Episode 3: Yes, Social…But What Else?
Show Notes:
What happens if your favorite platform disappears tomorrow—or if you’re just tired of playing the social media game? In this episode, we dive into how to build a sustainable visibility strategy that truly supports your energy and your business.
You'll learn why solely relying on social can put your brand at risk, how to leverage "owned" channels like your website and email, the underrated power of in-person connections, and concrete steps to personalize your marketing mix. This conversation is your blueprint for being seen—without burning out.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why relying on social media alone is risky for your business
Real talk on Instagram’s reach, algorithm changes, and social media burnout
The power of diversifying—and truly owning—your visibility channels
How to leverage your website, email, podcast, and in-person events for lasting impact
A permission slip to design a marketing mix that reflects YOUR energy, strengths, and season
The “audit, experiment, repurpose, boundaries” approach for sustainable growth
Practical steps to protect your visibility and sanity in a constantly changing digital landscape
Don’t miss upcoming episodes on sustainable visibility and building a marketing ecosystem that outlasts the latest trends.
Links & Resources:
Social media benchmarks (from Social Insider)
Connect on Instagram
Subscribe to The Table so you never miss an episode. And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d love for you to leave a review—it helps more founders find clarity without the hustle.
Thanks for pulling up a chair with me today. See you next time—I’ll make sure to save you a seat.
Transcript:
I have two questions for you.
One: If Instagram disappeared tomorrow, would you still be able to reach your ideal customer?
And two: How much of you not doing your marketing is because you loathe working on social media?
I ask because I get it. This isn't about fear, it's about freedom, about owning a marketing system that works for you and outlasts the latest algorithm. Today, let's get honest about what it really takes to show up, stay seen, and stop burning out so your marketing supports your sanity and your business, no matter how the marketing channels change.
Hey, I'm Dani Henneberger, founder of Mise en Plan and your host here at The Table. I help businesses big and small reposition their offers, rethink their strategy, and find clarity when the usual menu of marketing tactics just isn't cutting it anymore. So if you've been feeling the pressure to show up everywhere or you're exhausted trying to stay visible on the platforms that just aren't giving back, you are not alone.
In this episode, I'm breaking down:
Why social media isn't dead, but it's definitely not everything (and SHOULDN'T be).
How to think about visibility in a way that protects your energy and your business.
And what a personalized, sustainable channel mix can actually look like.
Let's start with the facts and the truth about social media right now:
Organic reach on platforms like Instagram are down for most accounts.
Engagement is down, like 28% year over year.
(I'll put a link to some of the research notes down in the show notes.)The algorithm is changing faster than your coffee order—and it's a finite thing.
Things fizzle, and then they disappear. Yes, I know Instagram has finally announced that they are going to be having their stuff showing up in search, but in my opinion, this is a little too little, too late. It's very frustrating, but it'll be good at the end of the day.
Even then, even the best content really gets buried. Audience attention is fragmented and most of us are trying to say something meaningful in 20 seconds or less while also hoping that the algorithm likes our outfit or whatever, or can compete with the new AI content creators out there.
Is that influencer even real? I don't even know anymore.
That being said, social can still work, but if you're relying on social media alone to do your marketing—I've been around the block, I've heard a lot of small business owners and founders say that social media is the end game for everything that they're doing—that is dangerous. You're building on rented land. That landlord is fickle and they're motivated to take your money and other people's money.
We've seen Meta have blackouts, we've seen TikTok go dark with influencers with millions of followers giving tearful goodbyes because it was all over, and it's still not fully out of the danger zone, even though it's back.
So this is my warning to start thinking about how you might be able to go beyond just leaning and relying on social media for your marketing.
Social media isn't the enemy. For some people, it's really fun, it's energizing, it really fits their vibe. If it's working for you, and it brings in those aligned clients and it feels good—great, keep going, keep doing it.
But if it's feeling like a grind, that doesn't mean that you're doing it wrong. It might just mean that you're not meant to be doing it in the way you're doing it—or you need to be doing it differently.
So here's the shift:
Yes, unfortunately social is still very much a reality. We kind of do need to be there even just lightly. However, we need to be thinking about what else supports you. That's a question I ask clients all the time, because you don't have to choose between being visible and protecting your sanity. There is a way to do both.
Putting all your eggs in one basket—just Instagram or email—means your entire presence is at risk if things change there. That's a really tough spot to recover from. We want to make sure that we're protecting ourselves.
Vulnerable moment: I'm a marketer, but I'll be totally honest with you. I hate doing my own marketing. I especially don't love social media. People look at me aghast when I say that. I hate social media and would love for it to disappear tomorrow. But I'm just as much a victim of the doom scroll and always end up crying over sad puppies.
