by Nina Stoller-Lindsey, Social Media & Content Strategist
I’m going to start with a story about how social media-induced stress almost cost me my career.
In late 2020, I was Head of Social Media for my fourth mission-driven startup. I’d recently been named a Webby Awards Honoree for one of my social media campaigns and my original social content had been featured in publications like Today.com. I had what, from LinkedIn, looked like the perfect career. But I was also…
mindlessly scrolling as an excuse not to get out of bed in the morning
beating myself up when my posts didn’t perform as planned
playing the social media comparison game and always coming up short
My totally toxic relationship with social media made me want to burn my content career to the ground. But I also knew that social media wasn’t going anywhere. So I decided to start my own business to help mission-driven entrepreneurs use social media to make their voices heard and get sales without the stress.
Just over two years later, I’ve transformed social media from something that drained me into a source of creativity, connection, and dream clients. And I’ve helped my clients — who range from business coaches and marketing consultants to therapists and fitpros — do the same.
I’ve done this by developing what I call the Stress-Free Social Strategy Method, and I’m going to teach three of its key components to you right now:
1. Nail the message that makes people want to pay to
hear more from you
One of the first things I do with new clients is help them find their voice and use it to make their own ideal clients feel seen, understood, and eager to pay to hear more from them. I teach several different approaches to messaging within my coaching programs and my favorite is (you guessed it!): Content Pillars.
Now, you’ve probably heard the term “Content Pillar” thrown around so much that it’s practically meaningless. Or maybe you’ve tried to create Content Pillars before and it hasn’t worked for you. Rest assured, my approach is a little bit different. I want you to think of your Content Pillars as the intersection of:
1. Topics you’re an expert in, topics that relate back to your offer, and topics that you could talk about endlessly to a friend, in person.
AND
2. Topics your ideal client is interested in learning about and that can support them with their challenges.
To come up with your Content Pillars (or refresh the ones you already have), check out my free video training and workbook, Crack the Content Pillar Code: Unlock Your Creativity and Attract Your Ideal Clients in 5 Simple Steps
2. Implement a personalized content creation routine that works with your unique energy, not against it.
Once you’ve nailed your Content Pillars, consistent content creation becomes so much easier: You won’t have to ask yourself “What the hell do I post about today?” because your Content Pillars will answer that for you.
From there, your next step is to reflect on how your energy, creativity, and focus flow throughout the day and the week. Rather than forcing yourself to batch content in a way that may not work for you, try breaking content creation up into a few different processes — e.g. brainstorming new ideas, writing captions, and creating visuals. Decide when you’ll be in the best frame of mind to do each of them and block off that time on your calendar so you don’t have to think about it.
3. Stop letting social media dictate your life so you can regain time and energy for yourself and the thing you got into
business to do.
Once again, this is easier to do once you have clear Content Pillars you’re excited about. That’s because your Content Pillars will keep you from wasting time and energy reinventing the wheel every time you sit down to create content.
In addition to your Content Pillars, you’ll also need to get clear on your personal social media boundaries. For me, that means making my bedroom an Instagram-free zone, peacing out of social most weekends, and deleting the apps off my phone for a week or two when I want to be fully present on a special vacation.
These boundaries will help you take control of the mindless scroll, reduce screen time, and get the sensory rest you need to be your most vibrant and creative self. When you put them into place, you’ll likely find you’re much more excited to create content and engage with your community.
Together, these three steps will help you beat social media burnout and actually enjoy the content creation process so you can use social media to keep making your voice heard and getting sales over the long haul.
Nina Stoller-Lindsey is a social media coach and content strategist who helps mission-driven founders master multi-channel content marketing to raise their voices, get visible, and expand their businesses without burnout.
She runs group coaching programs for entrepreneurs throughout the year and also builds customized cross-channel content strategies for B Corps and mission-driven brands.
A former modern dancer-choreographer, she enjoys performing and public speaking and would love to be a guest expert in your coaching program, panel, or podcast.
Follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn and feel free to email her at: nina@ninastollerlindsey.com. You can also download her free training Crack the Content Pillar Code: Unlock Your Creativity and Attract Your Ideal Clients in 5 Simple Steps. It takes 30 minutes or less!
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