There is nothing quite like a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do but enjoy a little guilt-free time. The fridge is full, the pile of laundry is soundly beaten into submission, the kids are entertaining themselves and you’re prepared to sit down and work on the content development that you have been avoiding all week.

What happens next is common.
What happens if I publish something that ticks someone off and it affects my business?
What if I sound stupid?

One of the major obstacles I see when people hesitate to use social media for business, is a lack of confidence in their ideas. This is a normal part of life for lots of people, and particularly if you work in your own business.

If you are an entrepreneur, coming up with ideas and putting them out into the world can be a challenge, your self-confidence and belief in yourself can take a beating as you go through this process. You might feel like you aren’t good enough, that you and your ideas are silly, and that nobody will like what you are selling. Sound familiar?

It is scary putting something out there. And there is a chance nobody will like it. But if you have done some research, and you know that what you are offering is something people actually need, and you have the right audience, you should find a market for your ideas. Sharing content on social media is also a time where you can face a serious case of the confidence wobbles. Let’s face it, you don’t really know the people you are sharing with a lot of the time, you don’t know how they will react and you do know that there is a lot of hate out there on the big wide web.

In this Coaching Blog, I will address four common fears that I see and provide tips on how to overcome them. So let’s dive into what scares us the most!

1. Fear of Rejection

This is a big fear and the most common. Harboring a fear that no one will like your finished product is enough to stop you dead in your tracks. Rejection happens. You can’t please everyone all the time.
 
If you keep trying, though, you will find one person (probably more) who likes your work. Store shelves are lined with the books of famous authors who have suffered rejection – look where those authors are now. The only difference between a winner and a loser isn’t the number of times the person has been rejected. The winner is the one that never gave up.

2. Fear of Inadequacy

This is a big, big obstacle for many – the fear that nothing you write is good enough. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve dragged my feet because I thought to myself, “What do I know about this? Who wants to read what I have to say?”
Apparently, plenty of people. There was a time that I thought my work was utter crap, while clients would think it was sheer genius.

3. Fear of Success

This one sounds like an oxymoron, but many people are afraid of success. I’m pleading the 5th on this one. For some, the thought of everything becoming too big to handle is enough to paralyze them into doing nothing. The trick is to deal with the situation one step at a time. Worry about success when you get there.

4. Fear of Revealing Too Much

This was one fear I hadn’t thought of. Looking back over the course of the past, there were times when I wondered if what I wrote did reveal too much of me. I draw a lot from experience, so sharing was natural for me. However, as business owners utilizing social media, we often question whether or not we should bare our souls. This can work for you and against you. You’ll run up against people who disagree with you, but on the other hand, you might end up touching your audience deeply.

Here Are Some Tips to Overcoming the Fear of Putting Yourself Out There on Social Media

Create a Strategy for Your Content

Randomly posting things all over social media may be fine for a personal account, but for a business, you need to have a clear strategy in place for when you post, why you are posting, what you’re posting, who you are posting to, and who you would like to post to. Part of that may be to post some on the spot content – not everything has to be premeditated, and some of the best content happens on the move, in real time. Tweet at events, Instagram pics while you are wandering the streets in a new town, post to Facebook after you find out a really helpful piece of research that will help your community. However it should still fit with your overall brand message and plan, and be of relevance to your audience.

Remember It Is Not About You

An Instagram or Facebook account that is just for your weekend shots, the kids first day at school and your regular running times, is lovely for your friends and family. It is also fine to drop in some more personal posts that allow followers to get to know you and the person behind the brand on your business accounts and in fact is a great part of a solid strategy – but continually sharing these kinds of posts is not appropriate for a business account. If you remember it is not about you, it makes it easier to put your content out on social media. Because really you are putting out ideas, information and opportunities to help your target audience. Refocusing this helps because there is far less risk for you as an individual, as long as you have a clear strategy in place.

Expert Tip: Shift your focus from you to your audience when it comes to your social content 

Use the Block and Delete Functions

Anything that happens on social media can be filtered. As the account owner you have the power. On a blog you can approve comments. On your social channels you can delete comments and people, and totally block them where needed. You do not owe them an explanation. This is as much about protecting the experience of other members of your community, as it is about protecting yourself.

Do Your Best Work

If you take the time to plan, create a good strategy that fits your brand, produce quality content, and remember it is about your audience, not you – you will be offering your best work. And that is something to be proud of, not worried about.

Don’t Share Everything

There are times for sharing and times for staying silent on social media. Picking the best times to post depends on your audience insights and when they are online. Sometimes it can feel like you have to be constantly connected. You don’t. If you go for a walk and see something you know your audience will love, an impulsive post can be lovely, but it may be even lovelier (and healthier) to sometimes keep that moment just for you.

In conclusion,

It’s okay to have fears about social media, it’s not okay to let them stop you from being successful!