It’s all well and good to tell you to spend less time on social media, but the reality is that many of us are on these platforms with the intention of growing our brands and making money. You can’t really do either of those without loading up that social media feed, so what do you do? Well, here are a few ideas to help you remain creative without burning yourself out on social media.

Do your research

You should know that next-to-nothing is ever original these days, and that almost everything you see is often inspired by someone or something else. That’s why it’s perfectly fine to take a look at what the competition is doing, either in your niche or in general, to look for inspiration as to what you can be doing to get the most from your followers. You might notice something that just sparks your creativity, even if it’s completely irrelevant to what they’ve done.

I hope though that you don’t mistake this for me saying that you should be copying your competitors, as that’s a sure-fire way to lose credibility, however you should be seeing how you can improve on that competitor’s work. Ask yourself what they’ve missed out, what could they have done better? Then do that for yourself.

Go with the flow

There are going to be days where you just don’t feel like doing anything, possibly because you’re ill, tired or you’ve got a banging headache, and it’s when you try to work through these down times that you get greeted with the infamous social media ‘burnout’. That’s why you need to double-down when you’re feeling at your best.

If you’ve ever played poker, you’ll probably know that the best players do not play every single hand, instead they try to win as much as possible with the hands that they do end up playing. You’ll have to be just as strategic as this with your time and effort, relaxing when your body instructs you to, and hammer it out when you’re in the zone.

Post in advance

The quickest way to burn yourself out online, is trying to come up with new blog post ideas as and when you look to post them. As mentioned earlier, there are going to be days where you’re just not up for it, perhaps you’re not feeling well or you just don’t have time. That’s why it’s crucial that you start scheduling content ahead of time, either by using the tools provided by social media platforms (like Facebook) or by using third-party software.

Such third-party solutions include the likes of Buffer, Hootsuite and SocialSprout, all of which help you to schedule all of your content – hours, days, weeks or even months ahead of time. This means that you can save yourself the last minute headache of trying to come up with something interesting to say on the spot.

Just be sure though that if you are scheduling content in advance, that you are still allocating time to respond to any comments that you are receiving on these posts, as it’s going to help you to build deep connections with your followers, drastically increasing the likelihood of converting them into a paying customer in the future.

Outsource it 

Not everyone is built the same, some people are just more creative, and others might be juggling second jobs. We are all different and it’s not fair to suggest that you have to be doing all of the above yourself, especially if you’re trying to run a local business on your own. Marketing can often be a frustrating time for business owners, as they either don’t have time, don’t know where to start, or are struggling to get results themselves.

With that in mind it might be worth outsourcing the whole process entirely. Save yourself the stress of trying to figure out how to get more likes, comments, followers and sales, by outsourcing your marketing to the professionals. With the right help you can focus on what you enjoy doing most in your business!

Take some time off

If all else fails and you feel like absolute shit, then just admit that your body is telling you to relax. The human body is smarter than you think, and will often warn you when something isn’t right. Take your headaches, migraines, tiredness, bad moods and blurry eyes as a sign that you need to take a break away from the screen, whether it just be for 30 minutes or even for the whole weekend. Prioritise your health first, and the rest will figure itself out.

In addition to this, set aside some time for a well-deserved holiday. We all know how depressing it can be when you’re stuck at home 24/7, for 365 days of the year, so organise your next getaway, even if it’s only at a hotel down the road, just to let your hair down and relax for a change. When you are ‘away’ though, be sure to switch your devices off and block out any distractions. It’s important to relax as much as you can, so don’t worry about having to schedule posts or reply to comments during this time.

Most people who turn to social media to promote their business, end up suffering with burnout at one point or another. This can be avoided by only working during your most productive hours, limiting your screen time, researching your content beforehand, and scheduling said content in advance.