Episode 141: Social Media Tips and Tools I Use To Stay Sane

There are a lot of problems with social media because there are so many different things you can do and you can't possibly do all the things. Bella is sharing some of the problems she has experienced with social media and then sharing all of the ways you can solve those problems and help you stay sane! Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss: The way you stay sane in social media is by blocking out your time, scheduling your content, and staying organized. Figure out what you are saying on social media first and then create a strategy to batch your content. You are not a social media expert, there just isn't enough time in the day to do it all, stay in your zone of genius. That’s where we come in. In Better Marketing With Bella, we take the load off of your plate. We create the content for you, EVERY MONTH, so you don’t have to. Show Highlights Three problems Bella has with social media. [3:00] How do you keep up with Social Media? [6:00] How can you increase engagement on your posts? [12:25] How do you build relationships?[14:50] What is batching? [15:35] What should you share on social media? [17:05] How can Agora Pulse help? [23:10] How should you use email? [24:35] What is Better Marketing With Bella? [26:00] Links Jump & Scale Webinar: jumpconsulting.net/scale How to Stand Out in A Noisy Crowd: jumpconsulting.net/knowing-your-brand/ Agora Pulse: jumpconsulting.net/agora-pulse Better Marketing With Bella: jumpconsulting.net/waitlist/ Mari Smith: marismith.com/ Jenn Herman: jennstrends.com/ Share The Show Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review! Click this link – Bella In Your Business Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section Click on ‘Write a Review’ Transcript: This is episode 141 of Bella in Your Business. Before we get started with today's episode, I want to know — are you burnt out trying to hire employees? Or maybe you want to hire employees but you're just terrified of that boogeyman that does not exist in the closet? Well, this episode is sponsored by my free three-part webinar series Jump and Scale Your Business, and I would love to see you there. It's a must-attend if you want staff, you want to grow, you feel like you're held hostage, or you have high turnover. Signing up is as easy as going to jumpconsulting.net/scale. Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready — Bella's got your chute. Let's jump. Social media — oh my gosh, you guys. If you’ve listened to this podcast, then you know that I have given you over 130 episodes of all different kinds of things, and maybe 80% of them have to do with social media. I've given you all the tips and tricks. I've brought amazing experts like Mari Smith, who is a Facebook expert — in fact, Facebook sought her out to work for them — and she's come straight here to talk to us. I've had Jen Herman, my good friend who literally wrote Instagram for Dummies. We've had a lot of impeccable thought leaders in all different areas, and it's just so exciting to bring them to you. I hope that they've motivated and inspired you. But today, I want to talk about how to actually stay sane with all of this stuff. The day that I record this, Facebook is actually down, which is pretty funny because everyone's freaking out. And what happens when Facebook goes down? Everybody goes to Twitter to say, “Oh my gosh, is Facebook down?” Because it’s not loading. So is Instagram — Facebook’s sister — and everyone’s losing their mind. But I think it’s actually pretty uncanny because today, as I come to you with this podcast, I want to talk to you about how to stay sane around social media. It’s really hard. We want to stand out in a noisy social media world. A few weeks back, I joined my “Queenies” — a bunch of other social media mavens, real rockstar women. We all got together in Colorado and went live. There were a couple of things from that broadcast that I wanted to share with you because we all have a problem standing out in this noisy world. It was about an hour long, and if you’re interested in seeing it, we’ll throw it in the show notes for you. I want you to think about these three things — the three main things I have a problem with in social media. My hope is that by me being candid, I’ll inspire you a little bit or make you feel not alone because I think a lot of people can relate to this. The first thing is something I’m constantly reminding myself to do — not to compare myself to anyone else. No one else is in my shoes, literally or figuratively. The one person who inspired me to think this way was my daughter. Many of you know that she was born at only 12 ounces. When we took her home, all these other babies were hitting milestones and I realized — my baby’s not. We’re so far behind. But what I learned is that you just