Do all organisations today require a social media presence?

Social media: your big break or money pit

One concern when launching a business may be based around the social media strategy and how to best utilize social media to attract an audience and spread the word about this new company. Even though having a social media presence can be very beneficial to many companies, I would argue that it is not always necessary, especially when the platforms become a money pit for the business. 

There are many reasons for an organization to situate itself on social media. Based on information from the National Institute for Social Media, having a strong presence on social media can inform the company on what customers are saying about the organizations products and social media can provide an efficient way to communicate with customers and make improvements based on consumer feedback. Additionally, social media can provide a platform of involvement, where organizations can share pictures of their products in use, repost photos of their customers using the products, and host “giveaways” of their products to grow their following of users interested in their products. Constistancy is vital, as it will make the cost of social media presence worthwhile and keep the organization at the forefront of customers minds since they are constantly seeing the company’s posts.

Regardless of all of the positives reasons to have a social media presence, not all companies should be focusing their effort towards these platforms. According to the Online Marketing Institute, companies who work B2B and whose target audience is not on these platforms may not benefit from social media. The employees of the company which the main organizations sell to may be present on social media, but the other business is the customer, not the individual employee. Additionally, an article on Marketing Land states that if the organizations' target audience is not using social media due to age, ability, or socio-demographic, then money is being wasted marketing in the wrong direction. The social media platform needs to be communicating with the public about a product, service, or issue that could benefit various different groups of people, in order to make marketing to the vast void of people on social media cost effective.

Furthermore, some companies simply do not have the means to have a social media presence. The company’s target audience may be on social media but the cost needed to obtain an ROI is not available. The Online Marketing Institute claims that social media is the “DIY” of marketing; you can choose how much to spend and make it cheap. I would argue that if a company wants to have content that is worth engaging with, it cannot be cheap and large amounts of time and or money must be put towards the platforms. If the budget is not available there is not a justified return on investment (ROI) to make the costs of social media valuable

Social media is a great tool for companies whose audiences reside on social media. However, companies who use social media must have the tools, means, and time to create content, post frequently, construct a visually appealing page and engage with their community. If the company’s means or audience are not present, then the ROI will not exist and having a social media presence is simply a waste of time.

30 Day No Buy Challenge Week 4: Entertainment

The Big Question: Is everything you do, really stuff you want to be doing?
Weekly Challenge: Only commit to events and buying if it's something you really want to do!   

All About Entertainment

We tend to not think about things that fall under the entertainment category as "things we buy". Even though I would promote "doing" things and making experiences over "buying" things, it is still easy to get pulled into spending money where you didn't need to. Have you ever said "yes" to doing something even though you weren't really interested in seeing that movie or going to that concert, or have you ordered something to eat even though you weren't really hungry?

One huge part of minimalism is saying no and doing what works best for you. The more you say yes to the less time you have, so make sure the activities you are saying yes to are "true yeses"! We sometimes forget that "no" is a word in our vocabulary and that we can use it without feeling guilty or needing to justify. Let go of all the times you said yes and felt overwhelmed with your commitments. Remember how you felt in those moments to help you make the best choices for yourself in the future. 

This Weeks Challenge

Weekly Challenge: With every choice and opportunity that is presented to you this week, ask yourself if this is really something you want to do. Would you do it alone if no one else could come? Does it align with your values and interests? Make sure that the things you are spending your money on this week, you are doing for yourself! If you have already committed to things that might not have been full and true yeses, that's okay. Simply acknowledge that in order to help grow your awareness.

You have made it to the final week of this challenge! You have made it this far, don't give up now! Throughout this final week, start thinking about your experiences from this challenge. Has your urge to buy slowly started to fade away or are you still struggling just as much as you were in the first week? Are you becoming more aware when you buy something and what you buy, making sure it was on your list and that it was a necessity? Reflect on these last couple week and see whether or not your mindset has started to shift. 

Why and how the things you belief shape your life

Just some thoughts on the stories we tell ourselves that become the beliefs and perspectives by which we live our lives  

‘Letting go of the past means you can enjoy the dream that is happening right now. If you live in a past dream, you don’t enjoy what is happening right now because you will always wish it to be different than it is. There is no time to miss anyone or anything because you are alive. Not enjoying what is happening right now is living in the past and only being half alive. This leads to self-pity, suffering, and tears.’ - The Four Agreements

We all carry and hold onto so much of what has happened in our lives. It is important and has shaped us, but too often it becomes unconsciously imprinted in our brain. Past Feelings, experiences, and pain write stories that we tell ourselves about how life should go and how we see ourselves. That we believe is "Truth". That we end up living by. The most difficult part about this is that we don’t even realize that they are there and that we are confining our perspectives on life to what these stories tell us. These can derive from little things or big ones that determine how we view relationships, break-ups, jobs, money, and desires.

There are so many of these stories that I am beginning to acknowledge in my own life. There is no one to blame for why I believe the world should be this way, but it is so important for me to identify the beliefs and be aware of when I take them to be true. All of these beliefs and story’s come from my past and I am grateful for the lessons I have learned but they don’t need to determine my beliefs in the future and identifying and acknowledging them is a lesson I need to learn and continue to practice in order to free myself from them and change my perspective.

