Irresponsible.
Career suicide.
The quickest way to get bypassed by literally everyone else in the industry.
Those are the voices in my head when I think about quitting Instagram.
And the problem is, I can’t tell if I’m being dramatic or not, since every entrepreneur I’ve spoken to on the topic shares the same fears. Apparently, objectively thinking about social media is no longer in our toolkits.
To clarify, I haven’t completely left IG – a subject I cover in this podcast episode – but I have radically overhauled the way I think about and use it.
And I can’t recommend this strategy highly enough. To say it has been life-changing is an understatement. In how freeing it has been and how terrifying.
At the risk of pussyfooting, which I’ve never actually been at risk of, social media is fucking bad for you.
And not simply as a consumer. (For more on that, watch The Social Dilemma). Social media is also bad for you as a creator, because the content demands of an app like Instagram are unsustainable.
I’m just gonna say it: they’re cruel.
We’re talking at least 10 stories a day – which can’t be posted all at once. Plus at least one reel a day (and as any creator will tell you, reels can take hours). Not to mention all the Insta- bells & whistles you’re expected to dance like a monkey for.*
(*Note: This recommendation comes from IG gurus, Brock and Chalene Johnson. I’m including this link to their podcast simply to see if it also makes your head explode. Let me know in the comments).
If influencers who make the majority of their money on Instagram are leaving the app, why would I even attempt to stay on it, considering my much smaller return on investment? I’ve lost precious memories on camping trips with loved ones where I was flipping out about my post not publishing successfully and the fact that I was missing my “optimum publishing window.”
That string of words is gross, I now realize: optimum publishing window. I don’t want to live a life where that nonsense matters more than a sunset.
So if you’re also at your wit’s end, say it with me, loud and proud:
Instagram, you don’t get to puppeteer my life anymore.
And watch how your creativity flourishes.
It’s all well and good to ride through the village with my rally cry of “leave Meta behind forever!” but it’s only solid advice if it comes with next steps.
That’s why I made Episode 71: How to Break Up With Meta and Still Grow Your Audience.
It outlines the free and cheap ways to get eyeballs on your business that don’t require you to sell your soul to the algorithm. I made sure to give examples of how the same piece of content can be repurposed for ten times the visibility, with no extra effort, because I want you to enjoy the fruits of your labors and see all the sunsets.
What’s your take on social media these days? I’m always curious to hear about what’s working for other creators.
