Social Media Has Plateaued (And What Comes Next)

I've been going back and forth for months with this idea that social doesn't really matter anymore. But that just isn't true.

Social does still matter.

And it just looks different in how to use it effectively.

Over the summer of 2025 I paused personally posting. Maven was at a crossroad and I didn't truly know what my offer was anymore.

I was also so annoyed at feeling like I needed to perform for strangers to feel “successful”.

So I took a break.

My clients, my inner circle and my family knew what was happening and on May 7th I made my final post until September. 

I wanted to see if it helped me figure out the thing that I felt was laying just below the surface level and balancing right above my soul level.

And honestly it felt good. It felt like my life belonged to me again and not to all of you and a world of strangers.

It felt special big and yet small because it finally felt like mine.

I took less photos and just enjoyed moments. I realized the photos that I was stopping to take were because the object looked pretty to me or was a candid moment with someone I wanted to capture and eventually print. 

Because I dont know how many photos I have on my phone that have been taken for “content purposes”.

It was beautiful.

It felt SO good to keep my phone in my bag or coat pocket, not constantly reaching for it and pulling myself out of the moment for something just to upload to my stories and brag about where I was, or what I was doing.

And then a little over a month into all of that I got a call that I needed to get back to WI. That one of the people who raised me was fighting for their life and suddenly that was all that mattered. 

It didn't matter what my camera roll looked like or if my feed was updated every day to pacify an alogrithm and to keep you entertained when you were looking to disassociate.

All that mattered was could I make it in time to say every thing that I needed to say?

I did.

And then it hit me that on peoples death beds they are not thinking about their camera roll, feed or if their outfit was fire.

They are going back through their life to moments that meant something, moments where they wished they said the thing, or where they wished they would've kept in touch with so and so.

They want to go back to the physical places where their soul felt happy, free and alive.

They could give two shits about what the strangers they are following are doing.

So with their borrowed time that's how I spent the remainder of summer. Driving them to those places, searching to see if those people were still earthside and how to contact them.

Tying up loose ends.

And eventually to an extent realizing social does matter, but it doesn't matter like it did in 2018 or 2019. 

Instead in 2026 it matters in a people way.

It matters in a community way. 

Shifting is the performing for lead generating.

Here now is an opportunity to share and attract a community of humans experiencing a similar thing and not feeling alone.

Because more and more people are coming to the conculsion of the grip that our devices have on earthly experience and that life is worth living.

And not through a phone.

Therefore social is changing.

And that's the gnawing truth that has been with me since I stopped personally posting in May.

Social isn't the future of marketing.

Social has plateaued.

The future of marketing is going back to it's foundation- of being relational.

You can churn out all of the ai written content that you want to but by this time in 2027 people are going to see right through it and you.

Because offline people are searching, seeking and longing to feel a par of a community. A community of inside joke, stories, gathering and life.

And it's translating differently online.

After summer I got back and went to an ai training and a prompt was needed for the training so I asked it “What is the future of social media marketing?”

It asked me 3 follow up questions but then answered with “In 5 years social media marketing will not look how it does now. A shift is happening toward platforms instead where you own you customers."

My hands went to my face and I squealed and felt validated. 

Because I have been feeling and talking about this for 4 years. 

Performative social is NOT the future for many reasons but number 1 being it is not sustainable for the human.

Our brain isn't equipped to constantly be churning out and consuming content.

Since the concept of the sourdough starter connecting us all in 2020 hit me in 2022 this where I have mentally been marinading.

And it's time to bring the sourdough starter into the future- I'm done helping businesses perform for strangers. Instead I'm here to help you build digital communities that matter with the people already in and subscribed to you. 

So- If you're ready for that conversation, reply to this email.

And aren't you excited to be on this journey with me? 

When "Apology Letters" Become Humblebrag Disasters: Why This Trend Is Backfire Waiting to Happen

One trend that I truly hope stays in 2025 is the  "apology letter" format that brands are using—where products humorously "apologize" for being too popular— because it represents a fundamental misunderstanding of both apologies and effective brand communication.

If you’ve been anywhere scrolling on Instagram the past 3 months you’ve seen them, if you haven’t it’s a post on company letterhead that looks like something posted after someone did something to get themselves canceled but it’s instead just a humble brag about how awesome they are at what they do.

I get it we all want to stop someone’s scroll and what is more scroll stopping than a piece of content that appears to be hot gossip?

