This is a question worth sitting with for a moment. If Instagram disappeared tomorrow, if the algorithm shifted overnight and your reach dropped to near zero – how would people find you?
For a lot of small business owners, the honest answer is: they wouldn’t. And that’s not a criticism, social media is visible, immediate, and it feels like it’s working because you can see the likes. But likes aren’t leads. And reach you don’t own is reach you can lose.
This isn’t a “quit social media” blog. It’s a “let’s make sure you have more than one string to your bow” post.
The problem with putting all your eggs in the Instagram basket.
Social media platforms are borrowed land. You build an audience there, but you don’t own it. The platform decides who sees your content, when, and how often. You’ve probably already noticed your organic reach isn’t what it used to be.
And there’s something else. Social media is exhausting in a way that other marketing channels simply aren’t. The pressure to post consistently, to keep up with trends, to make Reels when you’d rather just get on with your actual job – it takes real energy. Energy that could be working harder elsewhere.
5 marketing channels worth your attention right now
1. Your email list
Your email list is yours. No algorithm, no platform changes – just you, directly in someone’s inbox. Even a small list of genuinely interested people will outperform thousands of followers who scroll past your posts. If you’re not building one, start now.
2. Google Business Profile
If you serve local customers, your Google Business Profile is one of the most underused tools in a small business owner’s kit. A well-maintained profile with recent photos, reviews and updated hours makes you far more findable to people already looking for what you do.
3. SEO on your own website
A blog post, a well-written service page, a helpful FAQ — these things can bring people to your website long after you wrote them. Unlike a social post that disappears after 24 hours, good website content keeps working for you quietly in the background.
4. Referrals and word of mouth
Often the most overlooked because it feels passive. But are you actively asking happy clients to recommend you? A simple ask at the right moment can be your most cost-effective marketing.
5. Local PR and community
Networking events, local press, community groups, partnerships with complementary businesses – all of these build visibility in ways that social media can’t easily replicate.
So where do you start?
A good place to begin is to ask yourself: where have my best clients actually come from? Not where you’ve spent the most time – where have the real enquiries landed? You might be surprised.
Once you know that, you can put more energy into the channels that are already working and start building the ones that could. The goal isn’t to be everywhere. It’s to have a mix that works for your business specifically, which looks different for everyone.
That’s actually what the ‘mix’ in marketing mix is all about.
If any of this is resonating, the Marketing Mix Lab might be exactly what you’re looking for.
It’s an 8-week small group programme for micro business owners who want a clear, practical marketing strategy – without the overwhelm. We cover all of this and more, together.
The next cohort opens after Easter.