Do you really need to be on social media?

This week's thought has been playing on my mind for a while.

If you spend any time online, you'd be forgiven for thinking that running a successful business means filming videos, creating reels, dancing on TikTok and sharing every moment of your day on Instagram. As a small business owner, it can feel like that's simply what's expected of us now. But I don't think that's true.

I've worked in marketing for almost thirty years, and one thing I've learnt is that marketing is so much more than social media. I've launched products, built brands, designed campaigns, created websites, organised events, worked with retailers, written content and helped businesses grow, and very little of that involved me standing in front of a camera.

Somewhere along the way, we've started confusing marketing with being the face of your business. The two aren't the same. Don't get me wrong, social media can be an amazing tool. It helps people get to know you, builds trust and creates conversations that eventually lead someone to your website. But I don't believe every business owner has to become a content creator. If you're naturally outgoing and love filming videos, fantastic, go for it, your personality will shine through.

But if, like me, you're much happier working quietly behind the scenes, that's okay too. The good news is that you don't have to build your business by constantly putting yourself in front of the camera. You can share photographs of your work. You can celebrate happy customers. You can offer helpful advice. You can write blogs, and you can let your website do some of the talking for you. And you can choose to let the quality of your work become your loudest voice, that's certainly much more my style.

For me, social media isn't the destination, it's simply one of the roads that leads people to my website, where they can take their time, explore my work and decide whether I'm the right person to help them, and I think that's where websites still matter.

Social media catches attention, yet your website builds confidence. The two can work beautifully together, but neither has to do all the heavy lifting on its own.

I'd much rather spend my time doing what I genuinely enjoy, from building websites, improving someone's Google visibility, writing blogs like this or helping a client finally feel proud of how their business looks online. Those things play to my strengths, and perhaps that's the real lesson. You don't have to market your business the same way as everyone else, just find the approach that feels natural to you.

Because consistency will always speak louder than trying to be someone you're not.

Right... I'm off to put the kettle on.

See you next time.

Bev ☕