Behind the Scenes: How We are Running Our Business Without Social Media
Mar 13, 2023
This week's blog post was sort of planned. Here's my process: Each month I sit down and map out the content that we want to cover on the blog. From there all our monthly content is planned. The blog comes first and then everything else follows. But then I get an idea, or something happens in real time and I just ditch the plan. It doesn't happen often, but this is one of those times when it did. Because it was too important not to share.
If you have been following along, our Instagram account got taken down. Again. By taken down, I mean that for some reason IG put us on pause. Maybe it will come back, maybe it won't. But I did all the things you are supposed to do. We had 2-factor authentication on. I don't share inappropriate content. We use it for business. But the IG gods, decided for whatever reason to eliminate us. This actually happened before last July and in a few days came back. But right now at the time of writing this (we are five days in), it's not back.
What happens when your account goes down?
Well, you could panic if your entire business strategy was based on what you are posting, or you could continue business as usual. I share this quite often, but social media for me is option two. The sidecar, not the main event. Do I wish I had it right now? Yes. Do I need it? No.
So when our account went down, I had a sad moment, because after all these years I actually have a healthy relationship with social and I miss seeing you! And we had some really cool videos of our retreats and Europe travels on there (thankfully on my phone too - a reminder to back that stuff up!!!) But, we kept going. Here's how we are running our business and a launch (The Crush the Rush Club launch has been one of our best ones ever and we did it with zero social).
How we are running our business and a launch with no social media
- Leaned into our email list and text. Did you know you can text me anytime? Just text your favorite emoji to 614-810-4236. It's me answering on the other side. Just like a DM.
- Focus on long-form content: mainly podcasting and blogging - anything that can be searchable and have SEO behind it. For once I actually have gotten ahead on writing. Even with a healthy relationship with social, having the ability not to scroll (i.e. it is not even an option) is a great way to stay focused.
- Networking and community. We added almost 100 people to a recent workshop series in 24 hours with zero social. Over 300 of you joined. How? We used the podcast and our affiliates. If you are part of our community, there is a whole affiliate program that actually pays you to help share. Pretty cool right? So we jumped right in and leveraged our friends. But I also used my time to pour into those that were already ready to learn.
- Finally, enjoyed the quiet. I told myself I had two options. I could stress and worry and spend hours trying to figure out how the heck to email IG (it is impossible) or I could pour my energy into you, the blog, and those in our community. I chose the latter. Remember the 80/20 rule.
80% of your income and results come from 20% of your clients or current community.
So why should I waste my time with an account that is going to take me hours to restart where maybe 2% of you will see it? I leveraged focusing on visibility that was guaranteed. Email. Community. Networking. That I could control, where my request to get my account back went I could not.
Side note. Our email open rates right now are averaging 53%. Pretty cool right?
With that said, yes, I am going to start a new account (follow me here!) But I want to do it with some intention. And not just throw spagetti at the wall. Our entire content repurposing process is easy to start over (i.e. it hasn't stopped and we have been creating content all week). As a small business strategist and productivity coach, this is key for me. 90% of what I post on social is repurposed.
Do you love these tips? Take the Productivity Personality Quiz to get a Netflix-style binge-worthy resource list to help you find your focus and is customized to you! Take the business personality quiz. 
If you take anything away from this blog post, make sure it's this.
Additionally, there is one thing I did behind the scenes that also saves me when it comes to content. In addition to using 2-factor authentication, do this. About two years ago when we were building our website I set up a Zap from Zapier (it's free) to take every post from IG I ever created and drop it in a Google spreadsheet. So even when IG went down, the spreadsheet has everything I ever posted. All of it. I own it.
Take this step. It's your content. Make sure you are saving it.
I decided to share this story because when you prioritize strategy over social, your business is no longer dependent on the social drama. And that is true freedom. Our IG stories of travels, community, and American Girl doll adventures will be back soon, but do yourself a favor and don't make social your business plan. I did a whole free podcast series on this at www.hollymariehaynes.com/social.
Thanks for being here! I miss seeing your faces in real life but will be back soon. And in true Crush the Rush fashion, we have some fun surprises planned with our social re-launch.
Looking for more on this topic and your High-Level Action items? Check out the Strategy Lab in the Crush the Rush Club!
