Set a two-minute timer, scroll one app looking only for real life updates, then close it and reach those people off-platform.
The idea
An hour of scrolling can leave you with 47 likes, 12 comments and nothing to show for it. The Social Media Signal Review is a two-minute practice that turns that time into relationship building: you scroll with intention, looking for reasons to connect, and then reach out privately. Direct outreach stands out because most engagement on these platforms is public and performative.
How to do it
Set a timer for two minutes and open one app.
Look for meaningful life updates: trips, health news, work wins, family milestones, a challenge they're facing.
Don't engage on the platform. Make a note of what you saw.
When the timer goes off, close the app and reach out directly by text, email or call.
Try it two or three times a week.
Example
Someone posts vacation photos. Instead of becoming the 47th person to like them, you close the app and text: "That beach in your photos looked amazing! How was Maui?"
Watch out for
Ignore politics (all of it), generic inspirational quotes, clickbait, and random thoughts about cheese curds.
Flare, Not Walkie-Talkie: Treat social media as a flare that signals a reason to connect, then reach the person directly instead of becoming one more like.
The Channel Switch: Respond on a different channel than the one the news came through: a LinkedIn post gets a text, an email gets a call.
Event-Driven Outreach: Use moments in their life, from new jobs and kids' milestones to illness and loss, as reasons to reach out between your regular check-ins.
750 Seconds a Day: Spend about 12.5 minutes a day on micro-actions, flagging a few people and sending quick texts, instead of long occasional catch-up sessions.