Summertime equals vacation time, and I recently took a quick roadtrip to Nashville with my sister to see a concert at the gorgeous Ryman Theater. Since this was my first official vacation of the year, I decided to step away from online media–well, at least as much as possible. And no, I’m not crazy.
I love the idea of going on vacation, I love the idea of treating myself and spending times with others. The best part of a vacation for me is the planning, there are so many ways to get to your destination and so many companies like 2GO that can help you, there are just so many options. Although, going on vacation can be an expensive time, but sometimes it’s totally worth just spending that little bit of extra cash. For example, if you are interested in travelling in style then you might want to check out a company like NetJets. It’s not just about how you get there, it’s about where you go and what you do.
Though it was challenging, I did not check e-mail at all in Music City. Now, I will admit that I did tweet the occasional update (you have to brag about being in Nashville), check in on FourSquare (I was competing against my sister, of course), and Instagram some of my favorite pictures in Music City (making my friends a little jealous). I did my best to limit my time on social media as much as I could–and I’m so glad I did.
Did my (sort of) social media vacation help my professional social business performance? Most definitely. Here’s how:
Making (Real) Human Connections
While I love forming new connections online (add me on any social media you like!), it’s easy to forget how crucial simple in-person conversations are. Without constantly looking at my phone or computer screen, I had time to talk with interesting people in Nashville–and so many of them had amazing stories to share. While they may never be my Twitter followers or connect on LinkedIn, talking to locals about their experiences and lives in Nashville was more rewarding than any re-tweet or like. As some comments on my recent blog showed, even the most successful online influencers realize that the best connections happen offline.
Enjoying Everything More
- Since I wasn’t checking Facebook updates, monitoring Twitter mentions, or refreshing my inbox, I found myself savoring everything around me so much more. From simply standing in line at Starbucks to walking the famous streets of Music City, not focusing on social media allowed me to concentrate on everything else happening–and enjoy those memories in real-time. Some people would even find that sitting in someplace like a Crowne Plaza Downtown Denver hotel lobby, a place would normally be the memory of checking Facebook updates, replying to emails, or just scrolling through Twitter for the latest trend, would be a completely new experience. It forced me to stop and re-think how to approach social media and social business–am I missing opportunities for social success on a daily basis? Information online travels so rapidly and trends change so quickly that it is easy to focus too far ahead in the future to be successful right now.
Re-Energizing
- After taking a semi-break from social media, I came back to work energized and more ready to jump back online than ever before. Spending some (not all, I know!) time away from social outlets allowed me re-energize and brainstorm ideas I would not have come up with unless I stepped away from the keyboard and enjoyed being, well, a tourist. I love working in social business and keeping up with my family and friends on social media, but I discovered that the best way to stay alert, active, and engaged online might just be to remove myself from the Internet for a bit. Seriously.
While my social media break was not a total separation from the Internet, it taught me how to be a better user, follower, and listener online. Not being attached to e-mail and social media helped me to relax and think more freely. After my social media vacation, I came back to the world of social business more excited, creative, and focused on what is important–how social tools can help people increase their efficiency, productivity, and engagement online and offline.
