Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself what I like to refer to as “unable to can”. It sounds lighter than “depressive episode” or “not in a good place right now”.
We all have those weeks (sometimes months) when being human is just a bit much, and the last thing we want to do is put on our game face/just keep swimming/JFDI.
Even as business owners, life does in fact still happen (the audacity): we’re all going to get a kick in the metaphoricals at some point, and when we do, we probably don’t want to think about keeping our social media presence consistent.
Truthfully, no one is going to die if you don’t post for a couple of weeks. But, knowing that you’re not posting can be a source of anxiety, and if you’re anything like me, the longer you leave it, the harder it is to get back into the swing of things.
I started this year with excellent intentions for (finally!) putting what I preach into action on my own social media, and I was doing so well… until I came down with the flu, followed by a death cold, followed by laryngitis, along with losing my beloved chameleon Pascal, and my partner being on a different continent for a month, meaning that I didn’t see him or my daughter for four weeks. It was a lot.
But I didn’t want to let my socials go completely silent – I’d been working hard, and I didn’t want to lose my momentum. I know I’m not the only one this happens to, so here’s some things you can do if and when you find yourself unable to can.
Reshare Your Evergreen Content
What is evergreen content?
Evergreen content is content that remains relevant and useful for an extended period, unlike time-sensitive or trend-driven content. This could include:
- How-to Guides: Instructions on performing a task or using a product.
- Tutorials: Step-by-step instructions on a specific topic.
- Listicles: Lists of tips, tools, or resources. Bonus – these can be broken down into multiple posts!
- Case Studies: Real-world examples of successful outcomes.
- Glossary Pages: Definitions of industry-specific terms.
- Testimonials/Reviews: Positive feedback from previous and existing clients.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with repeating content. That person who saw the same post three months ago is unlikely to be the person who sees it next week – and even if they are, I’ve yet to see anyone comment on a post saying “dude, you shared this three months ago. I’m reporting you to the content police – they’ll throw you in posting jail, and you’ll be exiled from LinkedIn for life…”
There’s a reason marketers love evergreen content – it can be reused, repurposed and reshared multiple times.
Memes are your friend
Memes, cartoons, tweet screenshots… These are all quick and easy wins when you have gaps to fill in your social media schedule. They get good engagement (because we love things that make us laugh or smile) and they don’t require a well-thought-out caption that makes a deep and meaningful point. Here’s a couple that I’ve shared over the past 8 weeks:
I’m vaguely organised when it comes to collecting memes – if I see something I like when I’m scrolling my social newsfeeds, I’ll take a screenshot on my phone, email it to myself, and add it to a “Content Fuel” folder in my inbox. This way, I’ve got a bank of things I can use when I am unable to can. It takes the pressure off me, and gives my followers some joy when I don’t have much to spare.
News/Articles relevant to your industry
Most of us are signed up to multiple email lists, getting articles and blogs fed into our inboxes daily. I have mine set up to go straight into a “Procrastination” folder (amazing advice from Christian Hambly , of FreelanceGeek, which has been genuinely life changing!). I look at this folder when I have time to kill/fill, and I can cherry-pick relevant articles from multiple publications and reshare them on my social profiles.
Now, I don’t advocate for doing a straight share with no caption here – you still need to add something to what you’re sharing, even if it’s a one-sentence caption saying “interesting update for peeps using Instagram!”. Or you could ask your followers a question about the contents of the article – anything that invites them to engage with you.
Reshare other people’s content
I mentioned in my last blog post that you need to engage with other people in order to increase your own engagement, and this is one way to do that.
Resharing is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only are you sharing something that’s of interest to your followers, but you’re also building a relationship with the person whose content you’re sharing. Every time we share someone else’s post (combined with our commentary on it, eg – what you found interesting, who it’s useful for, why you’re sharing it), we invite that person to interact with us, and we potentially build up a sense of reciprocity (you shared something of theirs, so they may share something of yours, or engage with several of your other posts).
The Bottom Line
Life happens, and no business exists in a vacuum. A lot of small businesses are run by solopreneurs, and we’re human – no one is 100 per cent productive 100 per cent of the time, especially when things are going on in the background that can make us go a bit squiggly for a while.
The above should give you some ideas to use for the times when you too are unable to can, but remember: you are absolutely allowed to take a step back from social media if and when you need to. I’ll even write you a permission slip if you need it.
And don’t worry – I’m back to being able to can 😉
