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Walking Away from the Algorithm and Opting Into Alignment Instead

Social media once felt essential. Now, stepping back feels like freedom.


Remember when marketing your business online seemed to be all about rose gold branding paired with the perfect script font, polished brand photos, and showing off all of that on Instagram every day? 


We still believed that the algorithm would reward us if we played the game, ie: keeping up appearances and posting consistently (read: obsessively and constantly).


The fact is, during what I’ve dubbed the Crazed Consistency chapter of social media (2019 - 2023), we were often confusing the success of our business with the success of our Instagram account.


I’m guilty of this. In this stretch of time, I dutifully re-branded myself every few years, scheduled brand shoots every few months, posted new content and spent hours engaging every day. 


Since saying goodbye to so much screen time for myself, I’ve witnessed others following suit...


- my Substack algorithm serves up at least one new post a day from someone who’s trialling quitting completely, or someone who’s reduced their time by quite a bit 


- when I talked about being off Instagram for 6+ months while speaking on a recent panel, eyes went as wide as 👀 and the envy was palpable


- in my small inner circle and on podcasts far and wide, opting out of social media is becoming increasingly popular 


Because we've had to be on our phones to market our businesses over the years, we've spent even more time online than most people, and as a result, we experienced social media burnout. But there’s been an important shift in recent years - we are less willing to waste our time swiping/scrolling/sending free content out to the masses. We’ve tired of numbing ourselves, and we’re looking for ways out of using the Internet for marketing and entertainment.


I predict that we’re in a new chapter of social media as it relates to entrepreneurship, where listening to our own energy is the new consistency.


As in, we pop in when we feel in alignment, but for the most part, it’s cool to be offline (kind of like the resurgence of analog items like records, typewriters, cassettes, and hardcover books).


Beyond just being a trend, this shift feels more like a reckoning.


For years, we’ve built businesses under the assumption that visibility equals viability—that if we weren’t showing up online, we weren’t showing up at all. But now, we’re collectively questioning that assumption. 


We’re realizing that the most meaningful work often happens outside the algorithm, beyond the feed, and in spaces that don’t require a like button for validation.


This isn’t just about quitting social media for the sake of quitting. It’s about reclaiming our time and attention. It’s about redefining what a successful, sustainable business looks like when it’s not fuelled by a (sometimes mindless) cycle of consumption and creation.


We’re seeing the return of marketing strategies that don’t rely on an app’s whims:


  • A renewed focus on relationship-building—word-of-mouth, referrals, collabs


  • Subscribing to (rather than following) long-form content like email marketing, podcasts, YouTube, Substack... not as a backup plan, but as a main tool for building trust


  • In-person experiences, even for online businesses, becoming more valuable and sought after


  • A shift toward intentional content rather than content-for-the-sake-of-content


And maybe the biggest shift? We’re recognizing that showing up differently—more thoughtfully, more selectively—can often lead to better results than showing up constantly.


What about you—have you been shifting how you think about your online presence? What’s been feeling good (or not) for you lately?

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HI! I'M CHANTELLE!

CQC Crystal - How to Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset

mentor to service-based business owners and the author of the Aligned Action Series of print books for solo entrepreneurs.

 

Also... a former K-12 teacher who left the classroom to teach you how to run your business with intention instead.

 

In working with 150+ clients and thousands of students, I’ve developed a unique approach that centers alignment, agency and thoughtful decision-making.

Solo entrepreneur clients work with me to establish a continuous cycle of introspection and implementation - you too can learn how to infuse self-awareness into your business.

 

Let’s turn the pain of unfulfilled ideas into real possibilities and plans, by reflecting and taking action in your business together!

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