In the early years of my business, my business friends and I frequently spoke about social media. We spoke about the things that worked for us (new hashtags, challenges, text on image) and what didn’t (feeling like we had to be ‘on’ all the time, being overwhelmed, wondering about the algorithm).
Our conversations usually ended with “We’ll just have to deal with it. Social media is part of running an online business”.
In this post, I’m debunking 4 myths like this about marketing without social media. These are the stories I was told, and the ones that my clients struggle with.
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You need a big following elsewhere to leave social media
Since I stopped marketing my business on social media in October 2021 I’ve been on the lookout for people making similar moves. A story I come across frequently is that you can only leave social media if you have a big newsletter list, if you have a popular YouTube channel, if you have a big audience elsewhere. Leaving social media, it seems, is a luxury not afforded to us lesser mortals.
When I stopped marketing my business on Instagram (the only social media I used), I had fewer than 135 newsletter subscribers, 2930 impressions on Pinterest (and an engagement score of 60) and about 250 monthly website visitors.
I left social media with a relatively small audience anywhere, and my business did not crash and burn. In fact, because of how intentional I became about my marketing, my business started to thrive.
No one will discover your business without social media
We are so used to large companies and brands being everywhere that we assume that as small business owners, freelancers and creatives we, too, need to be everywhere.
But that’s not true.
The beauty of running your own small business is that you get to be very intentional about where and how you show up.
In October 2021 my business was doing okay-ish: I was still working mainly at my part-time teaching job, and spent a little over a day a week on my business. I’d been selling some business guides and had a few clients.
Since then, my business has thrived.
People are finding me in absolutely magical ways: through my newsletter, the Substack network, word of mouth, the occasional podcast, Pinterest, my blog and website and a handful of guest posts that I’ve done over the years.
Because the most important thing about marketing? Being intentional.
Social media is the easiest way to reach new customers
Marketing gurus like to make you believe that being on social media is the quickest, most effective, easiest way of attracting new customers.
Is it though?
While it depends on your business, of course, for small businesses, freelancers and creatives, social media usually isn’t all that effective or quick. Since social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok show your content more if you post more, small business owners often end up in a bind: either post only how often is feasible for you and risk not getting a lot of engagement, or posting as much as possible and burning yourself out.
The idea that social media is the quickest way to reach new customers tends to be true primarily for people who have the time, energy and/or money to post a lot. Those who have a dedicated PR-team or VA for example.
When I ask my clients what is truly the way in which most of their new customers find them, they mention word of mouth and recommendations—not social media.
You can’t run an online business without social media
Yes, yes you can.
Because the most important thing about marketing? Being intentional.
If there is one secret to marketing your business in an effective and profitable way, it’s to be intentional with where you share about your business and the amazingness you have to offer the world.
As I show you in my group programme Grow, being intentional also means being very intentional with your time and energy. It means not spreading yourself thin by trying to be on all the channels.
Being intentional is all about discovering what types of marketing suit your strengths and business values—and to focus on that (which is what we’ll be doing in the first workshop of Grow).
Yes, you can run your online business without social media. And it can thrive beyond your wildest dreams.
I’ve been marketing without social media for over two years. Since leaving social media, nearly two thousand new newsletter subscribers and dozens of clients and customers have discovered my work. And I’m not the only one marketing without social media, or exploring marketing beyond the algorithm: from Jason and Caroline Zook of Wandering Aimfully and author Emma Gannon to artists and creators like Lisa Burda and Marloes De Vries who are questioning the role of social media in their work
I’d love to know which of these strategies to feel more supported in your business you’ve tried, and which you’re going to try out. I’d love to know!
Please feel free to share it with business friends, in your newsletter or on social media. 💛
I’d love to support you in all phases of your business. Providing clarity, focus and next steps is something that my clients tell me I’m really good at. If you’re curious about how we can work together through 1:1 mentoring, check out what I offer or send me an email–no strings attached. I have payment plans available, and flexible options for mentoring calls (30 or 60 minutes).
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