Dealing with Social Media

Dealing with the Social Media Imposed Discouragement

One of our readers said recently, "My single biggest problem is social media. I don't feel as enthused about my week and my weekly paycheck while others are blasting their success across Facebook and Twitter. I feel discouraged by reading their excitement."

Here's a kick start in dealing with the social media excitement of others.
Social media puts everyone on the same playing field. It gives us all a chance to toot our own horns so to speak.

What's Behind the Discouragement?

I can relate to your discouragement by social media. It also happens at conferences and on conference calls - the winners get the accolades and invites.
My husband and I used to be involved in a network marketing company that relied heavily on Twitter for communicating sales and accomplishments. When he was out in the field working, I would sit at home with my phone watching for his little @ symbol to see if our team was making money and if we'd have some success that week.
It was frustrating when he wasn't posting anything. It was also frustrating when other teams were throwing up big numbers. It was meant to be a motivator, but it was a bit disheartening.

Think Beyond 140 Characters

The truth was that the numbers were often inflated. They were selling a complex product that had to be approved before the numbers were real.
That made a big difference for me. I was able to put the numbers in perspective when I thought about the truth behind those 140 characters.
Now, I'm not saying that the social media posts you're seeing aren't truthful. Not at all. But just like with every person you meet, there's more to the story.

How to Deal with the "Noise"
Here are a few tips for dealing with the "noise" of social media:
Don't let yourself get discouraged by the success of others. Be happy for them. Even congratulate them for their achievements, but don't let their success stand in your way of helping your prospects and helping your team.
Reach out to the successful people for tips. Reaching out to others can give you a new perspective.
Ignore the feeds when you're working. If seeing the success posts on Facebook and Twitter gets in your way, ignore the feeds while you're working. Anything that distracts you from your goals of helping others is a detriment to your success. Stay focused on your success and your actions first.
What other tips can you share on handling social media discouragement? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Wishing you a great week,

Lilia Mikhailovski