Do You Actually Have to Be on Instagram to Get Clients?
The Algorithm Is Not Your Boss A permission slip to stop doing marketing that feels gross — and do more of what works
You don’t have to be on Instagram. You don’t have to do reels. You don’t have to post three times a week, show up in stories every day, or learn whatever the trending audio is this week.
Almost every business owner I talk to is carrying a backpack full of marketing “shoulds.” Post more. Be consistent. Try this platform. Do that format. And underneath all of it is this low hum of: I’m so over it, but everyone says I have to, so.
One of my clients — established business, great at what she does — was spending four hours a week on Instagram and getting almost nothing from it. Meanwhile, her quarterly email to 300 people was responsible for basically every booking she made that year. She didn’t need more content. She needed to stop making content for an audience of strangers and start showing up better for the people who already liked her.
Here’s what I’ve watched happen over twenty years of doing this: the marketing that works is almost always the marketing that feels natural to you. Not because vibes are a strategy — but because when something feels right, you do it. Consistently, sustainably, without wanting to throw your phone into a lake. And that consistency is the strategy.
Social media is a tool. Not the whole toolbox.
Here’s something the algorithm doesn’t want you to know: 42% of marketers say email is their most effective channel — far ahead of social media and paid search, which both sit at just 16% (per MailerLite). And 50% of consumers say they’ve purchased directly from an email — more than from social posts or ads.
Email marketing delivers an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. Social media sits at about $2.80 (per Omnisend). Not nothing — but not the same conversation.
None of this means social media is bad or useless. It’s great for discovery, for letting people get to know you, for staying top of mind.
But it’s one tool. And if you’re burning yourself out on it while ignoring the channels that convert, that’s a real bummer.
Sometimes a $60 billboard in a small town gets you more clients than six months of reels.
Sometimes a quarterly email to 200 people who like you outperforms a following of 4,000 strangers.
Sometimes showing up really well in one place is worth ten times more than showing up half-heartedly everywhere.
The “shoulds” are making you worse at marketing
The problem with doing marketing that feels gross and squicky isn’t just that it’s unpleasant. It’s that we can feel it on the other side, too.
When you’re doing something out of obligation, it reads that way. Not to get too woo-woo about it, but the energy you put in is typically the energy you get out. When something feels natural and like you, it’s magnetic.
I spent years showing up on Instagram in a way that felt fulfilling — talking about marketing like it was my love language (it kinda was), building real relationships, turning followers into clients. It worked because I wanted to be there. And when that changed, I stopped. Not forever, but for a season — because forcing it wasn’t great for my mental health, which wasn’t great for my business.
The marketing that builds a real business is the marketing you can sustain. Figure out what that looks like for you (in this season!), and do more of that. You don’t have to lock in for life either, just take it a few months at a time.
A quick note on reach
None of this is an argument against social media. If you love it, DO IT — it’s so great for getting discovered and letting people into your world before they’re ready to buy. It was our bread and butter for years.
The problem isn’t Instagram. The problem is doing Instagram out of fear while ignoring the channels that would convert all that awareness into something. You can build the audience and have a place to send them that’s actually yours.
A simple framework that has helped me for years and years, aka Marketing 101
Every piece of marketing you do is doing one of four things:
Attracting new people who don’t know you yet — social media, SEO, referrals, that billboard, showing up somewhere your ideal client already is. Pick one or two and do them well. You don’t need to be everywhere.
Nurturing the people who already know you — this is where email earns its keep. A list of 300 people who want to hear from you is worth more than 4,000 followers who hit follow and forgot about you. (And yes, I keep saying this. Because it keeps being true.)
Inviting people to work with you — clear offers, easy next steps, the occasional direct ask. Most service providers under-invest here and then wonder why warm leads go cold.
Delighting the clients you already have — the work itself, the experience of working with you, the small things that turn a client into someone who sends you three referrals without you asking. This one compounds.
You don’t need to be doing all of it, all the time, on every platform. You just need something in each bucket that you can keep up with — and that feels like you.
Spend some time with that. Where are the gaps? Where are you over-investing in something that isn’t moving the needle? What have you been ignoring that might work really well?
Take action
Here’s some stuff you can actually do:
Write down every way you’ve ever gotten a client. You might already know what works — you’re just not doing enough of it on purpose.
Pick one platform or channel and do it really well for 90 days before adding anything else.
If something feels wrong every time you do it — that’s information. You don’t have to quit it forever. But you’re allowed to question whether it’s serving you.
And if you’d like help figuring out what a realistic, sustainable marketing plan looks like for your specific business — that’s exactly what we do. Marketing Sprints are a great place to start.
FAQ
Do I have to be on Instagram to get clients?
No. Instagram is one of many channels — and for some businesses, not even close to the best one. The question worth asking is: where do my ideal clients already spend time, and am I showing up there? For a lot of service-based businesses, a well-tended email list and a website that makes sense will outperform years of reels.
Is email marketing better than social media?
For converting warm leads into clients — usually, yes. Social media is great for getting discovered. Email is great for everything after that. The ROI data backs this up consistently: email returns around $36 for every $1 spent; social media sits closer to $2.80. Both have a role. Email just tends to do the heavy lifting.
How often should I post on social media for my business?
Often enough to stay visible; consistently enough that it doesn’t feel like you’re shouting into a void between long silences. Less than you think, but better than you have been. One good post a week beats four mediocre ones every time!
If your website isn’t set up to convert all that awareness into actual inquiries, that’s a whole other problem worth solving. [→ Why your website isn’t getting you clients]
And if your brand looks like five different businesses depending on which platform you’re on — [→ Your brand has a split personality] is for you.
Doreen Vanderhart is the founder of Knap Creative, a boutique design and marketing studio for established, service-based businesses. She has opinions about marketing that she will share whether you asked or not — weak opinions about trending audio, and a standing offer to help you figure out what works for yours.
