How To Strip Down Your Social Media Marketing To The Essentials

by Dorien Morin-van Dam February 20, 2016
February 20, 2016
Going Vegan, Social Media Style!

Say what?


Bear with me, I am going somewhere with this!


Just in the past two months I have gone from eating everything in sight, and I mean just about everything, to eating a vegetarian diet, to a vegan diet. Basically, I’ve cut out anything that is not plant-based, including meat and dairy.


As I adjust to this new way of eating (and thinking), I couldn’t help but notice a comparison to recent changes I’ve made to my social media marketing and my business!


Why Stripping Down Your Social media Marketing Is Good

Have you ever gotten advice from well-meaning people?


Have you tried to implement it all?


I see you nodding you head ‘yes’.


It can totally backfire!
Trust me as I say I’ve been there!


Case in point;


Years ago my website wasn’t functioning well and I had to hire someone to help me because I had installed so many plugins, these plugins were counteracting each other and creating a very slow site – eventually shutting me out!


I had listened to peer advice, read articles and each time I saw a new trick or idea, I would instal a new plugin to try it out.


Instead of sticking with my own plan, I was inadvertently implementing my plan, my colleague’s plan, my neighbor’s plan and random blogger-guy’s plan, all together into a total mess!


I also had no real focus in the social media sphere. I blogged about social media, touching on many different aspects of social media, nibbling here and there, but not sticking with one or two things that worked.


Parallel Lines

That’s also what had happened to my diet in the last few years – as a runner I tried to eat healthy, and as a mother of four I tried to cook for my family and their specific preferences. I ended up cooking steak and potatoes for my 10 year old, preparing vegetarian meals for my 15 year old when I could, serving junk food and pasta meals to my 17 and 19 year old soccer players, and whipping up salads for my husband at lunch time.


And me?


I ate with all of them, whenever and whatever was most convenient.


It finally stopped me in my tracks – and something had to give.


I was drained of energy, had stomach issues and my brain and body wanted me to quit running. I almost gave up on running altogether!


Until I stripped down to the essentials.


How To Strip Down Your Social Media Marketing To The Essentials


How To Strip Down Your Social media Marketing

In order for me to go ‘vegan’ I needed to make sure I was healthy.


I had a physical in December which included a complete blood panel and once I had to thumbs up that all was well, I stripped everything out of my diet that I didn’t need to survive.


This included not just looking at what I ate, but also how much I ate, when I ate and why I ate.


Oh boy, do I feel better!


In a very similar fashion, I have cleaned up my social media marketing efforts!


In order for me to go ‘niche’ I needed to make sure my social media marketing was healthy.


I took stock of what I was doing, what worked (and what didn’t) and then came up with what I needed to do to get leads, shares and engagement i.e. results or ROI, if you will to get even stronger!


I took serious stock of my best blog topics, my most profitable platform, my best lead magnets, my most engaging peers, the best sharing tools and more and I’ve created a new plan for 2016 to strip down my social media marketing to the essentials that work (as in; produce measurable results)


I’ve gone social media vegan!
(or, as you might have already figured out, I will be focussing more and more on one niche!)


Now What?

I am excited.


I feel like a heavy load is off my shoulders.


I am not needed everywhere, at all times anymore, and I don’t feel the need to talk/post/blog about everything!


I can spend more time on what works and no time on non-essentials.


I know what is best for my business to make it grow and I know how to do it.


Niche Lessons Learned

If you want to do this; strip down to the essentials, I recommend you conduct a social media audit to find out what has worked for you in the past, is still working for you and what gives you results. Don’t forget to include what motivates and drives you!


Here are a few additional lessons I learned while ‘changing my diet’!



  • be creative
  • be adventurous
  • do not be afraid to try new things
  • keep an open mind
  • experiment
  • quality over quantity
  • seek out experts
  • learn every day
  • embrace the experience
  • stand behind your method
  • give it time

As you look for your niche (in food, or in your business) above all, have fun!


It’s the experience that counts – if you aren’t having fun eating (or blogging, consulting, teaching) don’t do it until you find something that excites you!

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