can’t compare yourself to anyone. The only person you should compare yourself to is yourself — one week ago, one month ago, one year ago. The second problem is isolation. It’s really good to have a sounding board in your life. You need people who will tell you, “You’re not doing as bad as you think,” or “You’re killing it on social media.” But we’re so isolated — out walking dogs, trapped in our offices — that we don’t have that interaction. The solution is to have a sounding board, to surround yourself with people who support you. And I want you to be you. Like Jen Herman says, “Be you, boo.” No one else is you. Sometimes we try to become other people instead of honing in on what makes us unique. Another problem with social media is that it’s always changing. In fact, when Facebook and Instagram come back up, I’m sure there’ll be new things. They constantly update. It’s hard to keep track of everything because it feels like it’s always changing, right? We say, “Facebook isn’t showing my posts.” But they’re trying to make the experience better — for more meaningful relationships. That’s literally what Mark Zuckerberg said — meaningful relationships. So we need a strategy that outlasts changes. Accept that social media is always changing. Accept that you don’t have enough time. That’s why entire jobs exist for social media managers. You’re the pet expert — that’s your zone of genius. Don’t try to become a social media expert. Part of growing a business is delegating and putting ourselves out of work. Along with that, there’s procrastination. You don’t know what graphics to create, what holidays your audience cares about — not just Christmas and Thanksgiving, but things like Canine Veterans Day or If My Pet Had Thumbs Day. These are talking points because you’re the pet expert. Another issue — people share too much. Stop sharing other people’s content all the time. You’re just a curator instead of standing as the pet expert. And yes, we must create videos — that’s what performs best — but your videos shouldn’t take more than five or ten minutes. You have bigger things to do in your business. Videos should have a message, a rhythm, music that fits, and captions that grab attention. It’s a lot, and it’s overwhelming. Many of my clients try to do it all — and they burn out. They spend hours posting because they think they have to, but nothing converts. You’re not a social media person. You’re a pet expert. Can you contribute? Sure. But most people don’t strategize — it’s reactionary, and that’s why they struggle. I had a client who said, “I spent an hour and a half making graphics, and they all looked terrible.” I get it — because you’re not a designer either. I wasn’t at first either. Then there’s the fear of going live. I have a client, Pam, who was terrified of video in 2018. She’d reply to mastermind threads wearing sunglasses. Now, she hosts a weekly show, has giveaways, and her reach has exploded. That’s what happens when you stick with it. Do you know how to post for engagement? Engagement improves your chances of being seen. Sometimes I ask random questions on the Jump Consulting Facebook page — things like “Do you work weekends?” or “Do you like social media?” Those questions don’t sell anything. They just boost engagement for a split second. That’s how algorithms work. When you get overwhelmed by all of this, you freeze — paralyzed, stuck, like stagnant water. But there’s hope. We have the biggest advantage: we deal with pets. Pets stop the scroll. News shows love using pet footage because people watch. Now, let’s talk solutions. First, build relationships. Share about yourself, your business, and stories. Long-term strategy, not one-off posts. Second, batching — the single biggest key to staying sane. Block out time once a month to sit down and do it all. I batch these podcasts — I’m recording this on March 13th, 2019, about six weeks before it comes out. Consistency is key — that’s why Bella in Your Business has 140+ episodes. You need that same consistency on social media. Think about five buckets — topics you can always post about. For example: Local content: Share community events, dog-friendly spots, etc. Pet tips for parents: Things that make pet owners’ lives easier. Behind the scenes: Show what walking dogs looks like, how you prevent escapes, or how you care for pets. Client stories: Real problems and how you solved them. These make others see themselves as your future clients. Personal connection or brand stories: The heart behind your business. Your homework for this podcast: tell me your five buckets. Think like a journalist — what’s the message, the teachable moment, the heart pull? You can’t do everything. You’re not a social media expert — you’re a pet expert. Once you know your message, you can strategize and bulk-create content. Then, use tools to help you.