Take Ownership: Fix Your Small Business Social Media

Most solopreneurs don’t have a marketing problem. They have an agency problem.

You post consistently for a month, the likes barely move, and it’s tempting to blame the algorithm, the economy, or “people just aren’t buying right now.” Sometimes those things are real. But the uncomfortable truth Seth Godin points to with “It’s your fault” is also the most useful: your results are connected to your choices.

That sentence can sound harsh—until you realize it’s also freeing. If your small business social media isn’t working, you’re not stuck waiting for permission, luck, or a platform update. You get to make different choices starting today.

Owning your marketing outcomes isn’t self-blame. It’s future control.

This post is part of the Small Business Social Media USA series, and the goal here is practical: take the accountability theme and turn it into a simple operating system for content, audience growth, and lead generation.

“It’s your fault” is actually good news

The point isn’t that you should beat yourself up. The point is that agency and freedom go together.

When a post flops, most people look for an external explanation first:

• “Instagram is dead.”
• “TikTok only rewards dancers.”
• “LinkedIn is pay-to-play now.”
• “My niche is saturated.”

Here’s what I’ve found working with solo operators: those explanations are comforting because they remove responsibility. But they also remove options.

If it’s the algorithm’s fault, you wait. If it’s your choices, you can change something today. That’s the whole advantage a solopreneur has over bigger companies—speed.

Accountability vs. shame (don’t mix them up)

Accountability says: “I own the inputs I control.”

Shame says: “I’m bad at this, so I should stop.”

Small business marketing—especially social media—triggers imposter syndrome because it’s public. When you tie your self-worth to your metrics, you start playing defense. You copy safe formats. You avoid clear opinions. You post generic tips. And your results stay flat.

The better stance: treat your marketing like a set of experiments you run, measure, and refine.

Why your social media marketing isn’t working (and what you can control)

If your audience isn’t growing or your content isn’t driving leads, you can almost always trace it back to a few controllable choices.

1) You’re posting, but you’re not positioning

Answer first: If people can’t tell who you’re for and what you’re known for in five seconds, your content won’t convert.

Solopreneurs often try to keep their message broad to “not exclude anyone.” That’s a mistake. A clear position is what makes your ideal customer feel like you’re talking directly to them.

Try this positioning sentence:

• “I help [specific person] get [specific outcome] without [common pain].”

Examples:

• “I help first-time homebuyers in Texas get mortgage-ready without drowning in paperwork.”
• “I help busy PT clinic owners fill schedules without discounting sessions.”

Now your small business social media has a job: reinforce that promise.

2) You’re creating content, but not a system

Answer first: Consistency isn’t posting daily—it’s choosing a repeatable content cadence you can sustain for 90 days.

A lot of “consistent” creators actually run on adrenaline: big burst, then burnout. A system wins because it reduces decision fatigue.

A simple weekly system (good for most US solopreneurs):

• 2 value posts (teach one specific thing)
• 1 proof post (result, testimonial, before/after, case note)
• 1 personality post (your stance, story, behind-the-scenes)
• 3–5 short replies/comments per day (this matters more than people admit)

Specificity beats volume. If you can only do 3 posts a week, fine. Do 3 posts that sound like you.

3) You’re chasing reach instead of trust

Answer first: Reach is rented; trust is owned.

Viral content feels productive, but it’s often disconnected from revenue. For lead generation, your goal isn’t “more eyeballs.” It’s more of the right people raising their hand.

A useful filter:

• If a stranger sees this post, will they understand what I sell?
• If they’re interested, do they know the next step?

If the answer is no, you’re entertaining, not marketing.

The “choices audit”: a 30-minute reset for solopreneurs

When Seth writes that everything after Ahab’s decision connected back to the initial choice, that’s the marketing lesson: your outcomes are usually downstream of a handful of early decisions.

Here’s a quick audit you can run this weekend.

Step 1: Pick one primary platform for 60 days

Answer first: Growth speeds up when you stop splitting your attention.

Most small business owners in the US try to be everywhere: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Threads… and end up being forgettable everywhere.

