The Lie Everyone Tells You in Marketing

Why “being everywhere” is burning you out and what to do instead

There’s a message that gets repeated so often in this industry, it’s become gospel:
“You need to be on every platform.”

Post daily on Instagram. Create trending TikToks. Start a blog. Get on YouTube. Email your list. Build a Facebook group.
And while you’re at it, film behind the scenes, be educational, be inspirational, and don’t forget to be relatable.

It’s exhausting.

And here’s the truth:
Doing all the things doesn’t make you successful. It makes you overwhelmed.

More content doesn’t mean more clients

Being visible is important. But being everywhere isn’t the same as being effective.

If your Instagram has 3,000 followers but none of them are booking...
If your TikToks are getting views but not enquiries...
If you’re showing up daily but still struggling to fill your diary...

Then your marketing isn’t strategic. It’s reactive.

You’re staying busy, but it’s not moving the needle.

Success leaves clues, and so do your bookings

Smart business owners know exactly where their leads and paying clients are coming from.

If most of your new clients come from Google, why are you spending all your time on Instagram?

If people are finding you through blog content or word of mouth, then that’s where you focus.

This isn’t about guessing. It’s about getting clear on what’s actually working.

Marketing is there to grow your business. Not just your following.

Stop chasing vanity metrics

Instagram is great. But it’s not the whole picture.

We’re sold the idea that more followers equals more success. But your client doesn’t care how many likes you got last week. They care whether you can help them fix their skin.

Vanity metrics don’t build trust. Results do.

It’s easy to get swept up in what the industry says you should do:

• Be on TikTok

• Go viral

• Post three times a day

• Be inspirational

But none of that matters if you’re still sitting in an empty clinic at 4pm on a Wednesday.

Make it practical: how to find what works

This is where most people get stuck. They realise they’re doing too much... then don’t know what to do instead.

Start here:

1. Audit your last 10 bookings
Where did they actually come from? Instagram post? Google? A referral? Email? Ask them if you're not sure.

2. Pick your top 2 conversion channels
Focus your energy on what’s already working. This is how you stop being busy and start being booked.

3. Ditch what’s not delivering
If you’re posting daily and getting nothing back, pause and reassess. You’re not lazy. You’re being smart with your time.

4. Strengthen your best-performing channel
If clients are finding you through Google, invest in your SEO or start running Google Ads.
If your email list converts, build out automations that nurture people behind the scenes.
If it’s word of mouth, make sure your referral process is easy, incentivised and consistent.

5. Reframe how you show up online
You don’t need to post every day. You need to post with purpose.
Think client journey, not just content for content’s sake.

Choose clarity over chaos

You don’t need to do it all. You just need to do what works consistently and well.

That might look like:

• Tracking where your bookings come from every month

• Building a strong Google presence with reviews, keywords and calls to action

• Creating one high-converting freebie instead of five pieces of content a day

• Structuring your week around revenue-generating tasks, not reels

• Saying no to platforms that are draining your time without delivering anything back

Final word?

Stop treating your business like a popularity contest.
Start treating it like a business.

If you’re ready to simplify, look at what’s already working, and stop wasting time trying to be everywhere, this is your permission slip.

Your time is valuable. Put it where it counts.

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✔️ Free guide: Drive Revenue, Retention and Reputation – How to Build a Successful Aesthetics Business
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✔️ Read: UK Aesthetics Regulation: What the August 2025 Gov.uk Announcement Means for You