Dodging the Social Media Struggle Bus: How to Avoid F.O.N.P.

OK, so maybe you read our last blog post about S.T.A.Y. and are like, “Guys, enough with the acronyms.” 

...But humor us, because on the flipside of S.T.A.Y. (start talking about yourself) is F.O.N.P.—the fear of not posting. And we know all too well that many business owners fall into this mindset when it comes to keeping up with the social media scene.

If you’ve taken a special interest in growing, promoting, and marketing your business on social media, you’ve probably read more than a few articles that discuss the importance of regular posting. Some successful social media influencers will even stress the importance of posting every day, which can feel a bit unmanageable if it doesn’t come naturally to you. 

The truth is that you don’t have to be afraid of not posting if you genuinely don’t have anything to post. You won’t fall behind if you miss a day—or even a week—of posting to your business’s social media.

Here are a few items worth consideration if you find yourself falling prey to the F.O.N.P. mentality!

It’s (probably) better to skip than force.

If you can say that you’re pretty diligent about managing and posting to your business’s social media pages—especially in a way that’s driven measurable results, such as more sales or page interest—then you can afford some off-the-screen time. In fact, we recommend skipping a day or even a week if your audience is used to high-quality posts that feel fresh, fun, and organic.

If your content takes a dip and begins to feel forced, it could change the whole vibe of your social media pages, which is the last thing you (and loyal followers) want. Consider spending the downtime strategizing about the type of future posts that might generate continued interest in your business. 

Post what comes naturally.

This is where S.T.A.Y. can be an antidote to F.O.N.P: if you’re ever uncertain about what to post on social media, start talking about yourself before you default to panicking about what to post.

It might not always be the easiest to talk about your personal life, share it with total strangers...or consider it to be worthwhile or relevant enough for your business’s social media page. Still, if something’s on your mind, or if you’re facing a roadblock or anticipating some good news, you can turn these things into fodder for a stronger social media game. People appreciate authenticity and approachability, so in sharing your life with your audience, you’re ultimately generating more interest in your brand or business.

Consider a content creation tool for posting help.

Finally, if F.O.N.P. hijacks your P.O.M. (“peace of mind”—and OK, we promise, we’re done with the acronyms now), there are tools that can help!

With Arrow, you can enjoy free daily content that’s ready to go when you’re ready to post. Even better, it’s a tool that can help you paint a comprehensive picture of your business to followers and customers, because Arrow will generate unique, personalized content that breaks up the monotony of business-only posts.

Ready to put Arrow to use for you? Great—right this way!