Is Too Much Social Media Advice Weakening Your Brand?
We've all been there when it comes to promoting our business on social media.
Following social media experts for the latest tips on how to beat the algorithm.
Basing our content on what competitors are doing.
Spending hours creating content.
Signing up for webinars and masterclasses – because knowledge is power and you can never know too much, right?
However, there is a risk of getting sidetracked with all the noise and distraction.
I wonder as a result, are you using your time wisely? Are you constantly playing catch-up? And are you avoiding certain tasks because you're just not sure how you should be showing up?
When inspiration turns into comparison
There is nothing wrong with looking to others for inspiration or wanting to learn more about how to grow your business.
The problem is when we start questioning what we're doing because someone else appears to be doing it differently – and successfully.
Comparing ourselves with other people isn't something that social media started. Psychologists have been studying social comparison for decades. We naturally look at other people to help us evaluate our own abilities, opinions and progress.
Social media has simply given us a lot more people to compare ourselves with.
And when you're a small business owner using social media to promote your business, it's very easy for that comparison to start influencing your decisions.
You might see someone getting great engagement from posting every day and wonder whether you should be doing the same.
You see another business launching a new service and start wondering whether you need to add something similar.
A marketing expert tells you there's a particular type of content you should be creating, while another tells you to concentrate on something completely different.
Before you know it, you're no longer looking for inspiration. You're questioning your own decisions.
What works for someone else might not work for you
The trouble is, we don't know the full story behind what we're seeing.
We don't know how long someone has been building their audience, whether they have a team helping them, how much time or money they're putting into their marketing, or what their customers respond to.
We see the result, but not necessarily everything that went into creating it.
And, most importantly, their business isn't your business.
Something can be genuinely good advice and still not be right for you.
I've experienced similar myself.
At one point, I was listening to several different mentors and marketing coaches at the same time. I was learning a lot, but I was also being given lots of different advice about what I should be doing.
And just when I thought I had a marketing strategy in place, it wasn't long before I would ditch it for another expert selling their new and improved strategy.
Before I knew it, I'd spent months studying and planning but not using my time wisely or making much progress.
Instead of gaining more clarity, all that information was creating more decisions and eating into my working hours.
Until one day, a coach spurred me to STOP and focus on one strategy and one only. To be consistent with it and trust that I would start seeing results.
So I took what resonated with me and what supported the direction I wanted to take my business – and bravely dismissed the rest.
How brand strategy can help you cut through the noise
The same applies to your brand.
A brand strategy isn't just something you create before designing your logo, colours and fonts. It helps you understand the business you're trying to build in the first place and gives you greater clarity when making decisions.
Who are you trying to attract?
What do you want your business to be known for?
What matters to you?
What makes you different from the alternatives?
Why does your business exist?
And how do you want people to feel when they come across your business?
Defining the answers gives you the tools to focus on what you want your brand to communicate and something to measure all the other advice against.
Instead of immediately thinking:
They're doing this, so perhaps I should be doing it too.
You can ask:
Does this actually make sense for my business, my brand and the people I'm trying to attract?
Sometimes the answer will be yes.
Sometimes you'll discover an idea you hadn't thought about or learn something that genuinely improves what you're doing.
But sometimes the answer will simply be no.
And that's OK too.
Your social media feed doesn't know your business
Social media is an incredibly useful tool for running and promoting a business. I've learnt a huge amount from people I've discovered online, and I certainly wouldn't suggest we stop listening to experts or looking at what other businesses are doing.
But we need to remember that the person giving the advice doesn't necessarily know our business.
They don't know our customers.
They don't know our values.
They don't know our business goals.
They don't know what we're good at, what we enjoy doing or what we're ultimately trying to achieve.
And the algorithm definitely doesn't know.
So when you next find yourself disappearing down the social media rabbit hole and coming away with another list of things you feel you should be doing, perhaps ask yourself:
Who told me I have to do this?
Then go back to what you already know about your own business.
Does it fit with your values?
Will it help you connect with the customers you want to attract?
Does it support what you want your business to be known for?
Does it move you towards what you're actually trying to achieve?
If it does, take it on board.
If it doesn't, leave it behind.
Not every piece of good advice needs to become another thing on your to-do list.
Build a brand that feels like your business
If all the advice, inspiration and comparison has left you unsure about how your business should look, sound or show up, getting clear on your own brand can help cut through some of that noise.
My Authentic Brand Package starts by getting to the heart of your business – your values, audience, personality, positioning and what makes you different – before we even begin creating your visual identity.
The aim isn't to create a brand based on what everyone else in your industry is doing.
It's to create one that gives you a clear sense of who you are, what makes you stand out, how to speak to your dream customers, and how you want your business to be seen.
Discover the Authentic Brand Package >>
Further reading
20 Healthy Approaches To Social Media For New Business Owners — Forbes, September 2025
Through thoughtful brand strategy and identity design, I help female founders craft confident brands that feel aligned and connect with their dream customers, without the overwhelm, because they deserve a business that truly thrives.
