Facebook can provide great value to entrepreneurs, but a cluttered, distracting News Feed can also be a drain on productivity. As an entrepreneur myself, I regularly unfollow people and Pages to curate a Facebook experience that saves me time and mental energy. Here‘s my guide to optimizing Facebook by unfollowing strategically.
The Value of a Curated Feed for Entrepreneurs
The average person spends 38 minutes a day on Facebook – time that adds up quickly! As an entrepreneur, it pays to be intentional about who and what you follow. An optimized feed helps entrepreneurs:
- Stay on top of industry news and trends
- Identify new opportunities and potential partnerships
- Connect with influencers, experts and mentors
- Showcase content to reach the right audience
- Avoid distracting personal posts from connections
According to social media experts, entrepreneurs should limit Facebook time to 30-60 minutes daily to maintain focus. Unfollowing is key to making that time count.
Who and What to Unfollow as an Entrepreneur
Though personal posts can be enjoyable, as an entrepreneur I‘ve found it‘s best to unfollow:
- High school friends posting about family vacations or kids – their life stage just isn‘t relevant anymore
- Previous colleagues in different industries – I‘m just not interested in their content
- Politicians and political commentators – too distracting and stressful!
- Celebrities and influencers outside my niche – irrelevant to my goals
- Brands selling to other target markets
- News media outlets that frequently share sensational or negative news
This decluttering leaves room to follow industry thought leaders, potential partners, influencers in my niche and positive news outlets.
Step-by-Step Guide to Unfollowing on Desktop and Mobile
Unfollowing people on Facebook is a simple process once you get the hang of it:
On Desktop
- Click the 3 dots next to a post by someone you want to unfollow.
- Select "Unfollow [Name]" from the dropdown menu.
On Mobile
- Tap the 3 dots next to a post by someone you want to unfollow.
- Tap "Unfollow [Name]" from the dropdown menu.
You can also unfollow people from their profiles directly using the same process. Unfollowing Groups and Pages works the same way too.
Here are some Facebook settings I recommend entrepreneurs adjust:
- Prioritize Who to See First to focus on industry connections
- Unfollow tags and keywords that aren‘t relevant
- See First to minimize personal posts from acquaintances
Additional Tools to Optimize Your Feed
Browser extensions like FBPurity allow granular control over what appears in your Facebook feed, including filtering by post type, keywords, and more.
Social media management platforms like Hootsuite can also help schedule posts and analyze engagement.
Refollow Strategically
Before refollowing someone, critically evaluate if you need their updates. Don‘t refollow just for the sake of connection count.
Entrepreneur Hana Abaza advises starting a 30-day "Facebook Detox" to reset your habits before carefully refollowing select connections.
Curating Your Feed is Worth the Investment
Unfollowing may seem petty, but for entrepreneurs the payoff is immense: less distraction, better focus, and more value from the time invested in Facebook.
As entrepreneur Tim Ferriss says:
"Don‘t accept every Facebook friend request. Don‘t follow people you don‘t know or don‘t find interesting. Be picky. Your feed will be better."
Take control of your Facebook experience by unfollowing strategically to avoid distraction. You‘ll be amazed what a difference it makes!
