It is not your marketing skills - it is social media fatigue

Reading time 2.5 mins

It started as a good idea. At first, I limited my YouTube to music only (I don’t use Spotify, it’s a robbery in daylight), then I deleted Facebook from my phone… Within a few weeks, I began thinking about buying a regular watch, so I could leave my phone at home without worrying about the time. The strange thing was, I didn’t feel any FOMO or impulse to “just check” what’s new. It wasn’t a digital detox as you read about it in the self-help section; it wasn’t even a productivity hack; it was a pure relief. And I didn’t want to go back. The problem was that my work and, hence, my earnings are very closely tied to the online presence. However lovely Bangor is, most people find my workshops online, and most people I connect with are not geographically local. And then something clicked for me.

I wish I could get a pound for every time I hear an artist, a psychologist, a coach, a healer…, saying that they need to learn more about marketing and selling to make their business sustainable. I think there is a widespread idea that there is some esoteric knowledge behind marketing strategies we all need to access and learn, but really, especially on a small business level, it is just about talking about your work and what you have to offer. And anyone can do that. (and yes, some basic rules are good to be aware of, not to dismiss the whole industry). So what if the problem of sustainable marketing is not in the strategy or education, but in social media fatigue?

I guess this is the best representation of “being offline” I could think of. summer in the Alps.

I hold two certificates in digital marketing from a local college (several months that I will never get back), so in theory, I’m fairly well equipped to take care of my own small business, and perhaps even advise others. Why don’t I use it? The answer is in the first paragraph of this text. The constant pressure to be seen, available, sociable, interesting, aesthetic and gods know what - I call it “the performative element”. It can be overwhelming. It takes away from the deep, focused work that I love and enjoy so much. I did not choose to be a jeweller or a coach because I loved posting content online; I chose it for the transformation that happens if you are attentive, tuned in, when you connect to the people on a much deeper level than likes on Instagram (thank you for everyone liking and commenting!). And I suspect most people in the creative sector, or helping professionals, feel very similarly about their work.

So, let’s just speculate a little. What if, just a tiny little if, you don’t need to get better at marketing, you don’t need to attend the next available workshop, subscribe to yet another marketing expert’s email list, or explore another marketing strategy, but what you really need is to address social media fatigue? Avoidance is rarely about not knowing what to do; it is much more about other underlying issues that set barriers to effective action. They are often not consciously known, but they show up through emotions, words, and behaviours. I think it is an interesting topic to explore either through introspection or in coaching (shameless plug here). Is it reasonable to suspect that the sentence “I’m just not good at the marketing stuff” actually means “I really don’t like being on the apps so much”? And if it is, how can we make it work without burning out?
What do you think? Have you found any balance? Did you go off and on again? How was it? And why on earth is it so hard to stay consistently online?

I would love to hear your thoughts and observations.

P.S.: I still feel almost physically sick just looking at the meta business suite interface, but I'm getting there!