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Unsubscribe: How To Simplify Your Internet Life

unsubscribeOverwhelmed by e-newsletters, tweets, rss feeds, status updates and instant messaging?

Unsubscribe.

What?!!! You can’t be serious.

Absolutely. There’s no Internet law preventing you from doing it (despite what the hidden continuity Internet marketing guys say).

Rank every e-newsletter, blog rss feed, social media/social networking subscription you’ve got one-by-one…then trash 90% of them.

How?

Let’s start with your e-newsletter subscriptions. Rank them in order of importance to your life (what you actually read as opposed to should read). If you’ve got 20 subscriptions, unsubscribe from newsletters ranked #3 through #20 (that’s 9/10 i.e. 90%).

Move to Twitter. Rank those you’re following and then unfollow 90%.

RSS Feeds – rank and unsubscribe.

Facebook – rank and block/defriend.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Then put a tickler in your calendar to remind you every 30 days to repeat this exercise.

The sun will rise tomorrow, you’ll feel less overwhelmed by “should do” and information overload.

Who knows? Maybe in a month you’ll be ready to go unwired 1 or 2 days per week.

Yes, there is a life outside of cyberspace. Try it.


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Filed Under: Internet Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments

  1. Mr. Twenty Twenty says:
    August 26, 2009 at 4:49 pm

    Hi Mike,

    I just had to comment on this one.

    I love it!

    I’ve been deleting 10 to 20 twitter followers a day for a week plus now.

    I’m actually beginning to enjoy it again, seeing people that I want to see.

    Thanks for the great article!

    Twenty Twenty

    Reply
    • Mike Young says:
      August 26, 2009 at 5:50 pm

      Thanks for the comment, Twenty Twenty. Simplification works when it comes to social media.

      Entirely consistent with the 80/20 Principle.

      Best wishes,

      -Mike

      Reply
  2. janet robertson says:
    December 26, 2009 at 6:59 pm

    i want to unsubscribe facebook.

    Reply
  3. renee shipwash says:
    April 1, 2010 at 2:04 am

    i dont wont to be on facebook anymore.

    Reply
  4. edgar loesssin says:
    May 11, 2010 at 8:31 am

    I want to unsubscribe immediately

    Reply
    • Mike Young says:
      May 11, 2010 at 12:52 pm

      Edgar,

      If you’re on any of our lists, please use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the e-mails you’ve received and you’ll be automatically unsubscribed. If you can’t find the unsubscribe link, please use the contact form on this website to provide the name and the e-mail address you used to subscribe. We’ll promptly look you up and unsubscribe you.

      Best wishes,

      -Mike

      Reply
  5. Morag walls says:
    June 10, 2010 at 6:09 am

    I just want to unsubscribe from facebook

    Morag

    Reply

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Can Social Media Information be a Protectable Trade SecretMaryland Bans Employers From Requiring Social Media PasswordsFacebook Offers Friendly Start for Social Media NewbiesHampton School Board Enforces Social Media Policy, Precautions on Social Media NeededAdvanced Social Media Marketing – How To Post To Facebook TimelineIs Social Media Playing a Role in a Global Power RevolutionChildren and Social MediaHow Social Media is Nudging Call Centers to Get Their Act TogetherFacetwitumblink: Why We Love-Hate-Love Social Media IntegrationA Winning Social Media Strategy Workshop : wordworksevents

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