I Took 30 Days Off Social Media… Here’s What Happened

A full 30 days of halted branding in the online world seemed scary at first. I stopped promoting my brand, silenced my notifications, and didn’t even occupy myself with scrolling down my business feed. Apart from the occasional check-in with my branding communities, I ghosted myself from online… and I loved it!

I wasn’t sure what would come out of the pause. When I reflected, I learned how I was able to overcome obstacles that have me now positioned for greater success.

Burnout to Confidence

First, I was starting to get a burnout because I felt the need to post without a content strategy. I would post at off times just because I “thought” I needed to get something out. What happened was that I lost being intentional with the content I deliver. That urge showed me how I was working in overdrive for a business that should be working for me.

One of my goals was to come back to social media with a strategic plan, swinging at opportunity. Well, I’m not there yet. More so, I learned to be comfortable with my progress and pace. Setting a timeline of 30 days for a variety of goals will not always get you to accomplish each and every one in detail. I now feel more confident that I’m on the right path in my career.

Being Searchable is Enough

Before taking this break, I questioned the importance of social media activity. I put myself into a state of fear thinking that I would lose my following if I went silent for a month. I was surprised to see that even with drop-offs, I had increased my overall presence. This tells me it’s not all about how much your posting to raise awareness on social media.

Raising awareness on social media is about who you are connected to and what your message is that draw people to your profile. 

My platform didn’t just disappear when I did, and it still worked for me while I was away. Think about how much pressure that can relieve when you are just starting out and figuring out where you should be spending your promotion time and efforts. The biggest takeaway here is that the bare minimum of being searchable is enough to raise awareness.

You want more awareness? Raise your goals. 

The Value of Time

You can’t put a price tag on your time. We quantify it some way with our business pricing, but we have to also fully understand that every minute that goes by is gone for good. Minutes turn into hours quickly when we become sucked into social media feeds and trends. I’d catch myself aimlessly scrolling through social content, going down a rabbit hole with new and exciting content, and spending hours crafting up the right message to send out to my audience.

It’s all fun, but also draining without the right strategy. Taking a step back led me to my roots and allowed me to focus on my process in greater depth. It was a vacation that cleared me to gain back confidence and strength so I can maintain my image as who I am versus who I’m influenced by.

Sometimes we need a reset to understand what our goals really are and how we can get there. 

What’s Next?

My brand, Chelsea Creative, has been and always will be a space for me to authentically talk about deep hitting topics. It sheds light on what can feel uneasy at times. It’s not afraid to go against the norm or the popular opinion. It’s a brand that brings insecurities to light and helps guide all of us (including myself) to living their best life in business. That isn’t changing.

But many other things are. This brand is developing more into my personal brand and I am working with my husband to bring a new, combined brand to life that will be the forefront of our business. We just formed an LLC and will be launching our Branding & Advertising agency in the next few months. When it comes to Chelsea Creative, I talk about branding, strategy, and personal development in a raw format. Our agency, however, will be the voice for our targeted audience. It will be professional, playful, and inspiring- blending together our greatest assets: Video + Strategy. 

The Greatest Value

My month off of social media helped me articulate these next steps. I zeroed in on a goal and focused on how to get there without all of the noise social media can bring. It kept me clear on mission for our agency. Making the decision to go silent for a bit will be a breeze or a massive challenge depending on who you talk to, but there’s one thing I can attest to if you do.

You will learn. You will grow. You will see things in a new light that will make you more effective in business. That is invaluable.