When it comes to decluttering we often focus on our physical belongings; their visual presence within our lives make them the most obvious target. Since we spend a lot of our time online, our social media feeds are one of the most important non-physical things we should declutter frequently and simplify permanently.
When we focus on decluttering and simplifying our social media it results in higher quality and more relevant content; we can forge better connections with the people (and brands) we follow, and by making conscious decisions about what we allow onto our feeds we gain more control over the content we’re exposed to.
Simplify
Identify Your Goals
A few simple questions can really pinpoint whether you need to declutter a social media account or get rid of it altogether. Identifying what you want from social media and evaluating the profiles you own can help clarify how and why you use the platform, whether it’s adding value to your life or distracting you from things that do.
· What do you want your social media to do for you?
· Which channels are most important? Why?
· Is it worth the time invested in creating and sharing content?
· Is this a channel people are invested in?
· Do you enjoy using this channel? If not, why are you using it?
Brand Check
Simplifying your online life starts with you. Whether you’re a person or a business, brand checking your account is all about projecting who you are and why you’re there. These simple checks will ensure people know exactly what you do, what you share online, what type of people you’re likely to engage with, and the content you’re interested in seeing. Make sure the image you’re projecting is a genuine representation of who you are, you’re more likely to attract people who interest you and content that appeals to you.
Double check your:
· Profile image
· Bio and description
· Cover image
· Shared URL or icons
· Previously shared content
Build Routines
Whether it’s scheduling time for going online or creating routines for the way you share content, building a structure for your digital life helps simplify your time online and provide clear boundaries of what you share, when and why. Start by creating methods for sharing content; by planning content and using scheduling services (like Buffer) you’ll be able to simplify the way you work and share content online. Building routines, scheduling content, and limiting screen time is something everyone concerned with simplifying their online lives should do.
DECLUTTER
Invest Time
To declutter your social media and simplify your feeds, you’ll need to invest time into working through each social media platform one by one. Schedule a time in your calendar, it might take a few hours or an entire day depending on the size of your feeds, and work through each one until you’ve thoroughly decluttered them.
Account Sweep
If you’re not invested in a social media channel, don’t enjoy using it or don’t use it at all, consider deleting the account or (if you want to reserve the name) unfollow everyone, delete your content, and stop using the platform. Stop investing time into channels that do not serve you. If you use a platform and want to continue using it, sweep each account looking for irrelevant, annoying, or unhelpful accounts. Simplifying your social media means committing to streamlined feeds comprised of useful, valuable, and enriching content. Initially you may feel the fear of missing out when you unfollow certain accounts but know, in the long run, you’ll feel the benefits of a social media that serves you in a purposeful and intentional way. By filling your social media feeds with information that adds value to your life, you’re making your life online serve you.
· Remove toxic accounts
· Leave irrelevant/useless groups
· Unfollow accounts that not longer interest you or provide value
· If you don’t want to unfriend certain accounts, mute their feeds
· Mute useful accounts that post too frequently
· Remove any irrelevant content you posted
Change Settings
Simplifying your social media is about setting up systems that takes back control over how you engage online. Change your settings to turn off email and instant notifications, and only check your social media at set times of the day. Simplifying is as much about decluttering as it is controlling; change how you interact with social media by taking back control over how social media engages with you.
Curate Feeds
On certain social media platforms you can create various feeds for curating the content that you see on them. For instance, on Twitter you can create lists comprised of specific people, brands, and hashtags allowing you to check in on only the content you want to see. Set up feeds based on your relationship to the accounts you follow and the types of content you like to see.
Ideal lists include:
· Friends/Family
· Coworkers
· Thought Leaders/Role Models
· Influencers
· Customers
· Competitors
· News/Publications
Schedule Regular Reviews
Once you’ve decluttered and simplified your social media accounts and feeds, schedule regular reviews into your calendar; set a notification to remind you to review your accounts every three or so months, to make sure you keep on top of your feeds. We’re frequently online and social media moves so fast it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the accounts we follow and the information on our feeds. Making time for regular social media reviews allows us to keep a check on the content we’re allowing into our lives and prevent it from having a negative influence. By decluttering our feeds regularly we’re making a conscious decision to allow only the content that serves us or adds value to our lives onto our feeds; we can build stronger connections with the people we meet online and engage with relevant, higher quality content.
