EP. 039 | Things I DON’T Care About as a Content Strategist
Podcast Summary
In this eye-opening episode, I challenge the marketing "rules" that keep entrepreneurs stressed and overwhelmed. I reveal why I stopped caring about perfect hashtag strategies, daily Instagram stories, avoiding repetition, being available in every DM inbox, and hoarding knowledge. Instead of following outdated advice that leads to burnout, I share my practical approach that creates more impact with less stress. If you're tired of feeling like you're never doing enough with your content, this episode is your permission slip to break the rules and reclaim your marketing sanity.
Episode Highlights
As someone who used to follow every marketing "must-do" to the letter, I discovered that many of these strategies weren't actually serving my business—or my sanity. I open up about my own journey from being a marketing rule-follower with color-coded hashtag spreadsheets and hourly Instagram stories to finding a more sustainable approach that actually gets better results.
This shift in perspective not only saved my mental health but also helped me make a bigger impact. The episode breaks down five specific marketing "rules" that I've stopped caring about:
1. The Perfect Hashtag Strategy: The reality is that engagement matters far more than hashtags, and most people don't actually click on or follow hashtags anymore.
2. Documenting Everything on Stories: I discuss how consistent valuable content beats random constant visibility, and why setting realistic expectations with your audience about where and how you'll show up is more important than trying to be omnipresent.
3. The Fear of Repetition: With only about 10% of your audience seeing any piece of content, and people needing multiple exposures before taking action, repeating key messages is actually a content strategy must.
4. Being Available in All DMs: I share my personal boundary of only responding to DMs on Instagram and how this focused approach actually improves my connection with my community.
5. The Knowledge Hoarding Myth: I explain why I share everything I know across my free content, and how this generosity actually drives my business forward.
Marketing should work for you, not the other way around. This episode is your permission slip to question the rules and build a content strategy that aligns with your unique business needs and personal boundaries.
Breaking the Marketing Rules: 5 Strategies I Don't Care About (And Why You Shouldn't Either)
I'm about to stir up some trouble. If you're a marketing purist who loves their 30-hashtag strategy or feels guilty when you miss posting Instagram stories, you might want to sit down for this one.
Today, I'm sharing the marketing "rules" I absolutely don't care about as a content strategist. And trust me, this list might shock you because many of these are the exact things other experts insist you must do.
You know those marketing rules that keep you up at night? The ones making you feel like you're always behind or never doing enough? We're about to throw them right out the window. I used to be that person following all the rules. I had my perfectly organized hashtag spreadsheet, posted stories every hour, and worried about giving away too much content for free.
Want to know where that got me? Burnt out and barely making an impact. So I shifted my perspective on these marketing "musts" to make a bigger impact while getting my sanity back. Here's what I stopped caring about—and why you should consider doing the same.
Number One: The Perfect Hashtag Strategy
I'll just say it: I don't care about having the perfect hashtag strategy anymore. And you shouldn't either. When was the last time you actually clicked on a hashtag? Be honest. I'll wait. Yeah, that's what I thought.
The way we use hashtags now is completely different from even a few years ago. On Instagram, you can't even follow hashtags anymore—it's a feature they're slowly removing as of November 2024.
When I ran a social media agency, delivering the perfect hashtag strategy was a key part of my client deliverables. I'd create meticulously organized groupings of 30 hashtags aligned with content pillars for each post.
But that's just not how hashtags work anymore. My current approach? I use hashtags simply as a way to categorize my content. I don't pull from some enormous hashtag bank of #entrepreneurmindset or #bossbabe terms that we all collectively used to try ranking higher.
Instead, I use a few relevant hashtags that describe exactly what that piece of content is about. This gives concrete signals to the algorithm about who to place my content in front of—then I move on with my life.
Here's what actually matters: creating content people want to engage with, save, share, and comment on. The algorithm cares way more about how people interact with your content than whether you used the perfect hashtag.
Number Two: Documenting Every Moment on Instagram Stories
This one might ruffle some feathers, but I don't believe you need to document every moment of every day on Instagram stories. You don't need to share your morning coffee, lunch break, afternoon walk, and every thought that crosses your mind.
Before you object, I know the power of Instagram stories. I have plenty of colleagues who swear by their money-making potential. If you love connecting through stories, I don't want to dissuade you.
