{"id":22014,"date":"2021-10-22T02:28:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T09:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propelbusinessworks.com\/?p=22014"},"modified":"2024-04-18T09:55:08","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T16:55:08","slug":"how-leaving-social-media-and-taking-control-of-my-content-improved-my-business-and-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propelbusinessworks.com\/propelsocial\/how-leaving-social-media-and-taking-control-of-my-content-improved-my-business-and-my-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How Leaving Social Media and Taking Control of My Content Improved My Business\u2026 and My Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Originally written for and published on ProductiveFlourishing.com<\/a> on October 21, 2021<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I wanted to do it in 2017. I even wrote about<\/a> my disillusionment with social media and the luster wearing off back then, but couldn\u2019t bring myself to pull the lever and leave. After all, social media has been part of my small business startup, strategy, growth, and marketing business since Propel\u2019s beginning in 2009. How could I possibly get off the hamster wheel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, in mid-2019, my favorite platform shut down my account<\/a> without warning. No matter how many emails I sent the Instagram \u2018powers that be\u2019 during the eight weeks I was unable to access my account, no explanation was ever offered. It wasn\u2019t until I sent a nasty gram threatening legal action that my account was back \u2014 within 24 hours. Hmmm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During those eight weeks, however, I found a kind of freedom. Sure, at first, I felt displaced and sickened that all my diligent content work since 2012 was gone. But I slowly realized I had been given a gift. I no longer had the pressure of publishing content daily to keep my 10k+ followers interested or the platform algorithms churning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was allowed back on the platform, I chose to post less frequently and only when I had something good to say. Yes, I lost followers and engagement. But guess what? I learned how to not care.<\/em> Publishing good content had become my priority, not pleasing people or \u201cfeeding the algorithm beast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this, I still felt pressured. A year later I finally said it out loud to a few associates: \u201cI want off social by the end of 2020.\u201d It\u2019s amazing what happens when you use your words to create change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After reading Instagram\u2019s new terms and conditions released in late 2020, I knew it was time for me to leave. Within 24 hours, I published one final post on Propel\u2019s Instagram account, removed all social apps from my phone, and officially began strategizing my new social approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, everything I would have published on Zuckerberg\u2019s sites has instead been published on Propel\u2019s blog<\/a>. Here\u2019s what that has meant for me and for Propel\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Content Is in My Hands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Never again will I worry that my intellectual property (my<\/em> thoughts, ideas, copy, and images) might be held hostage or may not be returned to me. And when Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other platform experiences an outage or shuts down a profile, Propel\u2019s site (and content) lives on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Creativity Has Ignited<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I can say, share, do and post what I want, how I want, as much as I want. The content I\u2019m publishing benefits my own site, SEO, and traffic, and doesn\u2019t line some billionaire\u2019s pockets. This has released my inhibitions and allowed the content I create to have more depth, which makes it more meaningful and valuable for my readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time Is Saved and Well Spent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Because social apps are no longer on my phone, scrolling on social platforms has stopped, and that saved time is pure gold. As a Maximizer (hello StrengthsFinder<\/a>) and a small business owner, being efficient with my time is vital to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a weekly \u201csocial\u201d blog now in play, I spend focused time getting quality content written, optimized, and published for each week. There\u2019s no longer a daily scramble to find a photo, think of a caption, and publish just to publish. I now have the freedom and ability to focus on what is really<\/em> important each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Posting Weekly Has Been an Excellent Discipline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Over the years I\u2019ve heard about and followed many creatives, entrepreneurs, and self-motivated individuals who have challenged themselves to finish a month or year of daily writing, painting, crafting, or some other interesting activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, as I\u2019ve joined their ranks of disciplined action, I can truly say publishing content weekly has been good for my creativity and my mind and benefits me and my audiences in a truly authentic way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Audience Has Thanked Me<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been incredibly encouraging to hear from those on Propel\u2019s email lists who have also wanted off the social merry-go-round. They\u2019ve come out of the woodwork and have, in turn, been encouraged that they can decide to focus their effort on content locations that empower them and their audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so many people having come forward in gratitude for sharing my story and giving them the \u2018permission slips\u2019 they\u2019ve been looking for, I\u2019ve come to realize being a leader<\/a> sometimes looks different than we think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was nervous about what people would say or think if I stepped out of the \u2018box\u2019 they assume I should be in. But by taking the leap that was right for me and quitting social, I unwittingly gave others permission and freedom to follow their truth, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took me years<\/em> to jump. But when I finally did, people were eager and ready to follow the lead. They were just waiting for someone to show the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business Has Followed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, the content we are now publishing weekly is growing our online footprint through SEO. But it has also caught the attention of many who had been dormant on our lists. Contacts and past clients have been circling back, asking for help, seeking new strategies, and re-engaging with Propel in new ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, this journey has not been easy, but as I\u2019ve taken each step, the next step has been revealed and reinforced, making it a path worth following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shifting strategies is a personal journey everyone must take at their own unique right moment in time. It might be a slow transition or swift and sudden, but it is often realized when pain exceeds comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Propel\u2019s decision to jump off social media and take control of our content was fueled by determination to remove myself from inauthentic, fickle, and privacy-snatching systems. This was my personal pain-exceeds-comfort moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, my question to you: What pain points are you experiencing? How can you shift to take control and improve your situation, business, or life? How can you harness your creativity and become a leader in your circle?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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