10 Distractions You MUST Avoid as a Facebook Page Owner

What's the #1 thing we Facebook Page owners need more of?

Yep, TIME!

Most of us are doing 100 things at once & don't manage our time well.

When it comes to running a Facebook page -- scheduling posts, responding to comments/messages, running ads, etc. -- proper time management is crucial.

It truly can make or break you & your page.

I'm writing this post at the end of a day where I did not manage my time wisely & did not get as much done as I should have.

So it got me to thinking about things that distract us as page owners -- and ways to avoid these things.

Some of these are no-brainers, but some may come as a surprise to you.

Distractions Facebook Page Owners Should Avoid

1. Reading Too Many Blogs

Obviously I'm the pot calling the kettle black here -- seeing as a big part of my livelihood is based on writing blogs & hoping people read them!

But I also know my posts can be part of the problem for some.

You're probably like me & have plans every day to hop over to Feedly or Flipboard & read all the new posts from your favorite blogs.

The problem happens when you follow too many blogs & spend your entire day reading them -- and then don't get anything productive done.

Lately I've almost stopped reading blogs just to get some of my time back -- and also so I can figure out which ones are the most important.

My advice: Find 4-5 blogs to follow & only pay attention to them.

You won't miss the noise from the others -- trust me.

Oh... and I hope the Post Planner blog finds a place in that mix! :)

2. Skype

I will be completely upfront & honest here -- I hate Skype!

Before working virtually for Hubze & now with Post Planner, I'd never used Skype before & never seen much use in it.

After all, everyone I know is local or just a text away -- so it never had much value before.

But for many it's a way of life. Ie. they're in tons of groups & are getting bombarded constantly with messages.

When it comes time to schedule your posts or manage your page, here's my advice: turn off Skype!

Log out!

You'll get more done & the people bugging you will still be there when you log back on! (Your boss included!)

3. Text Messages

There's no doubt about it -- smart phones are super powerful productivity devices.

But they're also a massive form of distraction.

When you're doing work on your Facebook page, ignore all text messages -- in fact, just turn your phone off or on silent until you're done!

4. Notifications

If you're like me, you are completely over-connected -- tons of tabs open, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Instagram, etc. etc. etc.

And whenever anyone responds to one of your posts or comments, what happens?

You get a notification -- either in audible form or via a conspicuous (often red) number.

When I see one of these numbers, I immediately want to go so see what it is!

I'm like a kid getting a new toy from Wal-mart!

The result is I get distracted from my work & instead waste more time replying on the cat video I commented on!

My advice is to close all tabs that give notifications -- and when you're on Facebook running your page, switch over & "Use Facebook as Your Page".

That way you don't see when Jimmy likes the picture of you & your kids at the zoo.

5. Facebook News Feed

The News Feed on Facebook is powerful -- it's how we stay connected to the people & pages we care about.

But when it comes to running your Facebook page -- or staying on any task -- it can be totally distracting & a huge time suck.

No one wants to miss updates from their friends & favorite pages -- so what happens?

You end up staring & scrolling on the News Feed for 4 hours & got absolutely nothing done.

I was surprised to discover there's actually a term for this called "Fear Of Missing Out" (FOMO) -- and it leads to a huge loss in productivity for most of us.

So to be a successful Facebook Page owner, you need to realize that you can't catch every post that comes through the News Feed -- and that's OK!

My advice is to set aside 5 minutes every hour & go scroll (troll) the News Feed & see what's going on.

Then get back to running your business & living your life!

6. Facebook Messages/Chat

Just as the Facebook News Feed can be a distraction when you're trying to stay on task, Facebook Messages & Chat can be even worse.

It's very tempting to feel like we need to respond to every message within 1.8 seconds.

But the truth is whoever sent you that message can wait.

But the little notification though is calling my name! I must answer it!!!

I feel you!

But you'd be much better off (again) "Using Facebook as Your Page" so you can stay on task.

And when it comes to chat, just turn it off!

People can still message you silly stickers & nonsense later -- you have work to do!

7. Email

Email can be a major distraction & time suck if you're not careful -- just like notifications on social sites & messages on Facebook.

I leave my Gmail tab open all day long & when I see I have a new email, I immediately want to jump over and check it out.

The result is a highly unproductive back & forth dance between the things I should be doing & the things that completely waste my time.

New emails can wait!

Most people don't need an immediate response -- and that "newsletter" just sent from your favorite marketer can wait to be read until later.

The best thing to do is shut down all tabs when you're working on your page -- and yes, I wish I'd take my own advice!

8. Twitter & Google+

Seeing the latest tweet from Lady Gaga or the latest Google+ rant from Robert Scoble is super important, I know!

But it can wait -- trust me.

As with every distraction I've listed so far, the key is staying focused.

Twitter & Google+ are great -- but the stream of information coming through is so fast that you almost always find yourself an hour later sitting in the same spot with no work done.

As I advised setting aside some time each hour to check the Facebook News Feed, do the same on Twitter & Google+.

I'd recommend maybe 5 minutes every other hour checking each -- but stick to that 5 minutes, don't hang around & aimlessly wander commenting & retweeting every post you see.

9. A Cluttered Desk

I am soooo guilty of this one!

As I write this, my desk is holding:

• 2 large styrofoam cups
• a water bottle
• 3 stacks of mail I'll never read (likely my student loan bills wanting more money!)
• a box of envelopes
• 2 books
• 3 pens
• a marker
• 2 pocket knives
• a screw driver
• my keys
• some sunglasses
• my phone
• a random cord

Because of all of this clutter, I never feel like I'm organized & have a harder time staying on task.

On the other hand, when my desk is clean I feel incredibly accomplished & I tend to complete more tasks -- amazing how that works.

At the end of each day, throw away all of your trash & clear your desk!

Do this at the end of your work day, not the beginning -- because if you start off cluttered you're doomed for failure!

A clear mind is a free mind -- a clear desk leads to a free mind.

10. Listening to too Many "Experts"

This distraction ties in to #1 -- about reading too many blogs.

There are 100s of "experts" in every niche -- this is especially true in the Facebook Marketing niche.

In the beginning you'll find yourself listening to & reading everyone of them -- and agreeing with what they're saying typically. This isn't bad in & of itself.

But what is bad is trying to keep up with all of them -- and getting overwhelmed with noise.

For example, you'll find many contradicting each another and/or repeating each another.

This will lead to tons of confusion & hours wasted trying to "keep up" with all the blog posts, YouTube videos, Facebook posts, Tweets, etc.

Instead find a small handful of people you identify with & relate to, and ONLY FOLLOW THEM!

Again, I'd say no more than 5.

This is tough at first, because you'll have the temptation to keep following everyone.

But I assure you, if you only listen to a few, you'll:

• get better advice
• be able to act on the advice given
• be less distracted

Lose The Distractions

Many of these items listed are simple & maybe even common sense.

But they are things we all fall into -- and lose time & productivity doing.

Look, in your downtime if you want 87 tabs open, then go for it.

But when you're trying to plan your posts, respond to messages & comments, add contests, craft emails, etc., you need to be free from all distractions!

Then once the work is done, go back to watching more cat videos!