Web Summit 2020 Talk: Maintaining Mental Health as Digital Marketing Managers

 

To kick off day two of the Web Summit, I attended a talk hosted by Lisa Raab of Falcon.io. This topic couldn’t have come at a better time as many social media and press teams struggle to balance attending talks, writing articles on them, mingling, and posting about all the action on multiple platforms. 

 

 

                                             

 

In the very beginning of her talk, Raab asked that we all please turn off our notifications or put our phones away for the remainder of the talk. Albeit difficult, I did it. And like many others I’m sure, I appreciated the permission to take a break.

 

 

I turned my attention to the chat, and noticed Dino Kuckovic, a delightful speaker from a talk yesterday on social media trends. I sent him a chat and we exchanged a few words, it was a lovely connection. Which is exactly what Raab said has been missing from social media, “it felt like what we need is to get the ‘social’ back in social media.”

 

 

Then she posed an idea I haven’t seen much of; a potential upside to 2020. Despite the tragedy and chaos we’ve experienced nationally and globally, social media platforms became centers for digital activism, dissemination of information, and also for memes as a brief respite to dismal news updates.

 

 

Additionally, it became a place for connection when we needed it most.

 

 

However, the average user’s relationship to social media is very different from that of those who work in social media marketing. Although it’s addictive for everyone, scrolling and liking and retweeting and posting are job requirements for a social media manager, which puts them in a sticky situation when thinking about how it impacts their mental health. Studies show that decreasing your time on each platform to 10 minutes a day can significantly increase your mental well-being and overall happiness. As an individual user you can be mindful of your screen time, get informed, and laugh at memes, and then close the app without feeling guilty about your job performance or missing any trends. You can also post whatever you please, whenever you please with little to no repercussions

 

 

 

Raab said, “the social media marketer has truly become the messenger for brands across the internet, and the public has indeed shot the messenger.” A social media manager may seem like a small role in a large company, but they’re typically the first person to respond to news crisis, and unexpected situations. According to Raab, although 2020 may have been the year social media did some good, the tumultuous news cycle and delicate issues often times put a burden on social media managers, and brands need to acknowledge that. 

 

                                                               Source: Falcon.io Usage Data, 2020

Raab said social media marketers “wear many hats.” And one of those hats is responding to negative comments, which increased significantly this year. People forget that there is someone behind that @McDonald's Twitter page just trying to do their job. On top of dealing with a barrage of negative comments, 2020’s chaotic news cycle has destroyed any sort of content posting plans or routines. Social Media Marketers are expected to post content to market their company while being mindful of what’s happening in the news in order to avoid coming off tone-deaf. 

 

 

The main take-away of Lisa Raab’s talk today was that companies need to value their social media teams, and that it is possible to pursue a healthier relationship with social media even if it's your job. As a social media manager, I coped by never turning on my screen time, and avoiding watching The Social Dilemma at all costs. Luckily, Raab shared some great tips for dealing with social media fatigue: 

                -Remind yourself that it’s okay for you not to feel okay

                -Limit your use of your personal social media accounts

                -Don't feel guilty for taking breaks

                -“Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to some things. Not everything is urgent or requires your                           attention”  (-Dino Kuckovic via the chat)

                -Delete your work email from your phone

                -Reach out to co-workers and give them a chance to talk about how they’re doing

                -Create non-work personal group chats with your co-workers to send funny memes and                         foster a sense of community (this one I can personally attest to, being friends with m                             fellow Social Songbirds makes work a lot more fun, and it makes asking for help less                          awkward)

 

Lisa Raab also said it's important to remember original purpose of social media, which is to connect with one another. Humans need to connect in order to survive, and like my moment in the chat room of this talk, sometimes that requires taking a step back.

So when you get a chance, maybe say something nice to @BurgerKing on Twitter.

 

 Adrienne Lucas / Senior Editor

A passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. A lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000's pop culture.