Via my last ‘Weekend Whats’ digest, I included this as one of my What Tos (to which BG subscriber Jonathan R chimes in below):
WHAT TO DELETE: Your Facebook Account (Qualifier coming): I recently let fellow Oregonian and self-professed “mad genius,” Ben Settle, know he should rename his Email Players newsletter to the ElBenbo 3%er Club. Why? Because anyone who values giving him $97/month in order to ‘go beyond’ the standard, rehashed, regurgitated, Rated G rhetoric about business, sales psychology and email marketing… deserves being anointed under that label. If, like me, you strive to live an uncensored, candid and sovereign life, Ben is worth also getting to know.
+ One way you can START is by reading his diatribe on the detriments of stewing your time into what he loves calling “Flakebook.” Now, that is only if you’re like 97% of the Lambs out there who want to be led into a mediocre, mundane existence. But, you’re not. So, pass the link above along to any friend or family member who is using FB excessively for their next dopamine hit.
Jonathan replies:
“But why so extreme? I think its only a distraction if you don’t have the discipline and other outlets to focus attention. Also my sisters – i have 3 – would rip me a new one because its the only avenue they have to keep up with my fun and travels.”
My response:
What’s funny (maybe not just so fun) here, Jonathan, is that your very reply to this is precisely why Ben is advocating to just dump it all together.
I won’t comment on why FB is a requirement to keep your sisters happy; however, yes, you’re saying what I said above – i.e., use it for something useful and productive, not something to keep you away from other more salient stuff in life.
I, like Tim Denning below, am encouraging folks to use FB as a selective avenue where you just keep things real; not so much as a place to fart out personal issues and vomit over social justice nonsense where Likes on such drivel only make the Liker feel good, replacing that feeling with actually doing something to make a difference in real life.
Ben just doesn’t believe most folks can handle being selective with it. Or, even want to know how to use it right. That’s why his list makes sense for those types.
Tim’s on the other hand (below) is basically saying, hey, if you’re going to engage, don’t be a douche about it. And with the average view-rate of a video on FB being 4 seconds (yup, that low), is it any wonder why the attention span economy is on a downward slope to oblivion? 😉
This Is How You “Do” Social Media:
- You freaking do it. Post on one social media platform daily.
- Stop telling people how good you are. We don’t care.
- Be helpful. Don’t save your best tips for a paid upsell.
- Get out of your own way. You are the problem, not the social media platform.
- There is no hack to social media.
- Quit looking for a strategy because there isn’t one—other than post daily.
- Be thoughtful with your posts.
- Expect criticism and embrace it. You don’t have all the answers.
- Do not create a journal of your life (unless you want to be an Instagram Influencer — then, go for it, but that carries its own set of problems).
- Quit looking for secrets. There are none. Write, film, record and tell the best stories with actionable advice/tips you can.
- You get better by doing it more. When I went from writing two blog posts a week to ten, the results increased ten times.
- Be prepared to commit a few years of your life to social media. This tip is the barrier to entry and where a lot of people fall over.
- Please stop asking for followers. Followers don’t make a wealthy person; your mind does.
- Don’t worry what sort of posts might get attention. You can’t possibly predict what works. Just focus on posting more.
- Transcend the selfie generation and join the selfless movement.
- Know that who you are on day one of committing to social media, will not be the same person when you look back. Social media is really a journey of growth in a person.
- Answer messages from the audience and build relationships. This is where the opportunities are when you open your eyes and put down the selfie pole.
- Don’t worry about money for a long time. Social media is very slow to show an outcome and that’s why the lack of instant gratification kills most people’s goal to participate.
- Play nice. Be nice. Be the same person you are in real life as you are online.
- Build up other writers/bloggers/vloggers on your way.
- Don’t do fancy. You don’t need perfect lighting and HD cams. A basic phone can do the work for you even if you are a writer.
- It’s not about you.
Source: Medium