WHY FINDING YOUR TECH SWEET SPOT IMPROVES YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR LIFE

As a longtime Career and Business Coach, and as a person living on planet earth, I have observed the entire spectrum of human behavior as it relates to technology.

Some of us are addicted to technology and have grown up with it woven into the fabric of our lives. Some of us are intimidated by technology and loathe social media fiercely.

We google one thing, then get sidetracked to the point that 30 minutes later we forgot what we were searching in the first place. Or we discover a new app that makes our lives so much better we can’t imagine how we ever lived without it.

Mostly, we want technology to be our friend.

We want technology to be the buddy who helps us with our health and wellness business marketing, rather than a black hole in the space/time continuum.

Like many of you, I am both delighted by the ease that technology brings to our lives, and repulsed by its potential time-sucking pull on our souls. In short, there are times when technology is our best friend. Like when we use it for connecting with our ideal clients, or Yelping “Thai restaurants” while on vacation. But if we don’t watch it, this bestie can quickly become our frenemy. Or worse, that adorable, but oh-so-wrong-for-you new boyfriend, who will ultimately destroy your sanity.

Through my coaching, I often walk people through the process of making peace with technology and figuring out how to make it work for their health and wellness business. Whether this means getting over tech-phobia, or putting boundaries around time-wasters, it’s crucial to find a relationship with technology that suits your goals, needs, and lifestyle – your tech sweet spot.

This sweet spot is defined by the amount of time you spend with technology, and how much you get out of it. Is your time on social media spent effectively marketing your health and wellness business? Are you using technology to your best advantage, or has it taken over your life?

To find your sweet spot, I invite you to read the archetypes below and determine which one reflects your current status, and which suggestions will best support your healthy relationship with technology.

Addicted to tech

Do you bring your devices to bed with you? Are texts, likes, and hearts, your good morning kiss and night time lullaby?

If you find yourself glued to your devices and compulsively toggle between social media and texting, you may already be aware that you have a problem.

Like any other addiction, a tech addiction begins to infringe on the rest of your life by directing your focus to something that is neither urgent nor important, nor life-affirming, although, at the time, it feels like all three.

Suggestions to find your health and wellness marketing sweet spot

1) Set boundaries for yourself Get clear on WHY you are using tech, HOW MUCH TIME you are willing to allow for designated tasks, and WHEN you will do the tasks.

For example, if you are using Facebook marketing and you have a Facebook Group that you run, you know you need to engage with your members regularly. Schedule that time into your calendar and put a time limit on it. 5 minutes daily might work for some, and others might require 20 minutes, three times a day. Understand your goals for engaging with your group; will you be answering questions, posting new content, or approving group members? Know these things ahead of time! Set a timer to help stick to your time limit, and as soon as your time is up, use a social media blocking app  that will guarantee you can’t get back on Facebook (or whichever platform is your poison of choice).

2) Change your perception. Transformation will occur when you begin to view your tech toys as tools to help you reach goals and complete tasks, rather than pacifiers that you grab whenever you need a soothing distraction.

3) My personal recs: remove all but the most essential apps from your phone and tablet, which will automatically help disconnect you from social media distractions. I use the free app “Self Control” on my laptop when I’m tempted to stay too long on social media . . . even if I restart my computer the offending app is still blocked.

Key Takeaway: Have a plan. Schedule a limited time for your health and wellness business marketing that will help you achieve your goals.

Repulsed by tech

Are you so determined not to let technology ruin your life that you still use an old flip phone? Do you pride yourself on proclaiming that “social media is silly,” and subconsciously feel superior to the addicts?

If you fall into the “Repulsed” category – congratulations! You have successfully managed to avoid billions of potential customers!

Most people in the “repulsed” camp have one thing in common: they fail to recognize that there are thousands of people in the world who already need their products and services, and under the right circumstances (meaning, they know you exist!) would be happy to purchase.

For these folks, their impression of social media is cat videos on Facebook, endless food porn on Instagram, and being forced to reconnect with high school friends whose names they don’t remember. But social media can be a key tool for your health and wellness business marketing.

Suggestions to find your health and wellness marketing sweet spot

1) Work with a coach to help you understand if and how tech / social media can help you reach more customers and grow your business faster. (And while we’re here, I’ll put in a shameless plug for myself, because hey, I am a coach. You can learn more about that right here.)  

2)  Be brave. Behind the repulsion is often fear; fear of not knowing how to use social media intelligently – that it will consume too much time or be difficult. Well, guess what? We’ve all been there, and it’s not as hard as you think. You’ve got this! The only way to learn is by doing, so I recommend picking the platform with the highest return and jumping in. 

If you aren’t sure which platform is right for you and want a tutorial on the various options, you might be interested in my online marketing training right HERE.

Have faith in yourself and trust that you are smart enough to figure it out on your own, or that you know someone who can help you.

3) Find resources to match your interest and budget. Most every platform has tutorials and a knowledge base designed for people who are in the learning process. YouTube – the second most popular search engine in the U.S. – likewise has oodles of video tutorials to help you get started. In fact, googling “how to get started with (insert platform name here)” or “free (platform name) training” is usually a great entry point for finding resources.

In addition to free online resources, you might decide that certain tasks are worth outsourcing. If the amount of time it will take you to complete a task (such as building your website) would be better spent on some other aspect of your business (such as marketing or sales), then I recommend exploring outsourcing. There are outsourcing websites such as Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer (and others) and of course asking around for personal referrals.

Even if you plan to outsource tasks, I always recommend learning the basics of how something works so that you can intelligently hire someone, and confidently guide them to get the results you want.

Key Takeaway: Learning how social media can help you with your overall health and wellness business marketing will make you more eager to start using it. Ask for help when you need it!

Happily Ever After

Repeat after me: “I successfully use technology and social media to grow my business and spend plenty of time having fun offline.”

If you are able to say that with a straight face and OWN IT, then you are doing something right, my friend! Many things right, most likely. You are already on track to using technology judiciously in your health and wellness business marketing!

Here are some top habits of the Happily Ever Afters:

1) They clearly define the relationship they want to have with social media, and honor it. Does this mean that you shouldn’t look at photos of your cousin’s wedding in Sardinia on Instagram? Of course not! It does mean, though, that you maintain strict time boundaries for how much time you spend looking at those photos, don’t allow yourself to wander down another rabbit hole, and you keep your focus on living a meaningful offline life.

2) They LOVE learning about new social media platforms and time-saving apps but are selective about choosing which ones they will use in their business. Depending on the size of your business and available resources, you may be extremely engaged in social media, or have just a couple of platforms where you pour all your energy. Either way, you are intentional about what you are using and why. Happily Ever Afters don’t do things “just because everyone else is.”

3)  They are comfortable talking tech, understanding tech, and rolling up their sleeves if necessary but know how to outsource like a pro. Instead of saying, “I can’t afford to outsource this task” they realize that often times they can’t afford not to. They stick to their zone of genius when running their business, and let others do what they do best.

I’d love to hear about your tech love (or hate) affair! In the comments below please share your relationship status and any changes you’d like to make in how you use tech in your business and life.