This one’s going to be blunt and to the point. I want to talk about a 2012-era social media strategy that way too many people are still following—and why it’s time to let it go. I’ll share the backstory, the pitfalls, what to do instead, and how this simple shift could seriously change the game for your business.
Let’s dive in…
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Old School Social Media Advice We Just Need to Ditch
I can’t believe I still hear this advice: meet your audience “where they’re at”—which apparently means you should be on every single social platform. If some of your people are on TikTok, you’ve got to be there; others are on Instagram, there too; Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube… You “should” be everywhere.
This social media strategy came from the early days of online business—think 2011 and 2012. Gary Vee’s book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook (with all its punchy analogies!), was all about the idea of creating lots of platform-specific content, nudging and niggling your audience along until you hit them with your offer.
Back then, Gary Vee was everywhere—posting custom content to every platform, and encouraging everyone else to do the same. And if you were around in the early days, you’ll remember the “golden age” of social media: Facebook and Twitter feeds were chronological, there were ZERO algorithms, and your posts had a good chance of actually being seen.
During that time, posting three times a day on your Facebook page was the recommendation! Some people kept up, but most of us stuck to one post a day. You’d share those posts to groups, invite your email list to check them out, and people would see your stuff—even if you only had a handful of followers.
Why Being on Every Platform Worked… Back Then
It made sense at the time. If you wanted people to see your content, consistency was key because feeds were chronological. People weren’t necessarily on every social platform; they’d pick the ones that suited them—Pinterest, YouTube, maybe even Tumblr or Vine. To reach everyone, you really did need to be spread across multiple places.
Plus, algorithm-free feeds meant it didn’t matter if people engaged much. If your content was out there, and your audience was scrolling at the right time, chances were they’d see it. Recruitment—getting people to follow you—and spreading yourself across platforms genuinely paid off.
The Algorithm Era Changed Everything
Fast forward to now: most people have a Facebook profile, Instagram, maybe LinkedIn, sometimes TikTok. There’s more consolidation than ever—and more importantly, the algorithms have taken over. No platform is chronological anymore. Instead, they all use algorithms to decide what to show people.
And the algorithms’ #1 job? To prioritise the posts that get the most engagement. That means the most important thing for your reach (and even your ad costs) is how much people engage—comment, like, share—on your posts.
Here’s where things go off the rails with the old advice.
Let’s say you put a video out on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, and you’ve got a few hundred followers on each. If someone comments on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, that engagement is diluted. None of these platforms talk to each other. By spreading yourself across platforms, you’re spreading the very thing you want to concentrate—engagement.
Instead of supercharging your growth, you’re watering it down and making it harder for the platform to see you as “worth” showing to more people.
Stop Spreading Yourself Thin – Focus Instead
So here’s the heart of the matter: you need to pick a primary social platform. Train your audience that THIS is where your best, most prolific content (and conversations!) will be, and funnel your engagement there.
For most heart-centred business owners, I recommend a Facebook business page or an Instagram business/professional profile. There are a few times I suggest LinkedIn—like if you’re a high-ticket consultant or working with major organisations—but for most, Facebook or Instagram is your best bet.
Choose, focus, and double-down.
What Spreading Out Content Actually Looks Like (And Why It’s a Trap)
If you’re trying to be everywhere, you’re not just spreading your audience—you’re multiplying your workload. Posting on all platforms can get overwhelming fast, especially if you’re also trying to customise each piece for each platform (and you really should be!).
But frankly, even just copy-pasting the same stuff across is not in your best interest. You’re making more work for yourself, AND you’re getting less return for your efforts.
If you’re noticing that everyone hyping up “push everywhere” is either affiliated with scheduling tools, done-for-you content services, or teaching content-creation courses… well, that’s not a coincidence! There’s a LOT of marketing behind keeping you stuck on the “be on every channel” hamster wheel.
Creators vs. Business Builders – Which Are You?
It’s also super important to check the context behind the advice. A lot of the people saying “be everywhere” are creators—they get paid by the TikTok Creator Fund, by YouTube, by ad revenue. Their job is to chase as many eyeballs as possible, on as many platforms as possible, because they’re paid for views—not for converting viewers into clients or customers.
If you’re using social media to get leads and sales for your business, your strategy needs to be different.
Do you want to be a prolific content creator? Or do you want to be strategic and connect deeply with people who buy from you? For most people in my audience, it’s the second one. And for that, the “multiple platforms” advice simply does not serve you.
Focused Growth on One Platform
Just think: instead of running yourself ragged trying to post and respond everywhere, imagine picking ONE primary platform. You learn to optimise it, encourage your best and most engaged followers to show up there, and funnel everything to your mailing list from that place.
When your mailing list knows that your best stuff is always on that one social platform, they’ll follow you there, engage, and help you boost that content even further. It’s like putting all your growth fuel in one tank, instead of sprinkling it around hoping something “pops.”
That’s how you hit that point where you confidently know your ad spend, your mailing list growth, and your conversion rates. You hit the snowball effect much faster, with way less work and overwhelm.
Let It Be Simple
I’ve observed this over and over as a business strategist: the people who get results are those who pick a primary platform and stay focused. Simplicity is your friend.
If you started your business with a dream of helping people, making a difference, and building a lifestyle on your terms… you probably didn’t expect to spend your days as a social media content machine. Yet, so many business owners I talk to are spending more than half their work time just trying to “keep up” with posting everywhere.
Let’s get back to why you’re on social media at all. You’re there to be social—to engage, have real conversations, build relationships, and connect with humans who genuinely want what you offer. You’re not there to make the social platforms more money, or help them tweak their algorithms!
Why I’m Focusing Even More on a Single Platform
As this “late stage” of the social media life cycle rolls on, I’m doubling down on focus. That means increasing spending strategically, getting even clearer on moving people to my mailing list, and building private spaces where my community can hang out—off the social channels when possible.
It’s getting harder and harder to reach our people across these platforms. Why make it even harder by splitting your effort, your energy, and your engagement?
If you’re tempted to keep pushing content everywhere because it’s “easy,” just remember: it’s never just about pushing the content. It’s about engagement. And engagement, more than ever, is best when it’s concentrated in ONE place.
Give that social media strategy a try—and see how much simpler your business can get when you choose a primary social platform. I have a feeling you’ll like the results.
If you’ve got questions about this or anything else, there’s a form there for all your “But Tash…” moments—I’d love to hear from you. Head to tashcorbin.com/question to ask a question to be answered on a future podcast episode.
And let’s see what happens when you finally let go of the 2012 social media strategy!
Until next time, I cannot WAIT to see you SHINE.