Take a Look at your own life and beliefs

What are some things that are holding you back? What is something that you are holding onto? What are your beliefs about money or relationships or friendships or money or work? Are those stories you believe about them holding you back and weighing you down? If you believe these stories then they will be true because you will live your life with the idea that they are true. If you believe relationships can only end badly because perhaps that is what you have experienced in your own life, then you may be scared to leave or enter into one.

Of course, it all ties back into that minimalist mentality. Minimalism isn't just about cleaning and decluttering your physical belongings but it’s also about your mental state and baggage that we lug around with us. What you think and believe attracts more of what you think and believe. If you have the belief that you are not smart enough for a promotion, then your views and emotional state will weight you down and prevent you from doing your very best and every little failure will simply reinforce that belief. If you believe you are a bad ass intelligent powerful person, then the failures will only be small setbacks you need to overcome and they will not break you.

Take a moment and scan your body. Think about your relationships. Think about your relationship with money. Think about your relationships to your family. What are the "truths" about these things for you? Do you believe money is evil because you have always struggled with it? Do you believe relationships are dangerous because that is what you saw growing up? Do you believe you are not enough because of a situation or experience? Write it down. Then give gratitude for those experiences and those beliefs because your mind was implementing them in your brain in order to protect you. Let them know you no longer need protection and that you need to let them go now. Then write down what kind of beliefs you would like to put in place of the ones you just let go of. You need new beliefs that you have consciously chosen in order to fill the empty space. Hold and carry these new perspectives with you for the next few days and remind yourself of them. You have the power to change your perspective so 'you can enjoy the dream that is happening right now.'

30 Day No Buy Challenge Week 3: Re-shopping your Closet

This weeks challenge: "re-find" a piece (or multiple pieces) of clothing in your closet that has/have been neglected too long and create a new outfit!   

The Halfway Mark 

Week 3 is upon us and with that, you have made it halfway through this 30 day 'no buy' challenge! By this point, if you have been honest with yourself and have truly refrained from buying everything outside of essentials, you might be getting to the point where you are craving a retail fix. We all know it... it's that dopamine rush you get right when you buy something. The excitement of having something new and the act of purchasing it can take control over our rational thinking. This weeks challenge is meant to help direct that need in a new direction and to uncover something "new" in a different way.

We are neglecting our clothes 

We only wear about 20% of the items in our closet. That means that the job of the other 80% of the clothes is to simply sit in our closets. Maybe they are occasionally worn but most of the time they are being neglected. This becomes a huge problem to our habits in this consumer society, since we constantly want 'more' and 'new' while we are simultaneously we are not appreciating the items we currently have. I'm sure you can think of a handful of things, right now, that you don't wear a lot ... Or maybe not because you have so many items that you start forgetting about most. Just take a moment and become a bit more conscious about which kind of person you are. Do you know you have things to get rid of but can't seem to let them go, or are you unaware of everything you have and the way in which the filled stuffed closet adds stress to your life?

Our closets fill up with new pieces, the older items are neglected, and we constantly feel like we have nothing to wear! Sound familiar? When there is too much stuff, we have a hard time identifying what we really like, especially when close to 80% of the stuff isn't your favorite (at all). When you can eliminate the excess from your closet and minimize it down to the basic favorites, you will always have something to wear. Additionally, you will be more picky regarding the pieces you bring into your closet, ensuring that you are absolutely in love and need each one and that it adds to your overall style.

Craving a Retail Fix? Shop your closet this week! 

If you are craving a retail fix and are wishing for a stroll through the mall, but are maybe nervous of actually going in case you end up wanting to/actually buying something, go for a stroll through your closet instead. Find an item that has been neglected and try putting it into a new outfit. Maybe you can find a new combination that will re-spark your love for that piece again. Pretend you are at a thrift store of unique and special items, and perhaps an item will attract your attention in a different way.

This weeks challenge: "re-find" a piece (or multiple pieces) of clothing in your closet that has/have been neglected too long and create a new outfit! 

Share your new found outfit on Instagram or Facebook with me using the #30daynobuychallenge!   

Bring in Some Decluttering 

This basis of this weeks challenge is not to make you declutter, but it might end up coming to that. If you pull out a piece of clothing for this challenge that you haven't worn in a while and it doesn't fit right anymore or you don't feel amazing in it, that is a sign. It's time to let go of it and free up space in your closet, just for the purpose of having some breathing space. This exercise will not only help, at least partially, fulfill that retail therapy craving but it will also help you identify what your favorite pieces are while encouraging you to eliminate the rest. 

 

30-Day No Buy Challenge Week 2: Food and Groceries

This weeks challenge: Make your grocery list (based on your meal prep) and only buy what you wrote down! Don't let grocery store psychology get the best of you!

Food Advertising 

One category that I assumed didn't really need to advertise to us consumers is food. I always just thought "well, we need food, the industry knows this, so marketing food to us is just useless". False. 
The reality is that food manufacturers, grocery stores, and restaurants are constantly marketing to us. They know we need to buy food, but they want us to be buying their food! 

