My Temporary Exit From Social Media (Post 1)

The first question I asked myself... "Can it be done?"  Can I successfully leave all social media platforms for one month?  

I sat and pondered this idea for quite a while this morning.  What would be the potential benefits and downfalls of leaving all social media platforms for one month?  The biggest question on my mind was, how is this going to affect my business? 

If you don't know me or follow me on social media, I'm Wendy Babcock.  I'm an international and TEDx speaker, author, and founder of SLAM Networking.  I have hosted a couple of podcasts in the past (Her Laundry Unfolded and Profit Up Chuck).   When 2020 changed the world as we all knew it and everything went virtual - my business did as well.   I was speaking via Zoom, making networking connections via Zoom, and attending events via Zoom.  This meant I was on my phone or laptop more than I have ever been.  

Networking virtually and in person has always been a bit of a struggle for me, as I'm a bit of an introvert with some extrovert tendancies.  Those one-on-one virtual connections had really brought out some anxiety.  The anxiety stemmed from awkward conversations with strangers.  Who starts the conversation? Why are we always asking about the weather? Why are these conversations so surface-level?  I just felt like I was wasting my time and not truly getting to know people.  

Enter my idea of SLAM Networking, which is simply based on the idea that networking is all about referrals and introductions and I refer and introduce the people I know, like, and trust.  But how can I refer people when I barely know them due to those surface level conversations?  I decided to switch things up and started to networking using simple ice-breaker questions to steer the conversation away from the weather, away from business chit chat, and away from awkward pauses.   The ice breaker questions did exactly what I had hoped - it broke down the walls between two strangers and had us both sharing fun stories about our lives.  Finally, I felt like I was actually learning about who people are! 

So that's just a little background to how we got here in this moment.  But as you can see, virtual networking and virtual business means marketing in places like social media where all my ideal clients/customers are.  Or are they?  

I sat with this thought:  Are my ideal clients/customers really only on social media?  Where else can I find the people who are ideal for SLAM Networking?  And I decided - they were in other networking groups.  They are in my email list.  They are in person at events I attend.  The thought that my clients are ONLY found through social media then lost some of its weight.  Maybe I can do this then.  I would need to set up some things to get ready, like creating scheduled posts for my SLAM Networking Members Facebook group and find someone to moderate the group while I'm away.  I would need to let my members know I wouldn't be available on social media and instruct them how they can communicate with me.   I decided email and Messenger would be my two best options.  I also have a SLAM Networking app and that would also be a good place to communicate. 

Next, I thought about how to measure the pros and cons of taking a sabbatical from social media.  I want to see how it actually affects me.  I'm going to create a few categories and go into detail about how I am through February WITH social media.  This means, blogging here when I feel scrolling any of the platforms brings on anxiety, happiness, anger, or other emotions and basically creating a journal of what I do each day and how social media plays into my life. 

I'm not going to promise to blog every day.  I think that might be overwhelming and unrealistic, but I do want to promise myself and the readers that I will post at least a couple of times a week.   And as odd as this may sound, I am also going to take a selfie every single day in March.  Why?  Well, I feel like my stress levels are going to look different and I think there might be a change in even my face, so why not track that as well?  Same with my weight.  Will leaving social media for a while help me not stress eat?  Will I eat healthier?  Will I take the time to workout more?  

I will track my emotional well being.  How do I feel each day?  Will I feel extra anxious not having my phone in my hand? Will I be tempted to re-install the social media apps? Will that cause distress? Will I have a feeling of FOMO - not having access to family and friends photos and updates?  Will friends and family take time to message, text, and call me more during this time? 

I will tract my business, my schedule, and my time management.  Will my house get cleaner?  Or will I struggle with a bit of depression due to not having social media?  Or will I have better energy and get more done?  Will I find I stress less or more about expanding the membership to SLAM Networking?  Will I spend more time on processes for my business and in my personal life? 

There are SO many questions that I'll be very curious to see how this goes.  I plan to be 100% as upfront and honest as I can during the journey.  I don't know how that is going to look.  So I might have some days where you might question my sanity LOL!  

As I prepare in February 2022 for Wendy's Social Media Sabbatical - I'll be posting updatess right here.  You'll be able to subscribe as well as join my mailing list so you don't miss any updates. 

Thanks in advance for anyone joining me on this crazy journey!