by Mandy Green, Busy Coach
Let’s be real: managing social media on top of recruiting, admin, practices, and meetings? It’s a lot.
You want to use social media to grow your program — not to get buried by it. But without a plan, it’s just another thing pulling your attention in 10 directions.
The good news? You don’t need to spend hours a day online. You need a smarter system that helps you show up with intention, not stress.
Here are 3 habits I teach coaches to help them reclaim their time, stay focused, and make social media work for them — not against them:
1. Get Strategic or Get Sucked In
Ever logged in to “quickly check Instagram”… and looked up an hour later wondering where your time went?
That’s what happens without a strategy.
Social media should support your recruiting — not sabotage it. So before you post, scroll, or reply, ask:
- What’s my goal today on social?
- How does this help recruits get to know our team, our culture, or our staff?
- Is this platform where my recruits are even hanging out?
Your goal is to get integrated: align your online efforts with your offline recruiting plan. Then, keep it simple — use a basic content tracker to plan what you’re posting, where, and why.
Intentionality saves time. Period.
2. Track Your Time (Like You Track Your Athletes)
You track reps and practice plans… but not your social time? That’s where the gap is.
Use tools like EggTimer or RescueTime to measure how long your content creation, posting, or engagement actually takes. You might be shocked.
📌 Tip: Set a 30-minute timer to write your posts for the week. When the timer’s up, you’re done. It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress and discipline.
The more aware you are of your time, the more power you have to use it wisely.
3. Set Boundaries — Then Stick to Them
Social media will expand to fill every open pocket of your day… if you let it.
Here’s how I help coaches put guardrails in place:
- Choose which platforms you’ll focus on
- Set 2–3 specific times you’ll check them
- Use the Pomodoro method (try the FocusBooster app):
- 25 minutes of focused work
- 5-minute break
- Repeat
No more endless checking. No more “just one more scroll.”
You’re the head coach — not the head scroller.
Final Thought:
You don’t need to be online all day to be effective. You just need to be intentional.
The most successful coaches I work with aren’t doing more — they’re doing less, better.
Start small. Get clear on your purpose. Track your time. Set firm boundaries.
If you want a system that gives you back your hours and builds recruiting momentum, grab Mandy’s 365-Day Recruiting Content Calendar for College Coaches. It’s the shortcut she wishes she had 10 years ago.