But this trend is actually damaging because it mistakes smugness for charm.

What these brands think they're doing is creating self-aware, humorous content that celebrates their success while acknowledging minor customer inconveniences. What they're actually doing is wrapping a humblebrag in the language of accountability, which undermines both.

Real apologies acknowledge harm and accept responsibility. This format co-opts that language to essentially say "we're so amazing that we've created problems for you—aren't we great?" It's the corporate equivalent of someone complaining about how exhausted they are from their luxury vacation.

It trivializes actual customer service failures. When customers have legitimate complaints—poor quality control, unresponsive service, actual problems—this jokey format suggests the brand doesn't take feedback seriously. You're training your audience that "apologies" from your company are really just marketing exercises.

It alienates people who aren't already fans. If someone doesn't already love your product, this reads as insufferable. "Grandma is off the wagon again" might get a chuckle from devoted customers, but to everyone else it's just a brand being weirdly self-congratulatory about... beer.

It's the opposite of humility. True humor about your success requires actual humility. This format has the structure of humility (an apology) but the substance of arrogance (we're too good). People can sense that mismatch, and it breeds distrust.

It’s also breeding a PR disaster because what happens when you actually need to publicly apologize on social for something serious?

When something does happen that needs a public statement- because let’s be honest it will, you’ve already used that language for marketing so your online credibility is shot. It’s giving the brand who cried “viral social campaign” can’t cry “product recall” effectively.

You're creating exhaustion. Every brand doing cute, quirky, "we're so relatable" content creates fatigue. When your "apology" is obviously not an apology, you're contributing to the cynicism people already feel about social media communication.

If you want to celebrate your popularity, just do it directly. "We can't keep this on shelves—thank you!" is honest, grateful, and actually endearing. If you want to be funny, be funny without appropriating the language of accountability. If you actually have supply issues causing customer frustration, address them seriously and outline what you're doing to fix them.

The brands succeeding long-term aren't the ones with the cleverest format hijacking. They're the ones building genuine relationships through consistent quality, transparent communication, and knowing when to be sincere versus when to be playful.

REI closes on Black Friday and encourages people to go outside instead—prioritizing their customers' wellbeing and shared values over short-term profit. Trader Joe's employees will open any product for you to taste before buying—reducing your risk and showing they trust their quality. Costco has maintained the same price on their hot dog combo since 1985, even at a loss—demonstrating respect for customers over maximum revenue extraction.

None of these require clever copywriting or viral potential. They're just businesses making choices that put customer value first, then letting those choices speak for themselves.

The "apology letter" trend will fade because it's built on a foundation of self-centeredness that becomes more obvious with each iteration. And as more brands pile on, the joke becomes "look how many brands think this is clever" rather than "look how clever this particular brand is." 

And in an era where people are increasingly savvy about marketing tactics, that's a losing strategy.

Instead the brands that build genuine loyalty don't do it through clever formats or viral moments. They do it through consistent, humble service to their customers' actual needs.

But the deeper issue won't fade: the disconnect between what brands think customers want (entertainment, personality, clever content) and what customers actually want (reliability, honesty, respect, value).

The brands that will thrive long-term are those that resist the temptation to perform and instead focus on serving. Not because service is more fun or creative—it's often boring and unglamorous—but because it's what actually builds trust and loyalty.

When your customer can't find your product on the shelf, they don't need a cute apology letter about how popular you are. They need you to fix your distribution, communicate clearly about availability, or suggest where else they might find it. That's connection. That's respect. That's what lasts.

The irony is that by trying so hard to seem relatable and human, these brands reveal how disconnected they are from what their customers actually need. Real connection doesn't announce itself. It doesn't need clever formats or viral potential. It just shows up, day after day, putting the customer first—even when no one's watching, even when it's not content-worthy, even when there's nothing clever to say about it.

That's the difference between brands that become beloved institutions and brands that become cautionary tales about marketing trends that age like milk.

When 'I'll fix it later' Costs You The Crown Jewels

Quick question: What do the Louvre and your 2023 "I'll update this later" marketing plan have in common?

Both involve things we meant to get back to.

So here's a story to make you feel better about whatever's sitting in your drafts folder...

The Louvre—yes, that Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa and priceless treasures—just had crown jewels stolen. And their IT password?

Louvre- allegedly

I imagine some IT tech during a frantic software update thinking, "I'll just set this quick and come back to change it tomorrow." Then tomorrow became next week. Next week became next month. And well... you know how the story ends.

