Relating with social media

But social media platforms have trained brands to be thirsty for metrics that aren’t always of real value because it’s in their interest to give the impression of continuous growth . You have 500k followers on Instagram! But an awful conversion rate. You have had 1.2 mil views on your video! But struggle to turn one-time customers into anything... See more

there’s something larger going on, particularly with those of us who’ve been posting for most of our adult lives: on Tumblr, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Snapchat, on Instagram. We’re exhausted with the labor of self-documentation — especially when it seems that our posts aren’t even surfacing for our close friends. But we’re also tired of being... See more

Because self-promotion sucks. It is actually very boring and not that fun to produce TikTok videos or to learn email marketing for this purpose. Hardly anyone wants to “build a platform;” we want to just have one. This is what people sign up for now when they go for the American dream — working for yourself and making money doing what you love. The... See more

How does one start a new business or sell a product in a world without advertising?

How do you scale something fast enough through just word of mouth to get out of the red?

If I open a new bakery, is it predatory to send a pamphlet to the nearby houses? Should I just sit quietly and hope that enough people notice?

I know Instagram has lots of faults. I’m not going to sit here and pretend it’s perfect. But what got lost in the “I’m Leaving Social Media” discourse is that shunning a platform like Instagram does not make the job of growing a following, a business, an email list, a publication any easier.

It’s hard to break away when everyone else is going in one direction.

And so we get on the Facebook merry-go-round, boosting our posts, counting our followers, and creating ever more content in the hope of being noticed. There are so many other ways to make an impact and earn trust. Much of what we take for granted in our marketing toolbox was considered a risky innovation just a few generations ago. It’s worth

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