Social media never sleeps. Whether it is morning or night someone is always on social media posting, liking, commenting, and reposting — the cycle never stops! So as a social media manager, the question is, when and how do we get to unplug?
One of the things we love the most about our job is that social media management certainly is not your normal boring 9-5… BUT (without setting boundaries or following the tips below) it can be a slippery slope into a 24/7 job instead. ☠️
In this article, we’re detailing some ways you can AVOID burnout as a social media manager (and develop the best work – life balance)
👉 1. Use your teammates
Do you have a team? USE THEM! It can be hard to hand the torch off to someone else, but hear me out, it is time. It is crucial to have at least one coworker you can trust while you’re out of the office to be a point of contact and help things to run efficiently while you are away. Don’t have a team just yet? No worries — keep reading, there are plenty of tips for you.
👉 2. Set Boundaries— On and Off the Clock 🕐
When can you be reached? How frequently are you getting reached out too? When are you unavailable? So many questions you need to figure out before you scroll along to the next post. If you are going to listen to ANYTHING in this post let it be this — as a social media manager you need to set client communication boundaries. We don’t reply to emails before 8am or after 6pm and text messaging is not an approved form of communication with clients — full disclosure this is the best decision we’ve ever made. Setting these communication boundaries in ADVANCE (and in writing — contracts !!) will help keep your work-life and personal-life balanced.
👉 3. Content Schedulers
Content schedulers are a social media managers best friend! Schedule out content in advance. At Social Nova we schedule our content for 2 weeks out and always have an additional week or two drafted and approved. This allows for more time to edit if anything new and exciting comes up in your client’s information. This is not only useful for staying ahead and able to work on other tasks for that client (email marketing, paid advertising, client engagement + communications, you name it). All these things will help things run smoother not only while you are out of the office, but also when you return.
👉 4. Unplug (literally)
When not working, unplug. If you work in social media, chances are you spend a good amount of time on social media in your free time as well. When taking time off, unplug. Delete or silence all work-related apps and social media. Use the time to really unwind and take a well-deserved break!
Burnout is real. You deserve to unplug and relax, so schedule time away.
Take care of YOU first ♡
