Episode Details

Sometimes an episode topic feels like therapy, and social media made simple is exactly that one for us this week. We've done plenty of social media episodes with actual experts over the years, because running social media strategically really is its own marketing job. This episode is the opposite of that: no funnel, no content calendar, no growth hacks, just an honest conversation about how we personally use social media, and permission to stop overcomplicating it.

Katy shares her own social media burnout in real time, including why she's stepped back from stories completely, and Alissa shares the story of a kitten photo from a closing that accidentally went viral on Threads with over 10,000 likes, and what that taught her about how little control any of us really have over what the algorithm decides to push. We talk through the real stats on who's actually online (spoiler: 28% of Americans aren't on social media at all, and YouTube, not Instagram, is the most-used platform), why chasing virality should never be the goal, and why social media is a tool for maintaining relationships you already have, not a cold lead generator.

We close with five real strategies from a McLean Hospital article on digital burnout, a listener's honest imposter syndrome message about posting constantly with nothing to show for it, and a reminder that your social media only shows people what you choose to show them, so it might as well be something that reflects who you actually are.

Here's what we cover in this episode: -Why social media burnout is real, and why stepping back from stories is okay -Alissa's story of an accidental viral kitten post on Threads and what it taught her about the algorithm -Why chasing virality should never be your actual goal -Real stats on social media use: 28% of Americans aren't on it at all, and YouTube beats Instagram and Facebook -Why social media should maintain relationships you already have, not generate cold leads -Using the app pause feature instead of deleting apps entirely to fight compulsive checking -Why "call me if you're buying or selling" posts almost never work anymore -The Facebook birthday trick for systematically reconnecting with your whole friends list over a year -Why some of your database isn't on social media at all, and what that means for how you stay in touch -Five real strategies from McLean Hospital for fighting digital burnout -A listener's honest imposter syndrome message about posting online with nothing to show for it -Why it's okay to mute or unfollow accounts, even real friends, if their posts make you feel bad -Why documenting your actual day beats trying to create polished, curated content -Why "later-gramming" photos from days ago is a totally normal and smart practice -Why being a voice of professionalism and positivity in a hard market matters for your business

Key quotes from this episode: "Social media gives agents a false sense of security and a false sense of feeling like they're working." - Alissa "You have to make an effort and a choice. I'm going on here to engage with people, not just to put things out there and hope it works." - Katy "Your vibe attracts your tribe. What are you summoning?" - Alissa "Just because you're on one platform doesn't mean all your people are there." - Katy "We're not out there trying to get cold leads from Instagram. We're just showing who we are." - Alissa

Products, people, and previous episodes mentioned: -Gary Vaynerchuk (referenced for social media strategy insight) -McLean Hospital, five ways to fight digital burnout -Modern Agent Marketing (referenced group)

Leave us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/hustlehumbly

Get your FREE Database Template: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com/starthere

Email Templates 101: http://emailtemplates101.com

Agent Systems 101: http://agentsystems101.com

All Resources: http://hustlehumblypodcast.com

Submit your topic ideas and toa