Pick based on your buyer and your offer:

• LinkedIn: B2B services, consultants, agencies, fractional operators
• Instagram: local services, lifestyle brands, visual offers
• TikTok: high-volume discovery, strong “show the work” niches
• Facebook Groups: community-driven local markets, parenting, hobbies
• YouTube: high-consideration purchases, education-first funnels

You can repurpose later. But for now: one home base.

Step 2: Choose one goal metric that matches your business

Answer first: If your metric doesn’t connect to leads, you’ll optimize for dopamine.

Pick one primary metric for the next 30 days:

• Email subscribers gained
• Discovery calls booked
• DMs started with qualified leads
• Paid trial purchases

Likes and views can be supporting metrics, but they’re not the scoreboard.

Step 3: Rewrite your bio/profile like a landing page header

Answer first: Your profile should answer “Who is this for?” and “What do I do next?”

Use this format:

• Line 1: Who you help + outcome
• Line 2: Proof or method
• Line 3: CTA

Example:

• “Helping Chicago therapists get 5–10 private-pay clients/month”
• “Content + referral engine, built in 30 days”
• “DM ‘CLIENTS’ for my intake checklist”

Simple. Direct. No clever vagueness.

Three reasons your audience isn’t growing (and yes, it’s on you)

Not because you’re bad—because you’re probably making one of these common, fixable choices.

1) Your hooks are polite

Answer first: You need stronger first lines because attention is the scarcest resource on social media.

“3 tips for…” is fine, but it blends in. Try writing hooks that carry a stance:

• “Most small businesses post like they’re afraid of being noticed.”
• “If your content isn’t getting saves, it’s not specific enough.”
• “Stop educating people who will never buy from you.”

You’re not trying to be loud. You’re trying to be clear.

2) You’re not repeating yourself enough

Answer first: Repetition is branding, not laziness.

Solopreneurs constantly switch topics to avoid feeling boring. But your audience is busy. Many people see one out of every ten posts.

Pick 3–5 content pillars and stay there:

• Problems you solve
• Mistakes people make
• Your process
• Proof and results
• Your point of view

Your future customers should be able to describe your work after following you for two weeks.

3) You’re not giving people an easy next step

Answer first: Social media marketing fails when there’s no clear CTA.

Your call-to-action doesn’t need to be pushy. It needs to exist.

CTAs that convert for solopreneurs:

• “Comment ‘CHECKLIST’ and I’ll send it.”
• “DM me ‘QUOTE’ for pricing ranges.”
• “Grab the free template—link in bio.”
• “If you want my eyes on your profile, reply ‘AUDIT.’”

If you don’t ask, they scroll.

A simple weekly content plan that drives leads

Here’s a practical plan you can run on nearly any platform. It’s built for small business social media strategy where the goal is leads, not applause.

Monday: Teach one thing (narrowly)

Pick one micro-topic your buyers care about.

• Not “How to lose weight”
• Yes “What to order at Chipotle if you’re tracking protein”

Wednesday: Proof

Share a client win, a before/after, a mini case study, or even a “what changed” story.

If you’re new, use process proof:

• your workflow
• your checklist
• screenshots of anonymized results
• behind-the-scenes of how you make the thing

Friday: Point of view

This is where you differentiate.

• a myth you disagree with
• a boundary you set
• what you won’t do (and why)

People don’t refer “generic helpful.” They refer distinct.

Daily: Engagement that’s actually prospecting

Spend 15 minutes a day doing this:

• Comment thoughtfully on 5 posts from people your ideal buyers follow
• Reply to every relevant comment on your posts
• Send 2–3 non-creepy DMs (responding to a Story, answering a question, offering the resource you mentioned)

Most solopreneurs over-post and under-engage. Flip it.

What to do when you feel stuck (a better question than “What’s the algorithm doing?”)

When something isn’t working, ask:

• What choice did I make that led here?
• What choice can I make next that changes the path?

That’s what accountability looks like in practice. Not self-blame. Not spiraling. Just cause and effect.

If you’re running small business social media in the US right now, early January is a perfect time to reset: buyers are setting budgets, teams are planning Q1, and individuals are making “new year” decisions. The brands that win aren’t the ones with the fanciest trends. They’re the ones that show up with a clear message and repeat it long enough for trust to form.

So if your marketing isn’t working, treat “it’s your fault” as a gift: you’re not powerless. What choice are you going to make before Monday?