Crown jewels: stolen.
Headlines: everywhere.
IT department: not having a good time.

But here's the thing—we ALL do this.

Maybe not with museum-level security, but with our digital marketing? Oh, we absolutely do.

Your version of "Louvre" might be:

• That "Coming Soon!" placeholder page from 2023

• The broken link in your email signature nobody's clicked in months

• Google Business hours that still say "Closed for COVID precautions"

• The About page bio mentioning an award from 2019

• Social bios with dead links to that webinar you ran once

• That one form that sends inquiries into the void

Here's what we know about temporary solutions: They become permanent problems when we're not looking.

We all get distracted!

The difference is, when the Louvre gets robbed, it makes international news. When your potential client lands on outdated info? They just... leave quietly. 

No headlines. No second chances.

So this weekend, set aside some time to do your own "password audit":

Take 30 minutes and look for your digital "I'll fix it later" moments. The placeholder copy. The outdated links. The thing that's fine but not right.

Because unlike pulling off a museum heist, fixing these things doesn't require Ocean's Eleven-level planning. Just a little focused attention and the self-awareness to admit: "Yeah, I've been meaning to update that."

Enjoy this throwback photo to me at the Art Institute. 

Restore the Balance: My 90s Marketing Manifesto

I recently ate a Choco Taco.

Now I know what you're thinking “Jade, they stopped making Choco Tacos in 2022, did you unbury one in your freezer? If so that's disgusting."

No. No. No.

It was nothing like that. 

Because in Portland they have been reborn. 

And I had no idea that getting your hands on one was going to be so difficult probably because we just walked into Salt & Straw and grabbed one or three.

But this isn't meant to be completely about the Choco Taco- instead it's about a meme I saw over the holidays that said “We have angered the gods. Bring back the Choco Taco. Play music videos on MTV again. Make movies under 120 minutes. Do history on the history channel. Only make cake out of cake. Stop making me sign into an app just to dim my lights. We must atone.”

And it's true we must atone.

We have angered the marketing gods- the signs are unmistakable: our last campaign had a 0.8% engagement rate. The client call was supposed to be 30 minutes but turned into a two-hour existential crisis about brand positioning.

Effective immediately, I am implementing the following corrective measures to restore balance to our marketing efforts:

URGENT INITIATIVES:

Bring Back the Choco Taco (Your Former Campaign Win) – Someone go dig through the case studies folder. Remember when we used to  launch that simple, straightforward campaign that actually resonated? That had ONE clear message? That didn't require three rounds of stakeholder approval? That's what we need now. Nostalgia sells, but so does clarity.

Create Content That Actually Gets Watched – Stop optimizing for algorithms you don't understand. Make ads people want to watch, not skip. Bring back the storytelling. Good music. Actual emotion. The gods (and your audience) remember when commercials were memorable- or at least what a commercial was.

Deliverables Under 120 Seconds – Your social media content should be snackable. Your video ads shouldn't require a commitment equivalent to watching a feature film. If your message can't land in two minutes, it's not sharp enough.

 Cut the fluff. No one has an attention span for fluff.

Keep It Factual – Stop making up fake statistics to support your strategy. No "studies show" without an actual source. No "our data indicates" when you're just guessing. The History Channel learned this the hard way. Be the factual voice in a chaotic media landscape. It's more powerful than you think.

Authentic Products, Authentic Messaging – Only promote what you believe in. No disingenuous brand partnerships just to hit quarterly goals. No "we're so woke" campaigns that ring hollow. Give customers the real thing, not the substitute. Cake should taste like cake.

Stop Requiring an App – Every. Single. Thing. Does not need to live in a proprietary app or behind a login wall. Sometimes a good email, a website, or straightforward social media is enough. Don't create barriers between your brand and your audience just because you can. The user experience matters more than data collection. I'll say that part again. The user experience matters more than data collection.

Me and other marketing gods are tired. We're tired of campaigns that prioritize metrics over meaning. We're tired of strategies built on the latest trend instead of timeless principles. We're tired of complexity masquerading as innovation.

Business owners angered them by forgetting that the best marketing is simple, memorable, and human.

We must atone by returning to what actually works.

Which may also require a 90's reset. 

This blog was sent via straightforward copy. No click-through optimization. No A/B tested subject lines designed to trigger FOMO. No tracking pixels beyond basic analytics. Just clear communication.

