Last Updated on April 24, 2025 by Jan Barley
Every New Business Turns to Social Media Marketing, But is it Worth the Effort?
Is social media marketing worth it? I’ve certainly asked myself that question a lot these last few weeks.
All the digital marketing products and courses I purchased this year touted the importance of social media marketing. However, after a couple of months of content creation, I wondered, “Is social media marketing dead?”
These social media platforms change fast. What was in fashion one week is out the next.
This week, I lost my Pinterest account. I mistakenly added short links in my pins because the affiliate links I was sharing were long and ugly.
I thought a shortener would be OK, not knowing they are against Pinterest community guidelines. In the blink of an eye, Pinterest suspended my account for spamming.
I’m working on an appeal, but it’s made me wonder if social media marketing is worth it. Hence, you’re now reading this article.
#1: Most Social Media Platforms Are Draconian
If you don’t know what draconian means, post a comment on someone’s Instagram reel and say something like –
“Well, done. That’s amazing. I am so happy for you.”
The chances are that Instagram will flash a message restricting your comment because you’re trying to get likes.
You cannot be social on a social media platform anymore
It happened to me six times in a week in late May. The last message threatened to restrict or ban my account. WTAF Instagram?
My solution?
I won’t comment any more. So **** you IG.
I joined Instagram Threads shortly afterwards (mostly unpoliced at the moment), and many people are experiencing the same thing.
Draconian means harsh, severe or ruthless. The penalties for being social on a social media app are ridiculous and way over the top.
When you make a mistake – as I did on Pinterest – you get a message in red saying you VIOLATED community guidelines.
Excuse me, but as an ex-policewoman, I can tell you the true meaning of violation, and it isn’t making a cheerful comment on a reel or adding a couple of short links.
#2: Social Media Rules Constantly Change
It’s challenging to keep up with the ever-changing rules on social media platforms. First, they want hashtags on captions. Then they don’t.
Instagram apparently has a list of banned hashtags, which they don’t announce by, you know, sending us an email, perhaps.
Social media platforms assume we have the time to read rules and guidelines that are as long as the book War & Peace.
We do our best. Still, if you’re marketing on multiple platforms, staying ahead of the changes is impossible.
#3: Social Media Feeds Are Saturated With Adverts
If you plan to place ads for your social media marketing, that’s fine. However, be aware that if your free content doesn’t get much attention from the platform, your paid adverts might not perform well either.
I get it. Social media channels want businesses to spend money on advertising, but recently, our feeds have become a sea of irrelevant adverts.
#4: Your Social Media Content Has Poor Reach
What is the success rate of social media marketing? I don’t know the answer to that. I know that many people on Threads say they aren’t achieving success with social media marketing. Some share ridiculously huge income claims, but they aren’t the norm.
Getting decent reach has become a challenge for newbies and influencers. When Instagram changed its algorithm (2024), it affected people with hundreds of thousands of followers as much as the little guys.
I was posting two reels daily and getting between 5-40 views. I spend most of my time on Threads now, as it’s like a better version of Twitter.
If you’re starting a digital marketing business (or any business), it’s natural to think social media marketing is where it’s at. But if nobody sees your content, how effective is social media marketing?
#5: Social Media Marketing is Exhausting
There’s no easy way to say this. Creating content for social media is a drag. I am a content creator. I love creating content, but where are the rewards? How powerful is social media marketing if it makes us feel dead inside?
Many people experience burnout from social media marketing. That’s a fact. Unless you have a team to help you create content, social media marketing is a pain in the butt.
Twitter has been chaotic since Elon put his money into the pot. Facebook and Instagram are draconian (Both owned by Meta).
Pinterest pretends it’s nice until you make a minor VIOLATION. TikTok is a crazy place. The algorithm restricts content or bans people if they breathe the wrong way.
#6: People Want Alternatives to Social Media Marketing
People are getting sick and tired of social media. Someone on Threads asked recently, “Is social media making us depressed?”
