Use Social media as a professional tool

The most knowlegable social media ad manager I’ve ever worked with never friended anyone on Facebook. Their LinkedIn profile was minimal. They didn’t tweet or share Instagram pics.

Because they studied social media and its effect on behavior, they knew its potential for abuse.

You don’t have to participate in the drama or politics on social media.

It is just a tool. Like a chainsaw, it can cause a lot of damage when used improperly.

We can build a professional network and online reputation while skipping the drama and negativity.

Build a professional profile

Some networks will only allow personal accounts, especially early on.

Instagram started with personal accounts and later allowed its users to change them into professional accounts. Facebook requires a personal account to manage or own a business page.

You can not build a Facebook Page without a personal Facebook account. However, you do not have to engage with others on a social level to access the business tools. Set up the account, and move on to the work at hand.

Facebook is still the 800 pound gorilla

Here’s the Facebook cheat sheet

• Create an account if you don’t already have one
• Create a Facebook Page (business page)
• Create a Facebook Business Manager account

Why is Facebook so toxic?

Millions have cancelled their Facebook accounts because the culture is toxic. They’re just robots. Don’t take it personal. Their job is to manipulate, like some science fiction character programmed to control you. The difficult part about Facebook is how the robots turn your friends and family into addictively crazed trolls who seem to be high on adrenaline and depression. This is because hijacking your fight or flight responses gets your attention. Remember, social media’s job is to obtain and then maintain maximum attention. If they do your job, you miss out on life to put money in their pocket.

Hack them instead

If you have a hard time controlling yourself, unfriending everyone and avoiding the feed is a good idea.

However, you can still build a profesional Facebook network.

Pages allow you to participate in groups and create a following. Personal accounts benefit from a friendlier algorithm. However, the algorithm also compounds political angst. They hack your limbic responses to amplify conflict. Conflict draws your attention, and Facebook is in the attention business. They don’t care if you achieve your life goals are enjoy a healthy mental state. They want your eyeballs, every single minute of every single day.

• Post on brand messages on your Facebook page
• Use the Facebook tools available to marketers
• Advertise if you must
• Intentionally attract the right kind of audience
• Join groups that fit your specific interests
• Reject negativity and block drama
• Never scroll on your personal feed, because it is engineered to hack your mood

Keep a schedule

Focus on productive behavior on social media by using a schedule and setting goals.

Stick to a strict diet on strict diet on Social Media. It is an engeineered highly addictive dopamine machine. Just like birthday cake, a little goes a long way. You will be healthier if you stick to the broccoli and kale. That’s the professional tools and hard data if the analogy was lost on you.

Don’t browse

The single biggest trap is wasting time. Scrolling countless hours through memes, political debates