The great social media exodus (and where everyone's going instead)

I left the internet for 5 days in September to set new intentions and recalibrate and I came back to a Tik Tok sale,  new version of the Tide pods challenge, more screaming at each other and just in general digital ick. 

And it's got me wondering on how now as businesses can we market on social when more and more people are leaving social for days, weeks and months at a time?

My first thought was email, email is the new primary way. But I think it's more than just moving all of your marketing efforts over to email because even now people are so inudated with email that they aren't opening them because they might not remember how they got on a certain list or they think that they will go back to it and then they just forget. 

For the record I still believe in the power of email. But I believe email conquers the world with a power partner and I'm trying to figure out who that new bestie/ power partner is.

And my gut is telling me that it's blogging and long form content.

Now before you roll your eyes and start drafting a response email back to me about how people don't read.  Let me remind you that they might not however the search algorithms and AI summaries you're getting when you search are scrolling through the internets for words.  And the words that it is fed is through people creating them alas the comeback of blogging.

The other piece of long form is either a vlog (Youtube) or a podcast. 

Because they people they still want the content the just want to go directly to the content they want without the algorithms feeding them all different sorts of content that it thinks the person will like.  

And again both of these platforms have sparks and fireworks of best friend potential with email marketing campaigns. 

What are you seeing? Are you seeing a bunch of departure announcements from social?

And also as we get closer to the end of the year there are usually so many “I’m leaving social posts”

Pro tip if you are going to leave social, there's no need to announce your departure and all the reasons you're leaving. 

We get it- it's bad. Just slip out the back door like a party or networking event you're ready to leave. 

Almost Everyone's Faking It Online. What If You Didn't?

Remember “Away” messages or when we used to say “BRB” when we were online?  We don't say that anymore. 

We live online now. 

I mean when is the last time you went for a walk and left your phone on the kitchen table and it didn't cause anxiety?

The internet as we know it is shifting.  And I feel like 6 months from now you're really going to want to go back to this post about how marketing is also shifting.

Because…

Once upon a time we used to escape to the internet to avoid real like and now we are escaping the internet for real life.

Which means this is what your audience is also doing.

Myself included.

The truth is our reality having an identity crisis.

(It's not just you-it's all of us)

But here's the thing: This moment is pure gold for anyone willing to tell the truth.

While everyone else is faking authenticity with Ai and algorithms, the real opportunity is being aggressively, unapologetically human.

Messy. Honest. Raw.

The companies that survive this identity shift won't be the ones with the best deepfakes or the smoothest bot interactions.

They'll be the ones that looked at this dumpster fire and said: "Not us. We're going the other way."

Which is what I have been implementing for 2 years now. 

The unflitered, uncurated looking feeds. 

The true case studies that talk about the middle.

And you know what NOW that is trendy and what everyone wants to see and read.

So…

What if we stopped playing their game entirely?

What if being real and human was the most radical thing you could do in your marketing?

I'm not talking about making social your journal- keep journaling all your innermost things.

Instead I'm talking about showing up as a human instead of the filter of how social media wants you to show up.

You Can't AI Your Way Into a Personality: The Death of Copy-Paste Marketing

In Six months the only brands standing out on social will be the ones not letting AI write their personalities.

The past two weeks in client holiday consultation calls the same musings have been coming up and they are as follows:

“Instagram just feels gross.”

“I don't even know what to do anymore.”

“What direction is social even going in.”

I don't know if you've noticed as much as I have but for the past year I've watched Instagram turn into the Home Shopping Network.  So much so that QVC the sister to the Home Shopping Network is laying off 900 people. 

There are so many people on all of the platforms who are look and sound like each other. I've been saying this for awhile but it's getting worse. 

It's difficult to know who is who because all of the vibes are the same. 

Photographers and content creators are churning out the same aesthetics and you're paying big bucks for them to make you look the same as everyone else. 

People are desperately trying to copy everyone else's aesthetic because they think it's what is working when it's really only working for one person- the person the aesthetic is original to. Trying to use the same viral hook templates to also go viral but gain nothing except strip the personality from your brand.

And all of this couldn't have been any more apparent than a few months ago when Tay Tay announced her new album. You know the day that the majority of posts on every social channel turned orange, the color that you probably forgot even existed. 

The brands whose social teams elegantly executed this trend in real time and on brand with the easter eggs are the real winners here.  