The food industry is constantly selling us shit. Like not just shit as in stuff, but also literal shit... like as in the food and the quality of the food they want us to stuff our mouths with it just shit! Your diet and what you choose to eat is your choice at the end of the day, but places such as grocery stores are knee deep in persuading you of certain things as well.

The Psychology of Grocery Stores 

The experience of going into a grocery store is a completely orchestrated process. According to Martin Lindstrom, brand expert and author of Buyology, high shelves in grocery stores and confusing isles only lead you deeper into the labyrinth and increase the amount of products you could add to your cart. The longer you stay in the store, the more you will end up putting in your cart. They will place tomato sauce next to the pasta to remind you that you should probably get some extra tomato sauce with that pasta you're buying - you know, just in case. The bakery and produce section is usually near the entrance to flood our sensory neurons with yummy smells and fresh colors. Additionally, the right lighting will be set to increase the appeal. And the milk and eggs you just quickly needed to pick up - well, they're at the very back of the store! And there's a pretty high likelihood that something else with catch your eye on your treck back there.

So basically, there are all kinds of behind the scenes psychology happening, trying to convince you to buy more than you actually need!

I could go even deeper into this topic in terms of other products and food groups and industries that have been promoted by doctors and scientists ... but that's for another day. If you are interested, check out the documentary Food Choices and What the Health on Netflix!

This Weeks Challenge 

Based on all the psychology, it can be difficult to go to the grocery store and really only buy the necessities.  

One way to become more conscious of this is to not only write out a grocery list but to also meal prep and to construct your grocery list around your meal prep for the upcoming week(s). A lot of times we buy what we consider to be necessities; some fruits and vegetables, some meat, some dairy products, etc. But do you know when or for what you will be using that food? When you know exactly what meals you want to be making in the next few weeks, then you can buy based on those meals. Your grocery list will be the ingredients needed to make those specific meals and you know the food you're buying will be used and not wasted. 

Additionally, you can add some snacks or treats to your grocery list but then try to only buy what is on your list. It's easy to walk past and see something like tea or chocolate or popcorn and think, I could use more of that. Do you really though? I mean, it took you coming to the grocery store and walking down that aisle to remember you "needed" it ... that doesn't sound like you really needed it. Try to stick with buying only what's on your list. If you see something in the store that you suddenly think you need, write it on your next grocery list and get it next time if you still really need it.

Make your grocery list (based on your meal prep) and only buy what you wrote down! Don't let grocery store psychology get the best of you!

 

30 Day No Buy Challenge Week 1: Putting your "wants" into Lists

Refrain from impulse buying by writing out what you feel you so desperately want ...

This weeks challenge: "Post a picture of the list that you have created on social media using the #30daynobuychallenge this week!"

This list is your new best friend

Every time you get hung up on wanting to buy something over the next 30 days, or are just craving that dopamine "new purchase" rush, write that item down. Start a list where each time you see something you want, you simply write it down. That will "fulfill" you mind because you are acknowledging that you want this item and you are not completely ignoring that feeling and it's existence if you add it to your list. 

You can use a piece of paper that you hang up in your house or you can simply create a list in the notes app of your phone so you can get it down whenever you have a buying urge. 

See how the list changes over the next 30 days

The point of this list is to write the items down instead of immediately buying them. You can then take some time to think about the item. Are you still thinking about it and wanting it in a week from now? In two weeks? In a month? Give it some time to sink in. Evaluate the reason you want to purchase this item; were you just wanting to buy something while you were at the mall on the weekend or is this item truly going to add value to your life?  

Giving yourself time to think about the purchase by writing it down will prevent you from making impulse buys and ensure that you are becoming conscious of buying what you need and what sparks joy. 

Above you can see my list. I will be honest, I haven't been writing things down in a while, but this challenge is encouraging me to do that again. On my list is what I felt were "needs" ... not actually but staple pieces and replacements of items that were broken or not working anymore in my life (like my yoga mat for example). I checked off the items I ended up buying and stared the items that were more important necessities, like socks, underwear, and an iPhone case (because just knowing I don't have one makes me more prone to dropping my phone). 

Having your material wants or needs written down will give you an overview of them and allow you to acknowledge they are there without feeling the need to immediately purchase them. Use the list as your "place holder" for that item. It's not going anywhere just because you are taking the time to really access your needs for the item.

This weeks challenge! 

Start your list! Make it pretty if you want or quickly jot it down on your phone. Over this next week, or while you are at the mall with your friends this weekend, take notice of the buying impulses you have and each time you write them down, you are recognizing them instead of giving into the emotions. 

Post a picture of the list that you have created on social media using the #30daynobuychallenge this week!

There is no need for embarrassment! Like I said, my list would be a lot longer if I kept it going more recently. Plus, it's all about the learning experience and we are all here to support one another! If you can, keep your lists going over the course of these next 30 days and see what has changed, and what items you have decided to cross off because you decided you didn't want or need them after all.