"You can't run an online business without social media" (and other myths I was told)
+ your 30-minute 1:1 early bird-bonus to Marketing without social media ends today 🎉
In the early years of my business, my business friends and I frequently spoke about social media. We spoke about the things that worked for us (new hashtags, challenges, text on image) and what didn’t (feeling like we had to be ‘on’ all the time, being overwhelmed, wondering about the algorithm).
Our conversations usually ended with “We’ll just have to deal with it. Social media is part of running an online business”.
In today’s post, I’m debunking 4 myths like this about marketing without social media. These are the stories I was told, and the ones that my clients struggle with.
You need a big following elsewhere to leave social media
Since I stopped marketing my business on social media in October 2021 I’ve been on the lookout for people making similar moves. A story I come across frequently is that you can only leave social media if you have a big newsletter list, if you have a popular YouTube channel, if you have a big audience elsewhere. Leaving social media, it seems, is a luxury not afforded to us lesser mortals.
When I stopped marketing my business on Instagram (the only social media I used), I had fewer than 135 newsletter subscribers, 2930 impressions on Pinterest (and an engagement score of 60) and about 250 monthly website visitors.
I left social media with a relatively small audience anywhere, and my business did not crash and burn. In fact, because of how intentional I became about my marketing, my business started to thrive.
Because the most important thing about marketing? Being intentional.
No one will discover your business without social media
We are so used to large companies and brands being everywhere that we assume that as small business owners, freelancers and creatives we, too, need to be everywhere.
But that’s not true.
The beauty of running your own small business is that you get to be very intentional about where and how you show up.
In October 2021 my business was doing okay-ish: I was still working mainly at my part-time teaching job, and spent a little over a day a week on my business. I’d been selling some business guides and had a few clients.
Since then, my business has thrived (once I emerged from clinical depression in 2022, that is).
People are finding me in absolutely magical ways: through my newsletter, the Substack network, word of mouth, the occasional podcast, Pinterest, my blog and website and a handful of guest posts that I’ve done over the years.
Social media is the easiest way to reach new customers
Marketing gurus like to make you believe that being on social media is the quickest, most effective, easiest way of attracting new customers.
Is it though?
While it depends on your business, of course, for small businesses, freelancers and creatives, social media usually isn’t all that effective or quick. Since social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok show your content more if you post more, small business owners often end up in a bind: either post only how often is feasible for you and risk not getting a lot of engagement, or posting as much as possible and burning yourself out.
The idea that social media is the quickest way to reach new customers tends to be true primarily for people who have the time, energy and/or money to post a lot. Those who have a dedicated PR-team or VA for example.
When I ask my clients what is truly the way in which most of their new customers find them, they mention word of mouth and recommendations—not social media.
You can’t run an online business without social media
Yes, yes you can.
Because the most important thing about marketing? Being intentional.
If there is one secret to marketing your business in an effective and profitable way, it’s to be intentional with where you share about your business and the amazingness you have to offer the world.
As I show you in my group programme Marketing without social media, being intentional also means being very intentional with your time and energy. It means not spreading yourself thin by trying to be on all the channels.
Being intentional is all about discovering what types of marketing suit your strengths and business values—and to focus on that (which is what we’ll be doing in the first workshop of Marketing without social media).
Yes, you can run your online business without social media. And it can thrive beyond your wildest dreams.
I’ve been marketing without social media for over two years. Since leaving social media, nearly two thousand new newsletter subscribers and dozens of clients and customers have discovered my work.
And I’m not the only one marketing without social media, or exploring marketing beyond the algorithm: from Jason and Caroline Zook of Wandering Aimfully and author Emma Gannon of
to artists and creators like Lisa Burda of and who are questioning the role of social media in their work.
Are you ready to take the next step?
🎉 The doors to my brand-new group programme Marketing without social media are now open—and the early-bird bonus of a 30-minute 1:1 call with me ends today, February 7th.
Marketing without social media models a way of marketing your business that is gentle, effective and intentional. A way of marketing that is suited to your life, your needs, your humanness—and is completely aligned to your business, your strengths and your values.
Over the course of four months, I will support you, offer strategies, tips and empowerment along the way to find yourway of marketing. Not mine, not anyone else’s—yours.
