.

And for most coaches and consultants out there, it is way faster to set up these conversations through your existing network or through referrals than it is to be posting every day on social media and waiting for your inbox to ping.

A genuine question we all need to ask ourselves is 'do I really need to be on social media?' What is the output you are expecting to see? Social media can be great for building brand awareness and recognition, sharing your thought leadership and growing an audience. It can also be a great place to pick up new clients.

But in today's world, it's not usually as simple as 'post and they will come'.

However, if you can see the logic and rationale for posting on social media:

#2 - Play the game but play by your own rules

Social media is bad for mental health. The research is there to prove it.

So it follows that if we're spending all our waking hours (and sometimes in the middle of the night) doom-scrolling, it won't be long before you feel really lousy.

I've built my business using social media for the last 10 years, and there have been some moments within this timeframe where it has felt pretty intense and not in a good way.

Constantly seeing what competitors are doing.

Comparing myself to others and feeling like a failure.

Feeling triggered by other people making it look so easy when sometimes building my business has felt like a real struggle.

So here is how I have set up my 'game board' so I can play the game of social media in my business without losing my mind in the process.

Notice how you're feeling as you read posts from various people.

Notice when you're doom-scrolling with no real purpose and put the phone down.

If someone's content repeatedly triggers you, get curious. What's going on here? Is it jealousy because I want what they have? Is it frustration because they're saying or doing something that goes against my values? Is it all just a very annoying reminder that I could be doing exactly what they are.... except I'm not and I'm just sitting on the sidelines?

Or maybe... I just don't like them? ????

We get so used to being a passive participant on social media but the algorithm is set up to show you more of what you already see.

So if you see a post you don't like, click the 3 dots and remove it from your feed.

Unfollow people and brands that you don't want to see.

Don't keep posts you don't like on your screen (it will assume you are reading them) and don't click on things you don't want to see.

Help the algorithm know what you DO want to see by engaging on posts that draw in your audience.

Connect pro-actively with ideal clients and stop accepting every invitation to connect that you receive.

When you start to feel dark and twisty around social media and what it's showing to you, it's time to step up and play by your rules.

Also make sure you limit your time on socials. 30 minutes a day is more than enough, and in some seasons may even feel like too much!

Show up. Engage. Disappear.

Don't aim to win by doing the most. Win by doing the least.

It doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

The number 1 thing I've found? When you start to play by your rules and win, social media feels totally different.

It can be an awesome friend, not a nefarious foe ??

So I'd love you to reflect today, how is your social media game right now? Does it need some tweaks? What would make it feel like you were playing by your rules and winning?

Have a great week,

Jessica x

If you enjoyed this, subscribe to my weekly email newsletter for women consultants

Sign up to receive my newsletter for women consultants to help you grow your consulting business to seven figures and beyond, plus be the first to know about new events and workshops.

?? Sign me up!