I wasn't surprised by the results; my own clients feel the same. Their responses and discomfort around using Instagram (and other platforms) got me thinking about the social media they believe they need – produced videos, lip sync, and dancing – versus what is perfectly acceptable to promote their business. Simply put, what I believe businesses need are great content ideas that are relevant to their ideal customer.

The questions that come to the top of your mind are likely: HOW? How do I generate ideas and know what is relevant to my ideal customer? And HOW do you bridge the gap between creating both types of content, the engaging content and the rest (which, albeit, should still be engaging in a different way)?

We have to put in the thinking work – we need to have a discussion about your business. Can you do this step on your own? Certainly. However, I often can pick out specific topics that I hear you mentioning consistently and help you see what you do differently. Plus, as someone on the outside looking in, I can see things that are important for your ideal customer that they may not know about yet.

We also have to show up and be consistent about it. James Clear, my favorite productivity teacher and author of Atomic Habits, supports my just-show-up mentality. He writes, "Two is twice as good as one, but one is infinitely better than zero."

・Creating one thing to share on social media as one post is infinitely better than zero.

・Recording one face-to-camera video, as one video, is infinitely better than zero.

・Sending one email to your list per month, as one email, is infinitely better than zero.

Just showing up, just putting in the start of the work you need, begins to build a habit, and with habits, you'll begin to see change. One thing doesn't seem like it's enough, but with zero, you're not even getting started.

So here's my two cents: Maybe it's not that you don't like social media. Maybe it's simply (ha, simple) that because you don't fully understand what you need to do, Instagram seems like this pain in the ass that you would rather not even think about. Believe me, I'm right there with you with certain aspects of my business – like my bookkeeping. To which I've now hired someone to help me manage that part of my business. Fortunately or unfortunately, you can go on not using the platforms, or you can recognize that they are not going anywhere. Well, maybe TikTok, but we will know more about this as the months progress. The reality is Meta is here to stay, and to embrace what it can offer you (increased brand awareness, networking opportunities, SEO, website traffic, etc.) is crucial.

Amplify my personalized coaching sessions can help guide you in the right direction. They can help you create clarity and understanding around aspects of your marketing that you need support with. I was recently speaking with a therapist who does regularly post on social but was struggling to attract the right women for a particular service she offers. When she mentioned the service, I had never heard this word used before. So I asked for more clarification as I just did not understand. I may not fully be the target audience she is looking for, but I am in the demographic of what she wants. After a quick conversation, I pointed out that she is using terminology that is too clinical. When she explained to me what she does and what she offers new moms, I easily connected to this specific topic. I told her to write down what she just said and talk about this particular topic in this way.

Just as we hire coaches or tutors for our children, think of your business as another child. If you need support – you outsource. You don't have to go at building a business all on your own; there are people like me who are here to help guide you through understanding what may not come naturally. I live and breathe sales and marketing; you live and breathe your own expertise. Recognize that, take one small step at a time, and even if we meet just once, one meeting about your content marketing is better than zero.