The brands who jumped on days later or just changed the color of something to orange in photoshop to post an attempt to get into the groove of everything are exactly who I'm talking about here. 

The posts I loved didn't just go orange—they made orange feel native to their brand experience. When everyone forgets the color orange even exists.

And in my opinion there were four that did it the most timely and the truest. The day after the announcement I saw almost every other business try and jump on the now burned out trend, chasing likes and to somehow become or stay relevant in the algorithm that was shifting toward something else.

But what I am noticing is….

In this new social space where almost everyone is looking the same and putting out the same vibes the effective trend marketing happens when brands have team members who are genuinely part of the communities they're trying to reach. 

You can't fake being a Swiftie at 6 AM when those teasers drop & staying up until midnight to see what they are all about.

I get the allure of jumping onto a viral pop cultural moment but when you don't execute it correctly it looks like you're just copying your way to credibility. 

You CTRL C + CTRL V your way to be one of the “cool” ones in the feed.  

When instead you're getting scrolled right by because the consumers have photo fatigue.

You can't copy your way into credibility and you certainly can't AI your way into a personality. 

The next 6 months are going to be detrimental to setting yourself apart by simply showing up as yourself on social. 

Yeah- I went there.

It's time to stop chasing what's working for someone else and figure out and build on what is going to work for you.  You share your story, your struggles, your wins, your tidbits.

Because in a world of plain white wonder bread it's time to be artisan sourdough. 

It's time to make social media and marketing creative and human again. 

It's time to find your confidence and show up as yourself.

I'm here to help.

I'm Not Ready to Tell You This Either...time for the announcement that changes everything.

I know that you aren't ready for the announcements I'm about to make.

Hell- I'm not even ready for the announcements I'm about to make.

Because it seems like summer JUST started.

And yet, here we are a few weeks from September.

From the BER months when everything starts to get kiddywhampus again, people get back into a routine and all of the gatherings and parties begin again.

I know you're not going to believe this but with the looming of September…

As a business owner, you’re reaching the deadline to start planning Black Friday with your marketing team to reach maximum results. 

No, really

Listen up: if you think you can wing your Black Friday strategy come October, you're already setting yourself up for disappointment. 

The most successful holiday campaigns don't start with turkey prep—they start right now, in the heat of summer.

Here's the reality check nobody wants to hear: August is your Black Friday deadline for maximum results. 

While your competitors are still thinking about back-to-school campaigns, the smartest digital marketers are already deep in holiday strategy sessions.

The Numbers Don't Lie: Early Planning = Explosive Results

Starting early strategic, methodical planning will give us:

• Time to A/B test creative assets

• Opportunity to build segmented email lists

• Space to optimize landing pages for conversion

• Ability to secure premium ad placements before competition heated up

Common Pitfalls That Kill Black Friday ROI

Starting Too Late Waiting until October means you're competing for overpriced ad inventory and rushed creative assets. Early starters get better placements at lower costs.

Ignoring Mobile Experience Over 70% of Black Friday shopping happens on mobile devices. If your mobile experience isn't flawless, you're leaving money on the table.

Focusing Only on Discounts While deals matter, successful campaigns sell experiences, solutions, and transformations—not just discounted products.

Neglecting Post-Purchase Black Friday shoppers become your highest-value customers. Don't treat them like one-time buyers.

And because this holiday season is probably going to be very different than any of the other ones…
 

Today I’m opening up my holiday availability….

Photo shoots

Ship Style & Shoot

Strategy Sessions

Holiday Social Management

Holiday Marketing Power Hour

All of it.

And while neither one of us can predict exactly what the future holds- know that we will at least be in it together. 

Why Does Your Social Media Feel Like You Are Performing for Strangers?

Here's how most of my initial consulting sessions begin:

Client: "Why is my social media not working?"

Me: "You really wanna know?"

Client: "…Yes."

Me: "Okay." pulls hair back

You're not creating content. You're making announcements.

You're not building a community. You're shouting into the void.

You're not joining conversations. You're waiting for likes and NEW followers that never come.

Social doesn't fail because of the algorithm. It fails because businesses are using it like a megaphone, when it's meant to be a group chat.

But Social is NOT a brochure or billboard. It is humans following humans.

Here's where this group chat philosophy gets interesting: we live in an attention economy, but most people are competing for attention the wrong way. They're trying to be the loudest voice in the room instead of the most interesting person at the party.