I was so unmotivated to do anything on social media. I'm way too in my own head to deal with any of it. And honestly, even when I did go whole hog, the ROI of the time and emotional effort just wasn't there versus my other marketing initiatives. So I wanted to start exploring other ways of getting out there. I had big things to say, but social felt too limiting of a platform for me to get those things out there. I need more than 30 seconds to tell my stories. I was way too self-conscious; it's all too shallow, too performative. It just didn't feel true to me. For me, it just wasn't my vibe.
And that's how you've come to start listening to me here instead. It was a better channel for me, for my business, and most importantly, I honestly think it's a better channel for you to hear from me, too.
I have not fully said goodbye to social. You still gotta do it, but I don't feel the same pressure.
Now, I record an episode and suddenly I have easier content for my Instagram, my newsletter, my blog. I have partnership opportunities coming out of the interviews I'm planning, and none of it feels like shouting into the void.
Marketing isn't about being everywhere. You just need to be rooted in a few places that give back to you, not just to the platforms.
Owned channels—where are the places that you uniquely set the rules?
These are things like your website, having your email list, your newsletter, your blog, or if you have a podcast.
Why these matter:
Control: You can decide what's shown and when. No algorithm. (Let's just ignore the intricacies of SEO for now.)
Longevity: That blog isn't just going to get deleted or shoved under the rug later on. Your podcast content lives longer and is searchable.
Depth: You can go into a lot more depth, beyond tips and tricks. You can share values, frameworks, stories—the stuff that actually builds trust.
Owned channels are the foundation of your entire business. Your website, your email list, your podcast—these are things you can control, and your authority compounds over time.
Owned channels don’t have to be digital either.
Your presence, your voice—those are your most powerful owned channels of all.
I'm going to encourage you to really start thinking about not sleeping on networking events, workshops, panels, local meetups, speaking gigs, collaborations, etc. This is a really underrated power play because one good event can do what 10 posts can't.
People remember how you made them feel. That connection is stickier than anything they'll ever get from learning about you through a screen.
You don't have to be on stage. Sometimes the best marketing is a real conversation at a real table over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and real weird crudités.
Honestly, I've seen more business get done in five minutes over a charcuterie board than in five months of trying to go viral.
If you're saying, "Dani, but going in person just isn't scalable, I can't scale myself beyond that," good news: I'm not saying that's your only channel. The whole point is thinking about your channel mix.
When you diversify—mixing the social, website, in-person, newsletter, email, and emerging channels like AI-powered search—you're not just hedging your bets, you're making sure your message lives in multiple places. If one channel goes quiet, your work keeps circulating.
Here's the part no one talks about:
Your visibility strategy should reflect you.
Your marketing is personal to you. Your energy, your strengths, your season of business and where you are in your business should define how you do your marketing.
If social just isn't for you, fine, it shouldn't have to be. If meeting people IRL gives you the ick, that's fine too—but ask yourself why that's the case. Is it just that you don't like people, or is it because you don't know how to talk about what you do? (We can fix that together.)
Framework I use with clients:
Audit: What's working? What's draining you? Where are the clients you love actually coming from?
Assessment: Understand your ideal customers, where they get their information, what they expect to see—this helps you figure out how to reach them and how to get in front of them.
Diagnosis: Find your comfort levels and align them with you as a person—what is your marketing style? What will work for you so you don't feel drained?
Experiment: Choose some new channels (owned or in-person) to test in the next quarter. Growth never happens when you're comfortable, but you'll have my support as your cheerleader.
Reduce the lift: How can you do more with less? Create an ecosystem that lets you repurpose content across channels, so you're not hindered when you finally go and get started.
Marketing should support your business, not run your life.
Some important things to remember:
You don't own your social platforms, but you can build a strategy that you own.
You don't have to be everywhere.
You just have to be somewhere that's aligned and sustainable and actually helps you grow your business.
If Instagram changed tomorrow or Google launched something new, you're still findable and can communicate with the people who want to hear from you.
Most importantly, do it your way—don't burn out chasing every next big thing.
If this episode sparked something and you're ready to build a marketing strategy that's actually yours—I'd love to help. That's what I do.
I love figuring out those best-fit channels for your goals, your energy, and your people, and making marketing feel like something you actually want to show up for.
Or, if you're just channel-curious, DM me. Tell me what you're considering next. I'd love to hear it and figure out how it can fit into your bigger strategy.
And hey, don't forget to hit subscribe so you don't miss the next one.
Thanks for pulling up a chair with me today. I'll see you next time. I'll make sure to save you a seat.
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