I get overwhelmed by social media a lot. In the past, it was a fun place to share silly updates but over the last few years it’s become an essential marketing tool for my business. Some days I’m not sure where the lines are, what I should be sharing (or blurring out), and whether I’m doing any of it right. There are trends I love watching but feel way too nervous (and time-poor) to try, and others where I miss the boat, still in strategy phase. I’m also just never sure if it’s working.
That’s why I love having experts like Todd Mitchell, social media marketing expert and founder of Sooo Good in my circle. He’s got the funny reel ideas and the skills to execute and edit them in a way that makes all the result look completely effortless.
As much as we’d love to pretend otherwise, social media really is an important asset for small business growth. Social platforms are a megaphone to share your news, PR and media hits, connect with your community, and showcase your brand. So if you went into business thinking you’d be doing your thing, not creating content and Googling reel trends, welcome, youre not alone!
Experts like Todd are so essential in making social media feel less intimidating and a lot more doable. Here are Todd’s latest social media strategy tips to help you get seen and stay connected in 2026.
“If I do not post on social media my business will fail and everything I’ve built will fall apart.”
Is that something that you’ve said to yourself about social media? I have. We all have.
There’s a lot of stress and pressure people go through as business owners. Adding the task of creating branded content and trying to please the algorithm on top of it all is a peak stress moment a lot of people go through.
I’ve used social platforms for almost a decade to promote myself, a furniture brand I was the marketing manager for, and now the businesses I partner with as clients. I have seen that stress on team members, my clients, and I, unfortunately, have a relationship with it too.
It’s that overwhelming feeling that is holding people back from using apps such as Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and more as a tool to build their business with strategized content that attracts the clients and customers they are looking for.
From my experience with marketing through online platforms I’ve developed, and live by, five tips that have changed my point of view on the pressure of social media to make it easier for myself and my clients. They’re here to show another way to approach creating content that’ll help make things feel easier and less overwhelming.
5 Tips for Not Stressing Over Social Media
1. Creating content is a skill that requires practice.
Think of the skills and talents you already have. Were you a pro the first time you tried them? Probably not. It took practice, learning, and vulnerability.
Going through all of that, and growing from it, is what set you up for success today. That’s the same awareness needed for creating content.
The first post you share might not fully live up to your expectations and that’s ok. Even uncomfortable results have value. Learn what you can from it.
Maybe you need better lighting, you said “uhhh” too many times, or the editing program you tried is too complicated. Whatever it is, use that insight and apply it to your next post to make it even stronger.
The first post might not live up to your vision but if you keep pushing yourself, chances are that the 3rd, 5th, or 10th will be much better. If not bang on!
2. Don’t just compare, get inspired.
In business, we’re often taught that gaining an edge means comparing what competitors are doing to what we’re doing, then applying any differences to our own strategy. While this tried and true advice works in many areas it doesn’t fully translate to creating content.
When I work with clients I have them look at accounts in their field that they are fans of. I ask them what it is about these accounts that they connect with and what they love, and then we use that as a jumping off point for inspiration.
I am not saying this content should be ripped off frame for frame. But take those ideas and apply your own values, branding, services, and all the special qualities your business has to offer to make it your own.
3. Imperfection = likes
As a content creator I often spend hours creating and editing reels to be the masterpieces I have imagined. But when I post them I get 5 likes and just a comment from my mom.
Then there are posts I throw together just so I have posted something that week and automatically, those posts naturally get likes and comments I was not expecting. I’ll still get that comment from my mom though!
What I have learned, and I want us all to embrace, is that people connect with imperfections.
When users are scrolling through thousands of posts and paid ads, it’s often the posts with unprompted reactions, clutter in the background, reactive laughing, and more authentic actions that make people stop scrolling, check out the post, and then engage with it.
4. Set real world goals.
Whenever people talk about their success or failure on social media they talk about their stats.
Those numbers are one good way to measure success but they should not be the only goal because they might not fully represent what you are trying to achieve through social media.
When I work with my clients on their content guide, we look at how social media can be used to create goals that have real world results. These goals are meant to promote themselves to their targeted audience, address practical business needs, deliver tangible results, and much more.
My favourite example I like to share is an interior designer I worked with that wanted their clients to understand the full process it takes to design a new build home and why their fees match that quality of work. Our strategy was to not just post finished projects, but to also include construction plans, site visits, sourcing materials, and all of the steps done behind the scenes to create beautiful homes.
Setting goals with real world results that you can experience in person are much more gratifying than the algorithm stats that are nearly impossible to control.
5. Repeated advice is not the best advice.
Have you ever Googled a question like “How to use social media?”
I do it all the time.
I want to know what’s the latest updates to the apps, current trends, and find advice for myself to use social media to grow my own business. There is a lot of useful information out there but what I have found is that a lot of it is repeated tips that generalizes things and feeds into the algorithm gamble.
- Post twice a week.
- Post at peak hours.
- Focus on reels instead of pictures.
The same, or even dated, details are echoed in every blog post about social media for business. It’s advice that is based on experience and research but it is not advice that is made specifically for you and your business.
Trying to live up to all of the extremes is intimidating. Feeling that if you do not abide by them all then you are a failure. That causes a lot of people to give up and not post at all. So take those tips and play with them to work with your schedule, resources, and goals.
- Post once every two weeks.
- Post at the end of a productive Tuesday.
- Post some pictures you have on hand instead of only edited videos.
Whatever you end up doing, just posting is a success for building connections, generating leads, or gaining clarity.
Your Next Step: Apply These Social Media Tips for Your Business Today
Stress, fear, and perfectionism can make social media feel impossible, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Use these tips to simplify the process, ease the pressure, and approach content creation in a way that feels doable. When you shift your mindset, posting becomes less of a burden and more of a valuable tool to help grow your business.
Connect with Todd on Instagram or LinkedIn and check out sooogood.ca. Also Todd wear another hat making cookies and running CHOMP Cookie Shop, literally the best tasting cookies in town. Use my code JENN20 for 20% off.
