Feeling fed up with social media?

Right now, so many coaches are putting in time, energy and effort, only to feel like they are getting very little back. Low engagement, limited reach, and content that seems to disappear into the void. It can feel frustrating, confusing, and at times, disheartening.

In this episode of The Wholehearted Business Show I’ll be exploring exactly how social media has changed and why it isn’t working for coaches – especially highly sensitive and heart centred coaches. We’ll also look at what the alternatives are for effectively and sustainably marketing your coaching business.

Listen to this episode on The Wholehearted Business Show Podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts / Listen on Spotify

How Has Social Media Changed?

If we look back to the pre-COVID era and even through parts of the pandemic, social media felt like a very different space.

You could post on Instagram or Facebook, run a Facebook group, or even experiment with newer platforms like TikTok, and you would generally see solid results. Your content reached a good portion of your audience. Engagement was relatively high. Visibility felt accessible.

It was, in many ways, the golden age of social media.

You didn’t need to post constantly to be seen. You didn’t need to overthink every piece of content. There was a sense that if you showed up consistently and shared value, your business would grow.

But things have shifted.

In recent years, reach has declined significantly. Visibility has become much harder to achieve. People can follow you and still rarely see your content. And as a result, the amount of effort required to get the same outcomes has increased dramatically.

What once felt manageable and effective now often feels demanding and unpredictable.

Why the Algorithm Is Working Against You

Another big shift is the way algorithms now determine what gets seen.

In order to be discovered on most platforms today, you are expected to produce a high volume of content. For many coaches, this means posting very regularly just to stay visible. And as we know, creating thoughtful, high-quality content takes time.

This creates a real tension. Because the more the algorithm demands, the more pressure there is to produce. And the more you produce, the harder it becomes to maintain quality, consistency, and energy, especially when you are already running a business.

You Are Not a Full-Time Content Creator

That level of output might work if you are an influencer or a full-time content creator.

But we aren’t content creators or influencers, we’re coaches!

You have clients to support, sessions to run, programmes to deliver, and a business to grow. Your time and energy are already being used in meaningful, important ways. Social media is just one part of that ecosystem, not the whole thing.

Trying to follow the same strategies as influencers and content creators does not work for coaches. Your content needs to be intentional, strategic, and focused on connection and conversion, not just visibility.

Yes, reach matters. Yes, getting your work seen matters.

But you do not need the same level of reach as an influencer to build a successful coaching business. And you do not have the same amount of time to dedicate to content creation in the way they do.

Trying to force your business into that model is not only ineffective, it is often unsustainable.

The Short Lifespan of Social Media Content

Even when a post performs well, that visibility is often short-lived. You might see a spike in engagement shortly after posting, with likes, comments, and views coming in quickly, but that momentum tends to fade just as fast.

Content peaks, and then it disappears.

It does not usually continue to build over time. It does not keep bringing in new eyes, new enquiries, or new leads consistently. For coaches who are looking to create sustainable growth in their business, this can be a real limitation.

You are putting in time and energy to create something valuable, only for it to have a very brief window of impact.

The Problem with Rented Platforms

There is also a deeper issue at play when it comes to social media: ownership.

When you create content and build an audience on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok, you are doing so on rented space. You do not own your audience. You do not control the platform. And you are always subject to changes that are completely outside of your influence.

In many ways, you are building your business on someone else’s playground.

Algorithms change. Reach fluctuates. Accounts can be restricted or even removed. And if that happens, the audience you have worked so hard to build can become inaccessible overnight.

When your business relies heavily on these platforms, it creates a level of risk that is often overlooked. Rented platforms can play a role in your marketing, but relying on them as your primary strategy can leave your business feeling unstable, inconsistent, and overly dependent on factors you cannot control.

The Bigger Issue for Heart-Centred and Highly Sensitive Coaches

There is another layer to this, especially if you are a heart-centred or highly sensitive coach.

You are likely thoughtful, ethically minded, and deeply aware of the impact your work has on others. And because of that, you may also find yourself questioning the role social media plays more broadly.

You can see the downsides. You can see how addictive these platforms are designed to be. You can see the impact they can have on mental and physical wellbeing. And you may also feel a level of discomfort around the ethics of the companies behind them.
All of this can create a sense of misalignment.

On top of that, the level of content required to stay visible often means producing large volumes of short-form content, quickly and consistently. For many coaches, that simply does not feel enjoyable or sustainable. It can feel forced, draining, and disconnected from the depth of work you actually do.

And this is where the pressure builds. Because not only are you being asked to play a game that demands more and more from you, you are being asked to do it in a way that may not feel true to who you are or how you want to show up in your business.

For many heart-centred coaches, that “content hamster wheel” quickly becomes exhausting. It is not just about time. It is about energy, alignment, and sustainability.

You Get to Choose the Game You Play

With all of that said, social media is not inherently bad.

If you genuinely enjoy it, if you love creating short-form content, if it feels aligned and energising for you, then it can absolutely still be a valuable part of your marketing.

But it is a specific kind of game.

And like anything in business, you get to decide whether it is a game you want to play. You get to weigh up what it requires versus what it gives back. You get to decide whether the level of output, visibility, and consistency it demands is worth it for you and your business.

For some people, the answer will be yes.

But for many coaches, especially those who are heart-centred and highly sensitive, the answer is increasingly no. And not because they are doing anything wrong, but because the model itself is no longer a natural fit. Recognising that can be incredibly freeing.

Ways to Still Incorporate Social Media

So what does this mean in practice? If social media no longer works for you in the same way it used to, and if the effort required to play the “influencer game” feels heavy or misaligned, does that mean you need to quit entirely? Not necessarily.

Social media does not have to be all or nothing. What I advocate is a low social media approach. For example, I still maintain an Instagram account, but I haven’t posted in a very long time. My use of platforms like Instagram and Facebook is mainly for nurturing existing connections and networking – rather than chasing reach or trying to find new clients.

Social media can still have a place in your business, but it can be done lightly, in a way that feels manageable and aligned. You could even take a no social media approach entirely, and still build a thriving coaching business.

What Sustainable Marketing Looks Like for Coaches

If we step away from relying on social media for growth, what are the alternatives? The key is still creating content, but in a way that supports your business sustainably. By content, I mean anything that communicates your value and expertise: videos, audios, graphics, blogs – whatever gives people a sense of who you are, what you offer, and how you can help them.
The benefits are twofold: content helps new people find you, and it helps people connect with you. That connection is crucial for attracting clients in a way that feels natural and aligned with your work as a coach.

But how can we do this without leaning on social media? My approach focuses on search-based platforms, which allow your content to be discoverable over time, rather than disappearing after a few hours. Examples include:

YouTube – evergreen video content that people can find through search
Podcasting – audio content that reaches the right audience consistently
Pinterest – useful to a degree, though it’s changed over the years
Blogging – one of the most reliable ways to create searchable, lasting content

The key advantage of these platforms is that they are search-based, not algorithm-driven. That makes them much more sustainable for coaches, because your content continues to attract the right people over time, rather than being at the mercy of constantly changing social media feeds.

Next Steps

I hope this has been helpful and given you some clarity on why social media may no longer be working for coaches the way it once did.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. How is social media working for you right now? Are you finding it effective, or is it feeling challenging and heavy?

Laura

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