It is the 21^st century, social media has taken over our lives. I use social media to receive more clients for my photography, find cute ideas on Pinterest and communicate with others. This could be a good and bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Here are 11 tips on how to work and control your social media usage and make it work for you, instead of the other way around.

Don’t let it consume you. On average, teens are on social media nine hours a day! I admit I am always on Pinterest, Instagram or doing some kind of work on my computer or phone. Not only could that impact your health, but also can fry your mind with so many crafts and ideas that are impossible to recreate. I suggest go get in a good workout or read a book! Refresh your mind with other things other than the filters on Snapchat.

Interact with your audience. Social media makes it easier to communicate with others. This can be in a negative and positive matter. If someone commented on your photo giving a compliment or asking a question, reply back! This is the easiest way to keep and gain followers.

Use social media to make friends. Yes, there are actually people on Facebook just to “poke” fun. Use technology to get connected with other. With my photography, I love to see other artist’s work and how I could make my photos look better.

Don’t use social media at a marketing device. My newsfeed is always filled with celebrities promoting some kind of product. Especially Bachelor/Bachelorette alumni since they are the most beautiful people in America. I myself is a college representative for a clothing brand called Lily Grace. Reps have to post at least five times a months of the brand line or we would lose our position. It is hard to nonchalantly promote the brand without annoying followers.

Instagram is a lifesaver. Any and everything is posted on Instagram daily! Users can find workout plans, coffee shops to try out and my favorite is looking at all the food. Instagram is also a great place to connect with others through photos. It is also an excessive way to add a little spice to your camera roll.

Don’t over share random content. I cannot explain to you how annoying it is constantly seeing videos of animals, parody of politicians, or mother’s and their long rants about society. Honestly, no cares about your obsession with these videos. There’s a magical button called “Save” that only you can see what you save. Pretty sure I just saved a lot of your friendships.

Limit your social media platforms. It can be overwhelming to oversee all of your accounts. I only have five accounts that I post regularly on: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Snapchat. For Instagram alone I have four accounts for personal, professional and business.

There is a key to get more followers and likes. There is a science to this matter…yes I looked up how to get more likes on my posts. Have an overall theme with your account. This could be food, filters, or quotes. Post more on Mondays and Sundays around lunchtime because that is when people are mostly on their phones. #HASHTAG #EVERYTHING! It may look stupid, but trust me it will help!

Continuously do research. Especially for my blog, I am always trying to figure out what people want to read about. I could write a post about politics, but that will never reach young readers. It is easier for me to write about pop culture, yet older generations won’t think it’s a hit. Bloggers usually stick to one specific audience and continuously build that audience platform. It is a struggle in itself, but it is worth it!

Post a photo, video, or GIF with your status.Post with visuals receive 39 percent more interactions.Images are more eye catching and make your content readable. With that said, make sure your visual is illed with good content. Don’t post something that is not relatable or something people don’t want to look at. Especially bloggers and instagram enthusiast, check out this link to have better content!

Social media can make you famous! Okay this may be a long shot, but it has worked for many such as Justin Beiber. He posted numerous videos on YouTube of his performances and it caught many viewers’ attention. If you want people to discover your talent, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!

Want more tips for your online business or social media? Follow me on Instagram @mollieruemayfield and like my Facebook page MollieRue Photography for more ideas to get more out of social media!