Take Some Time and Do a Social Media Cleanse
There are ongoing debates about which is more important to one's social media account: the quantity of followers or the quality of followers. Regardless of which is more important to you, every so often we need to cleanse our social media accounts.
A social media cleanse isn't simply cured by drinking a fancy juice or taking an herbal pill but will require some time dedicated to it. This is something that should happen at least once a year and it's suggested to try and get everything done in one day, while you are on a roll (because we know how good it feels to be on a roll).
Cleaning Up Your Web Presence
The first thing you will want to do is revisit all of the inactive accounts you created. You know, the ones you were trying out and no longer can make time for or have no interest in? If you aren't currently using these accounts but would like to protect your brand (which is highly suggested), simply add a message noting that you don't monitor that specific platform and explain which platforms your brand is monitoring. For example…
"Hi! You have reached us on FriendFeed. Custom Fit Online doesn't monitor this social media channel, but you can find us at facebook.com/CustomFitOnline, twitter.com/CustomFitOnline, and plus.google.com/+CustomFitOnline. We'd love to connect with you there!"
Next up on the cleanse list is any account where you can follow people like Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Start with the accounts where you have the largest "following" list. Redefine what you look for when following someone (are they active, interesting, engaging, etc…) and begin the task of going through each follower, one by one. If they don't fit your criteria it may be time to delete them. Try not to hoard followers if the quality isn't there. This task alone may take up a lot of time so make sure to reward yourself with a break between accounts.
If you still have some stamina, let's move to your email accounts. Start by reviewing the emails that you have and seeing which are spam, fun and business. If you haven't done this already, create folders for whatever topics best suit your needs (by clients, friends, business, brands, etc…). Ask yourself, "Do I really read all of the newsletters that come into my mailbox?" If the answer is no, begin unsubscribing from these newsletters. Another problem that some of us have? All of those pesky spam emails (no, I do not need an Eastern European bride or bedroom enhancement pills but thank you for the offer!). Sometimes, we move so fast that we don't have time to unsubscribe from these emails. Now is the time to do it and it will feel so good when you don't receive them anymore.
Now Take a Break!
After performing these tasks, you should feel accomplished. Now, take a social media break. This is where you can detach from social media and technology and go outside. Become one with nature and try to resist Instagramming the picture of the cute squirrel that sat beside you. It's hard, I know. Take some time for yourself before you reconnect with your "lighter" accounts.
From the Custom Fit Online team