But personally, having a consistent Instagram story strategy has never worked for me. I'm all about batching content, and batching stories just doesn't work. Showing up every single day doesn't work with my schedule or energy levels, especially as someone with ADHD.
You might wonder, "But what about staying visible? You always preach about consistency!"
My point is this: consistent, valuable content beats random, constant visibility every time. I know in the depths of my heart that I cannot be consistent on Instagram stories. I've tried repeatedly and always failed, leaving me feeling like something was wrong with me.
But because I know this about myself and show up consistently for my audience in other ways, I don't promise that kind of consistency. My audience knows they won't get daily stories from me.
The truth is, they're not sitting there wondering what I had for breakfast. They're wondering if I can help them solve their content creation problems… and yes, I can, through my Reels, TikToks, YouTube videos, and more. I show up reliably in those places, just not in stories.
Number Three: The Fear of Repeating Yourself
Let's talk about the fear of saying the same thing more than once. This question comes up all the time when I discuss batching and repurposing content. People worry about repeating themselves.
I repeat myself all the time. I'm probably saying something in this post that I've said before. And guess what? I don't care. You've probably heard it before, and you probably need to hear it again. This isn't meant to be cold-hearted. You need to repeat your core messages until your audience truly gets them.
Let's bring some math into this. On a very good day, less than 10% of your audience sees your content, no matter the platform. Realistically, that number is probably closer to 1-2%, depending on the platform and your audience size.
That means 90% or more of your people missed that valuable content the first time around. So why wouldn't you repeat yourself?
Additionally, people need to see and hear things multiple times before they take action. How many times did you have to hear about something before you finally tried it, downloaded that freebie, or made that purchase?
There's a popular marketing theory that says someone needs to see your offer at least seven times before making a purchasing decision. And with our shrinking attention spans, that number is likely even higher now. If you're only talking about your message or offer once, you're missing out on connecting with your audience.
Number Four: Being Available in Every DM Inbox
This one's simple: being available in DMs on every platform is for the birds. I'm going to be real with you. I only check and respond to DMs on Instagram. That's it. That's the strategy.
This isn't me speaking from some high-up marketing expert pedestal. It's about respecting my own boundaries with social media time while building community on the platform that makes the most sense for me… on Instagram.
I find platforms like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and TikTok DMs overwhelming. With Instagram, I have the flexibility of DM automations through ManyChat, plus I can send voice memos, pictures, and videos. I can truly have conversations with my community in a way that works for me.
You do not need to be available on every messaging platform, whether it's Messenger, Twitter DMs, LinkedIn messages, or even carrier pigeon. Pick your primary platform and direct people there. I do this constantly.
In every podcast interview, speaking engagement, or in-person conversation, I say, "Connect with me on whatever platform you want, but I only answer messages on Instagram." I don't give out my email address or other contact methods unless someone's purchasing a product or service.
Setting these boundaries isn't just good for your mental health—it's good for your business too.
Number Five: The Knowledge Hoarding Myth
Finally, let's address the fear of giving away all your knowledge for free because you think nobody will buy from you. I want to shift your perspective on this… I personally give away everything I know for free across all my content platforms.
The reason people decide to pay me is because they want all that knowledge condensed into a neat package they can learn from quickly, or they want advice tailored specifically to their business.
Everything I teach in my courses, programs, and paid speaking events lives somewhere on social media for free. You could learn everything I know from my organic content or arguably Google it and find someone else teaching it.
The difference is I give away my knowledge in bite-sized pieces, throwing in my expertise, experiences, nuances, and stories. This approach works because people don't just buy information anymore… they're buying transformation, support, and systems.
You can give information away for free. What people pay for is how you help them transform, how you support them, and the templates or systems you provide to save them time. People also buy from me because they value my perspective, unique approach, teaching style, or simply because they align with me as a person. I don't hoard any knowledge. I'll give it away to anybody for free.
Your Permission to Break the Marketing Rules
Here's your homework: Pick one marketing rule that's been stressing you out and break it this week. Intentionally refuse to do it. Then notice something… the world doesn't end. In fact, you might find yourself with more time and energy to focus on what actually matters in your business.
Choose one of the five rules I've mentioned or pick one of your own that you hate following. At the end of the day, marketing should work for you, not the other way around. If something in your strategy causes stress or takes up too much mental space, it's okay to question it.
Remember, just because everyone else is doing something doesn't mean you have to, especially when it comes to content strategy and social media.