Can you market your business without social media?
Yes.
But why would you want to?
When people say they don’t want to post on social media, they often think about Facebook and Instagram. But there are many other ways to market your business online that don’t rely on the constant churn of social posts.
There are several reasons why you may want to market without social media. Maybe you’re self-conscious, maybe you hate social media, or it does not align with your values. Maybe you just hate big tech. Or that’s not how you want to market your business right now.
I feel you, and you’re in the right place, friend.
I have a love-hate relationship with social media.
I’m not one of those marketers telling you I do not use social media and deleted all my accounts.
I’m not even going to tell you that I don’t use social media to market my business because I actually kind of do. It’s just not how you think—or how all the gurus tell you to.
I generally don’t post on social media. I don’t update my status. I don’t make reels and videos. And when I’m on there, it tends to be really purpose-oriented. This is for my business and my personal life.
I use social media as a tool to connect with people. I call that relationships not reach. More on that later.
Social media can be great. For the first time in history, we can connect and share with people from around the world instantaneously from the palm of our hands.
I’ve solved many-a-problem via social media. I buy and sell things, trade and swap, give things away for free, find out the skinny on what’s happening in my neighborhood, and spy on old friends and coworkers. Don’t get me wrong. Being on social media has value, especially Facebook and Instagram, where a large percentage of the population hangs out.
However, you probably wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t feel that social media can be icky or even toxic.
When I think back on my relationship with social media, it’s never been pretty.
I remember joining Facebook when you needed a .edu address, and even then, I never felt great about it.
I didn’t like sharing every little detail of my life on it, but I enjoyed reading other people’s updates. I remember even just keeping my relationship status as “It’s complicated,” because I didn’t feel that my “relationship status” was anyone’s business but my own. I’m a private person, and I’ve always felt that the people in my life will know what’s going on. And that people who aren’t in my life don’t get access to my personal business.
One of my earliest eye-roll moments with social media was the 2014 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. It was an incredible campaign that raised millions for a great cause, but even then, I couldn’t shake the feeling that much of it had turned into a social media popularity contest. That was one of my early moments of realizing that social media, for all its power, often rewards performance over genuine connection.
Social media is designed to be addictive. It hits all of our pleasure sensors—easy, fun, instant gratification. It’s easy to get stuck on there, which is why we have terms like “endless scroll” and “doom scrolling” in our lexicon now. You’re on there, craving more. Studies show it’s designed to keep us hooked for as long as possible. Even though I don’t love social media, I still catch myself stuck scrolling.
In 2017, after dipping and dabbling in marketing, I switched to working full-time in online marketing. And in a twist of irony, I really wanted to help businesses manage their social media back then. I was a new homeowner and looking for “social proof” as I hired contractors for renovations, and was frustrated how I could never get more information or confirmation on someone’s work. I loved writing, and I wanted to work remotely. I had an MBA – and a ton of project management experience, so switching to marketing made sense.
I worked at an agency as the social media manager for several clients. During that time, I made hundreds of social media posts, and it burned me out to constantly create fresh content.
Last year, when I was building out my business’s online presence, I kept getting stuck on one thing: I didn’t want to post on social media. I knew what worked in social and I knew it was something I didn’t want to do for my own business.
It turns out I’m not the only one.
Many business owners like you don’t want to rely on Facebook and Instagram—or at least not in the way the gurus say you should. The good news? You don’t have to. Marketing existed long before social media, and many of those strategies still work today.
The truth is, you don’t need social media to market your business. Social media can help, but there are other more efficient things that you can do that help too.
This is why I created Rebel Marketing School—to give small business owners the support and confidence to market their business in a way that works for them. Whether you want to use social media or skip it entirely, we focus on online and offline strategies that actually move the needle.
Posting constantly isn’t a silver bullet. The real magic is in knowing your business and your audience and having a strong foundation—including a website that works for you.
If this resonates with you, let’s chat! Use the contact form or email me—I’d love to hear about your business and help you build a marketing strategy that actually works for you.