Marketing without social media is a hybrid programme: all workshops and office hours are pre-recorded to watch whenever suits you. You get direct access to me by submitting your questions to the office hours and through our really gentle community on Podia, where I’ll check in twice a week to encourage you to set weekly goals and keep you accountable. This is also where you can ask any other questions that come up during the programme.
How do you know if you’re ready to join Marketing without social media?
If you’re excited about the possibilities—and a bit nervous or scared too.
So many of my clients love the idea of marketing in a way that is more aligned to their values, marketing that is slower, gentler and highly effective. They love the idea of marketing without social media.
But they’re also scared.
What comes after the fear?
A sigh of relief.
Every single business owner I’ve worked with who felt the fear, also felt relief once they realised what was possible.
The relief that comes with no longer forcing yourself into someone else’s mould. The relief of marketing away from the beaten track. The relief of finally truly sharing about your business and attracting customers in a way that feels good to you.
How the programme works
Marketing without social media will run for 4 months, starting March 1st 2024.
Every month we’ll focus on one step in creating your own, unique marketing blueprint away from social media:
March: your marketing foundations
April: marketing without social media, beginning the shift
May: your effective and intentional marketing ecosystem
June: launches, evergreen content and beyond—running a business without social media.
At the end of these four months, you’ll be marketing your business without social media, using channels that suit your strengths and fit your values. You’ll have a plan going forward. And you’ll have received my support and feedback every step of the way.
What’s included in Marketing without social media
four monthly pre-recorded workshops, including detailed workbooks
four pre-recorded office hours where I dive deep into your questions
a gentle private community on Podia where I check in with you weekly to provide accountability and answer your questions
four mini-bonuses that I’m still keeping a secret ✨
Marketing without social media is a hybrid programme: all workshops and office hours are pre-recorded to watch whenever suits you. You get direct access to me by submitting your questions to the office hours and through our gentle community on Podia. And, you get lifetime access to this programme, so you can go back to the resources whenever you want.
Take a sneak preview at the first workshop
People love what I put out into the world
“You, Astrid, and your beautiful approach to all this have been like a North Star for me on this journey. Your course was pivotal for me early on and I am really grateful for the work you are putting out into the world. So, so important! Thank you.”—
on my Substack mini-course and working together 1:1
“I've been working through your Substack course and I'm happy to say that it's really helped me to pull my Substack together… I don't think I would have been able to feel so confident about it all without your gentle guidance. I love how you invite the possibility of everything being light, slow and playful, but still manage to drill down into the practicalities. It was just what I needed!” —
about my Substack mini-course
“Astrid is great at looking at the big picture. She helped me see where I could set more boundaries to protect my energy, as well as places I could monetize the work I'm already doing.”—
on working 1:1 with me
Practicalities
📆 The programme starts on March 1st and runs for four full months
when | you can now book your place on Marketing without social media! The doors close on February 25th.
price | the price of the programme is €800, paid either in full or in 4 instalments of €200. This corresponds to around $865/£688 or 4 instalments of $215/£170.
group size | 5 to 15 people, creating a true, gentle community, allowing me to get to know each and everyone of you.
bonus | if you book book by February 7th (today!) you get a bonus as a thank-you: a 30-minute 1:1 call in which you can get a head start on the programme, run current marketing challenges by me or decide on your specific goals for the programme. You can also use these 30 minutes during the programme.
more info | find out about the full outline of the programme here.
💌 I’d love to invite you into Marketing without social media. If you have any questions, check out the FAQ, reply to this email, send me a message or hop on a quick free call with me to discuss the programme (no strings attached). I’m right here to answer any questions you might have.
Thank you for allowing me to share about this new offer with you a little more frequently this month too—it’s how I make creating all of my content possible.
Until next time x
If reading this newsletter makes you feel inspired, empowered and seen as you do business away from the norm, I’d be so grateful if you would support the work I do by becoming a paid subscriber. Upgrade your subscription to become part of our slow and gentle community and get even more support, bonuses and strategies.
It is fascinating how social media has become the default marketing channel for businesses. Pausing to reflect how we (as individuals) decide to purchase new products would show that there's likely at least several alternatives including referrals, physical convenience and other avenues.
I'm sure there's people who do all their shopping from social media but I find it hard to extrapolate to millions or billions of consumers.
Astrid, thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and experiences. Everyone needs to read this post - there are other ways to run a business! This is exactly how I see things, being intentional and true to yourself, showing up and connecting to people - in a meaningful way. And thank you for mentioning my Substack!