Navigating Social Media Marketing: Honesty, Balance, Finding Your Way

If our incomes and the existence of our businesses, no matter what work we do, depend more and more on the mysteries of those ever-changing algorithms from social media platforms, then we need a new mindset to stay healthy. We need to establish for ourselves a stable inner ground and real mental strength, so we do not get caught up in those hamster wheels. By now it seems clear that the promised freedom is a very fragile iceberg, melting within the rules of online marketing.

There it was at last, that one video with a content creator who honestly shared how much he paid to get more clicks, more followers, and more views. Together with other writers, we had begun wondering what was going on with the whole world of social media marketing, a mystery that is growing for more and more people.

At the same time, a truly wonderful and loving author of children’s books and youth literature had just published an open letter in a news magazine about the changes she experienced with her work. Where in the past she reached almost 70,000 sales per book in her own country, now she struggled to make at least 3,000 sales. She was loved by many, visiting schools all over Germany, presenting her books and meeting with teachers, parents, and the young generation. Her books were positive, uplifting, and inspiring for young students and children, created with true love. But in the last few years, the changes she observed in young people left her worried. Just like her, many wonderful authors who put their hearts and love into every book now struggle to reach the right readers.

The book market is getting flooded with soulless AI-written books. And it is not only books, these changes in the way things are sold now are also affecting other products and services. The growing question is honesty, what happened to honesty in this new world of advertising?

This content creator mentioned above shared in his video how much he paid for bots, for click farms, and for all kinds of different ads on social media channels, only to reach the numbers required to be monetized by those platforms. When he finally reached that point and was accepted to start monetizing his channel, he explained how the real struggles had only just begun. The moment one video reaches the desired number, the pressure starts to grow, because followers need to be fed constantly in order not to lose them.

This is why every content creator feels the constant pressure to entertain, just to hold on to their followers and welcome new ones, day after day, week after week. The competition grows ever harsher, and the fear of losing followers can weigh heavily on the heart, like a never-ending shadow. Even the most honest and dedicated creators find their mental health at serious risk, because in this new reality, every success can turn into failure faster than the weather changes. It is no wonder that more and more people are struggling with mental health, facing challenges that were once unimaginable.

And this is where truth begins to fade, and the hyping takes over, just to survive in the world of social media marketing. Suddenly, a simple object, a normal product, or even a genuinely good service must be presented as the most mysterious, the most shocking, the most unique, the most extraordinary, the absolute must-have. Everything is exaggerated, wrapped in intense emotions, and surrounded by a drama that grows bigger and bigger, all just to capture followers and make sales.

Sadly, this is where the art of manipulative rhetoric has become a new trend. If you try to read between the lines of what is really being said, and remove all the hyped-up words designed to create fake emotions, the same video would be much shorter. Because videos now must be long in order to generate more revenue, even the most honest creators find themselves forced to add extra layers of words just to meet the demands of those mysterious algorithms.

Understand me clearly here: these are good people, with good services and certainly good products. Many of them have honest intentions, you can feel it and see it. You can see that most of these people do not want to use the “hyping marketing strategy,” but sadly, the reality of online marketing leaves them with little choice. Over the last few years, the whole social media world has evolved in this direction, and honest businesses that were once successful now find themselves struggling to meet their monthly budgets.

Because only this kind of hyping seems to attract viewers and signal to the algorithms that your content is worth sharing on their platforms. But in the end, it is still just a normal object, a simple product. More often now, we see in the news people sharing how they lost everything, literally everything they had, while trying to invest in their online business after following some online marketing gurus. Their honest videos at least help others avoid making the same mistakes.

This is why I admire those de-influencers who are real, authentic, honest, and grounded. A digital detox is wise and every doctor would recommend it. But many cannot take a digital detox, because every day someone is not active online is a day when their followers move on to the next loudest influencer.

Last week, I posted a new video on YouTube, not to make sales, because I do not sell anything online, my work is a non-profit project to help people living with the same health issues. I often find myself wondering how to create a crowdfunding campaign in this fast-changing world of social media. As an introvert, I would truly value guidance or mentorship from someone who has been through this journey. It has been disheartening to find that most coaches charge fees I simply cannot afford right now. Therefore, I posted the video with zero expectations.

The fast-changing algorithms of social media marketing make it harder and harder for honest business owners to keep up. What is a hot trend today can become yesterday’s news by next week. Success can shift in just a few days, followers come and go faster than ever, and the dream of a promised income can turn into a 24/7 full-time job, leaving little room for real life, rest, or peace of mind.

Dear reader, I know how overwhelming this world of social media and constant pressure can feel. You are not alone, and your experiences truly matter. I warmly invite you to join me for a video call, where we can share our stories, exchange insights, and learn from each other’s experiences.

With a loving hug,
Jeanne
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