Tools + Resources for Planning Your Social Media Exit
In my previous email/post I shared with you all my plans for leaving a dependency relationship with social media for my business. Today, I want to share with you the exact tools I will be using to make this plan happen. If you are looking to leave social media business marketing too, you may find the following helpful in your own SMexit.
*This post includes affiliate links.
WAIM Unlimited
You may be wondering why I’m including a business membership/community on this list, but hear me out – I have reasons!
As a WAIM member since 2019, I love that the membership comes with a full library and tons of business training. I’m four years into business and I still go back to this content often for refining my foundations and upleveling my systems.
Waim is run by a husband and wife team who encourages you to “walk your business” rather than run it. I love their laid-back vibes. In fact, they teach you how to build a business around your desired lifestyle, not the other way around. Which, afterall, is a HUGE reason why I am leaving social media. I want to enjoy life more!
Entrepreneur Community
If you’re thinking about leaving social media, you may be worried that you’ll lose that sense of community or belonging. I have a decent amount of online friends I keep up with on social media – but honestly, those relationships only gain depth when I pull them aside and invite them to a virtual coffee date. (Food for thought there.)
Aside from deep, biz bestie friendships, I’ll tell you what else you need, and that’s an entrepreneurial-minded community to toss ideas around, share insights and inspiration and collaborate with. WAIM has that, to a T and so much more. If I wanted to, I could spend all day inside of the community chatting with other biz owners from all walks of life. It’s fascinating, fun and helpful!
Biz Building Trainings that Aren’t Centered Around Social Media
The second reason why I am including WAIM on this list, is because many of the training I’ve done that have ultimately allowed me to plan my exit off of social media, came from the WAIM membership library. Their SEO course totally changed my business!
For a teaser: here are some of my favorite free resources that WAIM offers. This will give you a taste of why I love the full membership.
Teachery
With my specific plan to remove dependency on social media, I am consciously choosing to host more DIY courses for my audience to complete at their own leisure. Honestly, the hardest part about this process is choosing a course platform and sticking to it. For years I experimented with everything you can think of – Kajabi, Teachable, SquareSpace membership site hacks – eventually I made my decision and I haven’t looked back.
I chose Teachery and here’s why.
Total transparency – every single platform has pros and cons. What one does well, another totally sucks at, which makes it really hard to decide – especially as a new online business owner. You can literally spend months (or years) moving in circles, jumping from host to host – and I’ll be honest. You’ll never find one that’s 200% satisfying. You just won’t.
So why did I choose Teachery?
It’s simple. I have lifetime access included with my WAIM membership (see above.) That means not only do I get a software platform that is easy to use and mine forever (muahahaha) but also I get a community full of biz besties and a huge library full of business building content, PLUS monthly live training.
The hardest part about making a decision is making it. Once you choose, your best bet is to ignore the shining objects and stick to it. With Teachery tied to my WAIM membership and free lifetime access; it’s a no=brainer. I’m here for the long haul. Goodbye endless platform shopping.
A sample of how I use Teachery in my online business.
>>Read more about why I love WAIM + Teachery over here
Annette Stepanian, Your Legal BFF
One of the biggest mistakes I see all new business owners make is starting their services and products before they have a solid legal foundation. All it takes is one unhappy client or customer, and you can be knee-deep in financial ruin.
I like to think of legal structures as the root chakra system for your business. It grounds you in, protects you, keeps you safe and gives you a strong foundation to build upon.
Years ago I found Annette Stepanian, owner of “Your Legal BFF” and I’ve used her ever since. As a DIY farm gal, I love that all I have to do is download one of her easy-to-use legal templates, customize it to my needs, and wham, I’m good to go. I’ve used lots of her templates for lots of different things and I always recommend her to my private clients.
Here are a few of my favorite legal templates from Annette:
Pro-tip: Feeling a little uneasy about a DIY template? You can always have a local lawyer review your work, which will guarantee you’re good to go. You’ll also save a ton of money up front by working with Annette’s templates (think of all the billable hours a lawyer would have charged you to start from scratch!)
>>More about how I use Annette’s Legal Templates in my business here.
SquareSpace
I said it once and I’ll say it again – it is so easy for entrepreneurs to waste all their time shopping for the perfect software for their business. Website builders are no exception to this statement.
I’ve been a dedicated SquareSpace user since 2015. I literally roll my eyes at every client who tells me they are using something other than SquareSpace. It’s like, why make your life more complicated? That’s the equivalent of refusing to use a modern cell phone and instead choosing to run down to the telegraph office and send a telegram every five seconds. It just doesn't make sense.
SquareSpace is sooo easy to use, I promise, even my mother could do it! It integrates nicely with everything. In fact, I wish all of my software would run as smoothly and as intuitively as SquareSpace. I can literally build a full website in less than an hour. What more could you ask for?
Active Campaigns
Part of leaving social media is because I want to spend less time online. That means more automated systems in place, including email. Active Campaigns allows me to segment my audience in detail and build all sorts of automations that allow me to “set it and forget it” so I can spend more time offline, doing what I love to do. It also allows me to spend more time coaching, and actually making money, instead of wasting time fidgeting with email service providers that are complicated, overwhelming and glitchy.
I’ve been using AC for about 2 years now and I’m thoroughly pleased. Plus, when I do have an issue (which is rare) I always hear from a real human being within 24 hours. That’s worth soooo much!