Member Article

How to do a digital detox...

As the the number of online devices we own continues to grow, more and more of us are trying to allow ourselves to be more “in the moment” by consciously reducing how much time we spend in front of a screen.

Susan Hallam, Founder of multi award-winning, digital marketing agency Hallam, looks at how to start a successful digital detox.

From Facebook to Instagram, email to WhatsApp, we’re trying to cut down.

We may be more digitally connected than ever, but with things like social media creating major concerns for our health and wellbeing, many of us have started to consider a digital detox.

Research by GlobalWebIndex revealed 70% of consumers in the UK are trying to limit their digital consumption in some way, and 1 in 5 of us are either already on or have previously tried to participate in a digital detox.

The question is, how do you do a digital detox? And what are the implications for businesses as our customers are unplugging from the online world? A digital detox starts with self awareness

For iPhone users, it can be quite shocking to review your Apple Screen Time statistics, and when you add that to the time on to your other devices like an iPad or a desktop, it all starts to look a bit toxic.

Google has released a Digital Wellbeing app which integrates with Google Calendar, YouTube, and Google Home as well as other applications like Twitch and Slack. The app allows you to see the breakdown of where your time in front of the screen has been spent. Digital detox tools If you’re ready to start a digital detox, there are some excellent tools and support mechanisms out there for you to try. Here are some of the top tools to give a go: 8 Day Data Detox Tactical Technology Collective have put together a short programme which helps you to understand in more detail the data that is being collected about you by different websites. It also helps you to restore a sense of sanity to your privacy online.

The 8-day detox enables you to track down what Google, Facebook and the other platforms know about you and teaches you how to regain control of what your mobile phone is broadcasting. Do Not Disturb Another excellent detox tip is to use the simple Do Not Disturb function on the iPhone and iPad. This will stop all the pings, rings, alerts and notifications. Using this setting means you can set your own rules for when you want to sleep, drive, or just have a moment of peace to yourself. Personal Productivity Tools Concentration. Concentration. Concentration.

It isn’t easy, especially when you’re tempted to check a few status updates or read an email. Simon Sinek gives a fascinating discussion about use of social media having the same addictive qualities as smoking, drinking, and gambling.

If you can, give yourself the space to watch this 15-minute video as it’s well worth it.

There is also a fascinating application called Space that short-circuits the instant gratification of social media and gets you to complete a quick breathing exercise and regain control, before you spiral down the rabbit hole of social media.

There are so many productivity apps that will help you regain your concentration. Do a quick search in the App store for “digital detox” and you will find lots of options to control your screen time, be more mindful of your screen time, and get unplugged.

Looking for somewhere to start? Try Flipd. The reality is on average we touch our smartphones a thousand times a day and we are all part of digital’s unrelenting development and innovation. So, with more people becoming aware of the information shared online and many choosing to take a step back with a digital detox, what effect will this have on your business?

So how can our companies understand and respect our customers’ desire for wellbeing, for personal relationships, and genuine privacy?

Here are 3 top tips for marketing teams to follow, as customers become more selective in how they are using their screen time:

Your company communications and content will need to be even more valuable and meaningful to your customers, otherwise they will tune you out. It is important to keep an eye on key performance indicators like unsubscribes and unfollowing from your channels, as well as reducing levels of engagement, as this could mean your business is being detoxed out of your customers’ screen time.

Your company compliance with GDPR and other privacy regulations is one of the most important parts of your business and will be the cornerstone of building trust. You break that trust at your peril, and once lost never regained.

Your digital communications will need to integrate fully with making human connections. People do business with other people, and you will need to enable meaningful connections with your employees, peers and colleagues. Fully integrating your offline and online marketing will keep your communications relevant and useful.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruby Harrison .