I think it can.
Comparison bias and imposter syndrome are hard to ignore when you have women as lean as matchsticks with unnaturally white teeth, long glossy hair and a perfect life boasting how they made $3.5 million from digital marketing in six months.
The other side of the coin is people desperate for money, blasting sales messages to DMs and sharing their struggles on social media. It’s just not a great social environment anymore.
#7: Social Media Marketing is Damaging Our Relationships
When social media did not exist, businesses placed advertisements in magazines, newspapers, themed websites, and other places. What they didn’t do was constantly check if people had seen their advert or made a comment – because they couldn’t.
People went out for coffee or a meal and actually talked to each other, made eye contact and all that stuff. Nowadays, everyone has a phone glued to their hands whether they’re out with a friend or partner, walking their dog, riding a horse (that makes me cross) or participating in any social activity.
It’s an epidemic of loneliness about to explode unless we realise how detrimental social media is to our mental health. We need balance, and social media marketing isn’t great for that.
OK, Jan, What’s The Alternative to Social Media Marketing?
I don’t have all the answers. I am becoming disillusioned with social media marketing because of my recent experiences, and I have begun exploring ways to escape the social media rat race.
Social media began as a way to develop community, and it’s becoming the opposite. So, anything that helps a business build a community of its own may be a better alternative to social media marketing.
The danger of not owning your content become apparent when you get your first suspension or ban from a social media channel. I have hundreds of pins on Pinterest that I can no longer access. Thankfully, most are on Canva, but that’s not the point.
3 Ideas For Alternatives To Social Media Marketing
This list of social media alternatives isn’t definitive. They are just a few avenues for finding customers for your products or services.
#1: Start a Blog
When Pinterest suspended my account, I diverted my attention to this blog. It was already performing well with featured snippets and page one ranking, but I am stepping it up now. My site is getting more traffic and clicks weekly than it used to get monthly.
My goal is to work towards getting enough monthly sessions to apply for an ad partnership with Mediavine.
If your blog has upwards of 10k monthly sessions, apply for Journey By Mediavine. It pays better than Google Adsense.
#2: Build an Email List
I wish I had started this sooner but I kept putting it off because I needed to learn the tech, and write an email campaign and regular content. My feeble excuses stopped me from having a back up after I lost my email list on Substack when they randomly closed my two newsletters.
You can build an email list entirely for free on Systeme and have up to 2k subscribers and one email campaign, which might be all you need. I am on the paid version at $27 monthly, which gives me 5k subscribers and multiple email campaigns.
I would recommend starting an email list from the offset.
#3: Start a Targeted Community of Your Own
Platforms like Skool, Circle, and others are becoming a popular alternative to having a Facebook group. The beauty of these communties is you can run courses and live streams without worrying about getting blocked on your own community.
Facebook often restricts group owners from commenting or posting in their groups, which is ridiculous.
Admittedly, community platforms aren’t cheap. Circle is $89 monthly on an annual plan and Skool is one price of $99 monthly (Prices June 2024). Still, if you want to build a community with your target audience, it’s a powerful way to grow your business.
Before launching a community, decide your mission and goals. Be realistic about the time commitments. If your community grows, people can get needy and make significant demands on your time.
If possible, start with a couple of trusted admins or moderators to help you manage the community.
Conclusion
So, is social media marketing worth it? I’m currently only posting twice daily on weekdays on TikTok. My entire focus now is on finding ways to avoid the social media marketing allure and build my own digital real estate.
I’m pivoting in new directions using my creative skills. I plan to create courses on SEO, create and sell Canva templates and build sales funnels for businesses. If I get my Pinterest account back, I will continue with that platform, but I will never trust Pinterest the way I did before the suspension.
There’s always LinkedIn. I used to be active on that platform, which is more wired for business. It’s less in your face than most other social media platforms. I’m considering easing my way back in to LinkedIn and ditching Instagram entirely.
Let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
