Working in Social Media as an Introvert

I had an interesting conversation with someone who wants to be a social media virtual assistant. They love social media, and they know that they’d be good at it, but one of the things they said that caught my attention was that they’re an introvert. Of course, I had to step in and let them know that I too am an introvert who works in social media.

I’m a Social Media and community manager, and if you’ve read one of our previous posts, you’d know that I’m an introvert. It’s hilarious to think I really found my niche in Community Management. I mean, it’s kind of oxymoronic, isn’t it, working in social media and being introverted? So how did I manage to leverage my introverted personality to become a social media virtual assistant and a community manager?

1. I learned that Social Media is for Conversations

Social media is not really a popularity tool for me, it’s a tool to start conversations. And the one thing I tend to do already as an introvert is to listen before saying anything. When talking to people on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, I tend to read through what everyone else has already said and try to add something valuable to the conversation. I look and see if there is a recommendation I can give or value I can bring, otherwise, I hang back and take in the conversation.

Conversation is measured. I don’t feel pressure to answer right then and then. I can give myself a few minutes or hours to recharge before going back to a DM that needs answering, or a comment that I need to reply to. I

2. I would aim for Genuine Connections

When I’d deal with leads and clients, my line of thinking was always “This is someone who may be with us for a while, so they need to feel like they’re among people they can trust. A community, if you will. For each of my interactions, I’d treat them like a friend, a family member, any way that would make them feel heard and supported. The beauty of social media? You have a record of your interaction so I’d always go back and reference things they said. This showed that I paid attention to what they wrote, said, or posted and made my work so much easier.

3. I don’t do all of the engagement

When doing engagement for clients, there are instances where your client needs to step in and connect with leads/clients. That helps me keep from getting drained by conversation. I usually am the conversation starter. Once it gets to a point where my client needs to close the sale or give substantive advice, that’s when I’d ask them to follow up. After all they do need to know their client a little better than me.

4. Recharging Alone is a Must

I shock people when I tell them that, contrary to popular belief, I am quite the social butterfly when I’m in the mood. I love hanging out with people, hearing their stories, dancing, eating great food and so on. What differentiates me from an extrovert is that socialising drains my battery & when it’s time to recharge, alone time fills it up. The same happens when I’m working. I love being part of the communities my clients have built. It’s fun to see them grow. It’s fun speaking to people and watching their lives changed by what my clients provide. But, by the time Friday hits, that social battery is now on 2%, like the phone I barely charge, till it’s time to FaceTime my family (Do not judge me!!!). That’s why I rarely work weekends. I take my weekends very seriously. This helps me take time for solitude & to recharge so I’m energised for another week of “peopling”

5. Social media is Not all audience-Facing

You don’t have to be “front-facing”. There are so many aspects to social media. Maybe you want to create & edit the content. Maybe you’ll do the strategy. Maybe you’ll schedule posts. Maybe you’re the copywriter. Maybe you want to do analysis. There are so many aspects of social media that don’t include engagement that you can do. I do it because I enjoy making new connections and learning from other people. I just don’t act naive about sometimes getting peopled out.

I’d love to hear from the introverted social media people! Tell me about yourself and what you love about what you do!

With you in business,

Nawena Virtual Solutions