The group chat philosophy changes everything. In a group chat, you're not performing for strangers. You're contributing to a conversation with people who already know, like, and trust you. You share random thoughts, ask questions, offer help, and yes—sometimes you mention what you're working on. But it's natural, contextual, and welcome because the relationship already exists.

The group chat is where the people you are ignoring who have already chosen to follow you, want to hear from you. But instead you are out there ”creating content” seeking more NEW people to not connect with.

Do you see the cycle?

I recently saw The Materialists and not only was I validated in my thoughts of how shallow we've all become, but also when Dakota chats with a bunch of single women at a wedding (she's a matchmaker) she nails this group chat philosophy part of marketing herself.

Basically her pitch is: you can do this on your own but if you're lucky enough to be able to afford me, why not? Because she's a luxury good.

She’s at a wedding, aka the group chat with the right people.

(Most of you here are luxury goods. Your services or products are not needed for basic human survival.)

When you understand you're a luxury good, you stop making announcements trying to convince everyone and start attracting someone. You stop broadcasting features and start embodying values. You stop chasing metrics and start building relationships.

Group chats are dialed in with the right people. They aren't for anyone. They are for specific people for specific reasons.

Think about it: the most valuable group chats in your life aren't the ones with 500 people where no one really talks. They're the ones with 5-10 people who genuinely care about each other's lives, businesses, and random 2am thoughts.

It's time to stop broadcasting announcements and instead start conversations. Your people will always find you. In fact, one of your people is praying to find you and what you offer right now.

Keep showing up.

Nobody Actually Cares About Your Follower Count (And Here's What They Want Instead)

Here’s something that you might not be ready to hear, no one really cares about your “follower” count besides your ego, agents, PR firms and anyone who could or is making money off of you.

I know, I know. We've been conditioned to worship at the altar of vanity metrics. We refresh our analytics dashboards like slot machines, hoping for that dopamine hit of growth. But while we've been obsessing over numbers that look impressive in pitch decks, our actual communities have quietly shifted their priorities.

The people who matter—your real audience—your community are craving something entirely different in 2025.

They're tired of being treated like statistics in your growth strategy.

They want connection, not collections of hearts and likes.

The members of your community have different priorities these days here is what they consider is in…

Friendship is in...

Offline experience is in...

Printed storytelling is in...

Tangible community-building is in...

Your community doesn't want to be marketed to anymore. They want to be befriended. This means showing up consistently, remembering conversations, celebrating their wins, and genuinely caring about their struggles. It's the difference between broadcasting and being present.

Smart brands are already making this shift. Instead of scheduling 47 posts about their latest product launch, they're engaging in real conversations. They're sliding into DMs not to sell, but to check in. They're treating their community managers less like content machines and more like relationship builders.

The pandemic taught us that digital connection has limits. Now, people are hungry for real-world experiences that go beyond the screen. Your most engaged community members aren't necessarily the ones double-tapping every post—they're the ones silently watching who show up to your popup events, workshops, or are telling others about you when a question related to what you do comes up.

Now I’m not saying don’t abandon digital entirely. It means using your online presence as a bridge to meaningful offline moments. Think intimate gatherings over massive conferences. Local coffee chats over virtual webinars. The kind of experiences that create stories people actually want to share organically.

Real community isn't measured in follower counts or engagement rates. It's measured in how many people show up when someone needs help. How many connections are made between community members that have nothing to do with your brand. How many inside jokes develop. How many people consider each other actual friends.

This requires moving beyond broadcast-style social media toward platforms and spaces that facilitate genuine connection. Private groups, forums, regular video calls, collaborative projects, shared experiences—the kinds of things that build actual relationships rather than parasocial ones.

The call is getting louder to moving toward a more human internet, one conversation at a time. The brands that understand this shift early will build the kind of communities that survive algorithm changes, platform shutdowns, and economic uncertainty.

Your follower count might look good in a presentation, but your community's health determines your actual future. The question isn't how many people follow you—it's how many people would notice if you disappeared tomorrow, and more importantly, how many would actually care.

The metrics that matter most can't be captured in an analytics dashboard. They live in the quality of relationships you build, the value you create in people's actual lives, and the community that forms around shared values rather than shared content consumption.

It's time to stop optimizing for vanity and start building for longevity. Your ego might miss the follower count bragging rights, but your business will thank you for the sustainable community you build instead.