Post and Forget It

Posting on social media is difficult. There are hurdles to individually overcome in order to simply hit post! I spoke about this in yesterday’s newsletter. Today’s discussion focuses on the feelings and actions after choosing to post.

I personally believe watching and focusing on the specific details of every post does more harm than good. Can you follow trends over periods of time to see what people interact with more, like more, and what works best? Yes, you absolutely can. I believe this analytic approach works if you are trying to build a brand or following via social media. You have to care about the details and data, and you have to improve the content you post in order to continue to evolve as a producer. For everyone else: obsessing over how many likes you get, wondering when ___ will see your story, checking who viewed your post, and checking your phone every 5 minutes for the next update are habits and practices that should be avoided.

They should be avoided because this sort of obsession leads to more harm than good. This is the “addictive” and “self-destructive” side of social media. For anyone casually posting on social media, treat it exactly in that way—casual. Decide to post something, post it, then move on with your day. Check it when you log back into the app but do not log back in to simply check your post. Your personal sense of well-being improves once you move on from these obsessive constraints.

I have also intentionally left my thoughts today brief so the message is direct. What I am writing about today may seem obvious. You may read this and already practice non-obsessive social media practices. I hope that is the case. This post may be a vocal reminder to keep acting the way you do. At the same time, you may read this and realize where you can improve. I can improve my social media practices, I am not perfect. I find myself slipping into “obsessive” social media behavior and I am the one writing this post. I also know what type of behavior makes the rest of my day more productive and what makes my mental well-being more sound. I am going to practice what I am writing about by posting this newsletter, “forgetting it,” and enjoying the rest of my Sunday.