If you’ve been spending any time on social media lately, you’ve seen it, too. All those ads trying to sell “done for you” social media posts or touting systems that allow you to “set it and forget it” when it comes to your social media.

For years, I have been calling this Crockpot Social Media. And, for years, I have been watching people try it, only to realize it just doesn’t work.

Can you take a “set it and forget it” approach with your social media? Absolutely! Between that and doing nothing, I’d rather see someone consistently posting. Being passively present is better than not being there at all.

However, if you are truly looking to leverage social media as an extension of your brand, you can’t just dump a bunch of content, walk away for 8-10 hours, and expect something magical to happen.

There is no crockpot for social media.

It’s one thing to have a presence on social media. It’s another thing to make that presence known.

It’s one thing to make a delicious crockpot meal. It’s another thing to make enough to share with people outside your household.

Set it and forget it means you forgot it. And, if you forget it, why should anyone care about it?

Social media is more like the somewhat elaborate meal you might slave over in preparation for a dinner party. You have a pot on every burner on the range and each one needs stirring at regular intervals. You have a couple of treats baking in the oven and will need to do a toothpick test periodically to monitor their doneness. You’re cutting veggies for a colorful salad. And, maybe you have an amazing last-minute idea for one more item that would be a perfect compliment to the menu and need to make a quick run to the store for a key ingredient.

All super easy for someone who is comfortable in the kitchen, accustomed to throwing dinner parties, and loves to create with food. Me? I’ll take the crockpot all day, every day. Because I am not a chef.

Luckily, I married someone who loves to cook.

I’d have figured things out eventually and survived just fine, but food that is prepared with love for the recipient is far more nourishing than that which is thrown together without much effort.

If you shortcut your social media, it will take you far longer to build the follower base you want. If you nurture your social media, followers will find you. And, if you actively engage with those followers, more will show up.

What’s in your pot?

Are you going to stir it or just let it simmer under the lid?