Does Social Media Have a Place in Mindful Marketing?

Social media.

It’s a powerful tool to connect us as humans and an equally powerful distractor, timesuck, and fuel for the comparison many of us struggle with. (Me, included!)

Over the past few weeks, I keep having conversations with clients and friends about the role social media plays in our businesses, and quite frankly, if it’s necessary at all to have a "successful" business.

I believe that each one of us gets to define success for our business and ourselves, and yet it’s really easy to fall into the illusion that a number on a profile defines our worth. I envision a world where more business leaders take a more nuanced definition of success that uniquely speaks to their vision and values, one in which rest and fulfillment are measured and honored just as much as reach and profit. It’s something I’m examining for my own business, too.

Somewhere over the past few years, it seems as though marketing has become synonymous with social media, and with all things that seem like a default belief, I’m prone to question them.

Is social media a non-negotiable for a successful business in the 21st century, or can we connect with our audience in a meaningful way without the hassle and pitfalls of social media marketing? Can we enjoy both monetary AND purpose-filled success without social media, or are these platforms a must-have for success on any level?

After all, there is a lot of good that can come from it.

Social media provides a way to connect with customers and clients. It's a great way to distribute information. And for me personally, many of my closest friendships and business partnerships started out and were nurtured via Instagram. Would those relationships have blossomed without the vehicle of social media? Who knows.

And, as we're all aware, social media comes with a cost.

The proliferation of filtered, retouched, and highly curated images often catches us in a ceaseless comparison trap. "Doing it for the 'gram" can take you away from experiencing the present.

Social media is also designed to be addictive. Thousands of people work behind the scenes to keep us on the app for as long as possible, which does a major disservice to our own creative pursuits.

Imperfect algorithms — as well as humans — arbitrarily decide what content is appropriate, which can lead to censorship of important voices.

Social media can also lead us to focus on the numbers (likes, follows, shares, etc.) and miss out on true value and connection.

So what is a savvy yet purpose-driven business owner to do? Social media almost feels like a “can't live with it can't live without it” situation. A catch-22.

But.

I believe we still have a choice. (HINT: This is where you can call upon Your Why to help steer you in the most grounded, soulful direction.)

What if we didn’t get so wrapped up in what we think we should do? It’s when we disentangle ourselves from those ‘shoulds’ that I believe we remember what business is all about: Relationships. Value. Service.

After all, think about how many centuries businesses existed prior to social media. How did they share their message, find new customers, and survive?

Before social media…

Businesses aligned where they had sufficient skill with where there was an apparent need.
They offered something of value because it was in their own self-interest to create high-quality work.
They guaranteed quality by continually following through with the promises they made to themselves and customers.

This is how to be of service, and let that be your driving force. This is how reputations are established. This is how relationships and trust are built. This is how businesses succeed.

So can you conduct business and be successful in the 21st century without social media? Hell yes! But you have to do two things:

1. Redefine success. True success can no longer be based on traditional statistics. So what else will you measure? Sanity? Freedom? Actual connections made instead of just followers gained?

2. Go back to basics and focus on relational marketing. If social media is off the table, how else will you connect with your audience? In-person networking? Email? Old-fashioned conversations? Interviews and guest articles that provide valuable information to your audience? Client stories?

The question of whether social media has a place in your mindful marketing practice isn’t black and white. I would recommend that instead of simply taking social media as a given for your marketing strategy, consider the role social media plays based on how it can establish (or deepen) trust with your community and on your newly crafted definition of success.

If you allowed yourself the thought experiment of what business would be like without social, what excites you at the prospect? What terrifies you? What does that illuminate for you in terms of what might need to shift with how you are currently engaging with social media?