A Love Letter to Small Business Owners Doing Their Own Social Media
Dear business owner juggling seventeen different hats,
We see you.
It's 10:47pm on a Tuesday and you're scrolling through Canva templates, trying to create something – anything – to post tomorrow morning. The laundry's still in the dryer. Dinner was mostly cheese. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you're wondering if anyone even cares about your social media posts anyway.
You've got invoices to send, staff to manage, suppliers chasing you, and a business to actually run. Yet here you are, staring at a blank Instagram caption, wondering if three emojis is too many or not enough.
This is for you.
You're Not Failing at Social Media
First things first: if you're feeling overwhelmed by social media, you're not alone. You're not bad at this. You're not "behind." And you're certainly not failing.
Research shows that 90% of consumers value authenticity when choosing brands to support (Sendible, 2025). And guess what? That slightly imperfect post you're agonising over? The one that's not quite as polished as your competitor's? That's probably more authentic than anything a big brand could produce.
Your behind-the-scenes photo with the dodgy lighting? Your caption that's a little bit rambly because you wrote it between meetings? The typo you didn't notice until after you posted? None of that matters as much as you think it does.
What matters is that you showed up.
The Truth Nobody Tells You
Here's what nobody mentions when you start a business: social media is a full-time job pretending to be a side task.
Creating content. Scheduling posts. Responding to comments. Staying on top of algorithm changes. Learning what works on TikTok vs Instagram vs LinkedIn. Oh, and somehow making it all look effortless.
The platforms want you to post short-form video – in fact, 38.8% of marketers say that was their primary focus for 2025 (Sendible, 2025). But you're a plumber, not a videographer. You're a boutique owner, not a content creator. You're brilliant at what you do – which is running your actual business.
And yet, here you are, trying to be brilliant at this too.
When "Just Post Consistently" Feels Impossible
The advice sounds so simple, doesn't it? Post consistently. Engage with your audience. Use video. Be authentic. Track your metrics.
But here's what that advice doesn't account for: you're also the accountant, the customer service team, the product developer, and the marketing department. That platform algorithms have made it harder than ever to reach your own followers – Facebook's organic reach dropped to just 1.37% in 2024 (Growthjockey, 2025). That every platform has different rules that change every few months.
No wonder it feels impossible.
The Things You're Getting Right
Can we take a moment to acknowledge what you are doing?
You're showing the human side of your business. Big brands with their massive budgets can't do that as authentically as you can.
You're building genuine relationships. When someone comments, they're talking to you – the actual business owner – not a faceless social media manager.
You're staying true to your values. You're thinking about what actually serves your audience, even if that means posting less often than the "experts" say you should.
And you're doing all of this while running an actual business.
The Permission You Don't Need (But We'll Give You Anyway)
You have permission to post less.
You have permission to use the same format over and over if it works.
You have permission to ignore the latest trend if it doesn't fit your brand.
You have permission to repost old content that still resonates.
You have permission to admit that you don't love doing this.
And you have permission to get help.
When "Good Enough" Is Actually Good Enough
Here's a secret: your audience doesn't expect perfection. They expect you.
The café owner who shares a slightly out-of-focus photo of this morning's almond croissants? That's more engaging than a perfectly styled stock photo.
The accountant who posts a quick tip about tax deductions with zero production value? That's more valuable than a glossy corporate video that says nothing.
Your "good enough" is someone else's aspirational. Your authentic mess is better than someone else's perfect facade.
What Success Actually Looks Like
Success isn't going viral. It's not having thousands of followers. It's not posting every single day without fail.
Success is the customer who says they found you on Instagram. It's the person who messages you because they've been following along and finally feel ready to buy. It's the community you've built – even if it's small – who genuinely engage with your content.
It's the fact that you're still here, still showing up, still trying. Even when it's hard. Even when you're tired.
That's success.
Here's What You Should Know
You're doing an incredible thing. Running a business is hard enough without adding "become a social media expert" to your job description.
The overwhelm you're feeling? It's not because you're doing it wrong. It's because you're trying to do everything, and that's an impossible ask.
Social media in 2025 is complex, time-consuming, and constantly changing. As AI tools continue to grow and demand for authenticity increases, the pressure to create more content faster while staying genuine will only intensify.
But here's the thing: you don't have to do it all yourself.
You're allowed to focus on what you do best – running your business – and let someone else handle the rest.
A Final Thought
If you're reading this at 11pm, stressing about tomorrow's Instagram post, wondering if you should just give up on social media altogether – don't.
But also, don't keep burning yourself out trying to do everything alone.
There's a middle ground. A way to keep your social media presence going without it taking over your life. A way to show up consistently without it feeling like another impossible task.
You've built something amazing. You deserve to focus on the parts of your business that light you up, not the parts that drain you at 10pm on a Tuesday.
So here's to you. To the late nights and early mornings. To the posts that didn't perform as well as you hoped. To every single time you showed up, even when you didn't feel like it.
You're doing a great job. Even if it doesn't feel like it.
With love and respect,
The team who gets it
P.S. If you're thinking it might be time to hand your social media over to someone who actually has the time and expertise to do it properly, we'd love to chat. At Daring Digital, we work with NZ business owners who are brilliant at what they do – and ready to stop trying to be brilliant at everything else too.
