You Don’t Owe Loyalty to a Social Media Platform
Let's Talk About the Social Media Guilt Trip
Have you ever posted something on a platform and then heard crickets? No likes, no shares, no cheeky little "love this!" in the comments? And yet, you keep showing up. Because you feel like you have to. Because that's what all the marketing gurus said, right? "You need to be on every platform. Your audience is everywhere!"
Well, I'm here to lovingly tell you: you don't owe loyalty to any social media platform. Not one. Nada. Zip.
Social media is not your friend, your fairy godmother, or your free marketing genie. It's a tool. One of many. And if it's making you feel more burnt out than boosted? It's time for a rethink.
Why We Keep Trying to Please the Algorithm Gods
Social media platforms are designed to do one thing really well: keep people on their platform. Not necessarily bring them to your website. Not necessarily help you land clients. Definitely not to help you build a life or business that feels good to run.
The big players (yes, looking at you Meta, TikTok, X-that-used-to-be-Twitter) make their money by keeping people scrolling, not clicking away. So of course they make it seem like your only option is to keep feeding the content machine. And when posts flop? You start questioning yourself instead of the platform.
Spoiler: it’s not you. It's the setup. You're playing on rented land, and the landlord keeps changing the rules.
Your Time and Energy Deserve Better
Let’s imagine social media is like a networking event. You wouldn’t run yourself ragged trying to be at every single event in town, would you? Of course not. You'd pick the one where your kind of people hang out—the ones who get what you're about, ask smart questions, and might actually want to work with you.
So why do we treat social media differently?
Being on every platform is not a strategy. It's a surefire way to water down your mojo and exhaust yourself. (Also, side note: you can post the same thing everywhere. There's no loyalty clause saying you have to tailor your content to every audience like you're on an influencer reality show.)
Instead, let’s flip the switch. Ask yourself:
What’s actually working for me?
Where have I gotten real leads or connections?
Which platform feels less like pulling teeth and more like a casual catch-up with my future clients?
Rethink Your Marketing Priorities (Without the Panic)
Here’s a spicy truth: social media isn’t your main marketing channel. It's the tiniest tip of your funnel. Your website? That's your HQ. Your email list? That's where the real party happens.
Yes, be visible. Yes, show that you’re still in business (people do check the date of your last post—we’re a nosy bunch). But don’t let visibility turn into vanity metrics.
Focus instead on:
Building a website that actually converts
Nurturing your email list (they already like you—what a dream!)
Picking one platform to prioritise, and using scheduling tools to cover the rest (Buffer, Metricool, Later—take your pick)
Set Your Bare Minimum and Set Yourself Free
If you're tired of constantly posting, here's your permission slip: set a bare minimum. Not zero, but something sustainable.
My personal minimum? 30 minutes a week on my own social media. That's it. I engage with my LinkedIn crowd (hi, lurkers!), comment on posts, share something simple. Done. And you know what? It works.
Because marketing isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things consistently. And if one of those things is letting go of social media guilt? Even better.
So, What Now?
If you’re feeling the pressure to be everywhere, here’s your action plan:
Audit your platforms: What’s working, what’s just noise?
Pick one platform to focus on: Choose it based on where your people actually are.
Redirect everything to your website: That’s your turf, your message, your rules.
Own your email list: It’s still the best way to build trust.
Schedule the rest, guilt-free: Automation isn’t lazy. It’s smart.
And above all, remember: social media works for you, not the other way around. 🧡
You don’t owe it your loyalty. You owe it to yourself to make your marketing work on your terms.
Got questions or need help figuring out your one platform? Book a "Pick Zoë's Brain" session and let's map it out together. 🎯🧠
